Arthur,
That is a fair question and one that I anticipated when I typed my response to Mr. White. The major difference being, I am not looking for an investor, nor am I looking for collaboration or the blessing of the treasure hunting community. The things I have shared, I have shared for free — but have cost me 10’s of thousands of dollars.
You of all people on this forum, as well as DUSA and others, have the full grasp of what goes into production. As I have mentioned previously, the films you have done are stunning, dramatic, award winning and worthy. Would you whimsically present information, on command, on the projects in which you have invested in both financially and emotionally? Would your backers allow you to do so without repercussion? Would your credibility for future projects be the same, if you bent at the will of a poster on an Internet forum?
I feel that I have shared quite a bit, Arthur. The most infamous photograph of the Stone Map saga, “The Bumper Photo”, was released in high definition for the viewing pleasure of all that are interested. By me releasing that photo, we have eliminated the old legend of it being taken at a gas station in AJ. I have also shared at least one additional and never before seen photograph of one version of the stone maps shortly after their creation. I have posted many photos of Travis, to put a face with the name and pages from Travis’ manuscript. That is enough, for now. I am quite generous and have tremendous respect for those that came before me, but my allegiance is with the Tumlinson and Leasman families as well as the production company and network behind our series.
As you know, again better than anyone on this forum, the amount of time and effort that goes into creating a well thought out and provocative series is beyond time consuming. People rave about working with you, your dedication and professionalism. Would they feel the same way if you shared intimate details of your project prior to public release?
Let’s also discuss audiences. As you are aware, viewership is calculated by the millions of viewers. With all due respect, and also being generous, lets say there are 200 people that frequent this site. Its safe to say the treasure hunting community is not my target audience. If every person on this site chose to not watch our series — or go out of their way to trash talk it at every opportunity, it will never amount to the folks that choose not to watch because of religious affiliations, a lack of interest in the topic, or the damage done to our precious mountain range by a capricious previous series.
I will offer this, however. When and if you make it back to Arizona, I’d be happy to show you in person in trade for information on the series that many have told me you are working on in regard to the Superstition Mountains and related sagas. Let’s hope our schedules connect.
-RG