[Mercy of Spades]

Okay SpecOps, how's it going? Seeing as how no one seemed to even really type much of anything resembling a good review on the DVDs you made i think i'll throw in my two cents. First off, you guys are a HUGE inspiration to me and the guys down here in Brenham TX. In fact, without you there probably wouldn't even be a focused growing paintball scene here. Most of the players we've ran into around here are your basic wannabe speedball freaks. All they seem to care about is the flash and the flare of they're colored guns and jerseys. They talk monster trash and are nothing but hot air. It scares a lot of the newer players away and makes most drop the idea of playing paintball way before they ever pick up a marker.
How'd (that's right, i'm a texan lol) we find out about you? Well, it all started, 3 years ago, back when I was living in Seattle WA. I had always had an interest in paintball but never really knew anyone who played or owned a gun. One day I was bored and scanning the net for anything that looked as if it could have been entertaining. That's when I ran across an ad for you guys on some random page. I checked your site out and at first I thought you were some kind of military store. When I realized you were a paintball store I was hooked. You changed my opinion of how paintball was meant to be played and that it could be fun with all the commando panache my friends and I had always hoped for. In fact, I went right out, bought a paintball gun, and trekked off into the woods to have my first real game with a buddy of mine.

Now, you may be asking how any of this has to do with your videos. It does and I'm getting to it lol.

So I came down south again to my hometown of Brenham and carried my new found paintball patriotism to my friends. We started having games with the cheap guns we could find but things just weren't clicking with them like it had me. I showed them your website but they just didn't see the bigger picture like i had in Seattle. People began to fall away from the sport and things were looking kind of bleak. No matter how hard I tried to promote the game it just wasn't happening. Around that time I ran across your "Fear the Sniper" video. I was preparing for a big scenario game and thought I'd buy it to see if there were some kind of tips for my favorite position that would be helpful. The vid was $20 bucks and that wasn't much, so I snatched it up.

and yeah I could have probably found a cheap ripped copy on the net but that's just not the way we do it here at my house. It's about integrity, guys.

I loved the video. It was an informative, inspirational, and encouraging deceleration to woodsball. It showed me everything I had ever wanted to aspire to in paintball player. It has a down to earth, practical approach to the sniper position. And by that I mean that it did away with any fantasy nonsense I had that you could take some ridiculously far shot with some magical sniper barrel and the like, but on the same token gave a firm foundation in techniques that WILL work (believe me I put them to the test) for the budding paintball sniper. I must have watched it 10 times in the first day trying to absorb as much information as I could. A must have for any hopeful sniper. But you know, that has not why I like this video so much. Allow me to explain.

What's more fun than playing paintball? Playing paintball with your friends, of course. lol

I started showing the video to my friends and they savored it as much as I did. When it was finished playing EVERYONE of them immediately responded with "Dude! I so want to go play paintball right now!". It was a hit! A new paintball craze had started up almost over night. When I realized what it had started doing to the opinions of my local group of friends, I started loaning it out. Within a week we went from having 3 guys who wanted to play to having over 20 ready to chunk paint at each other. I believe what did it was the quality of the video. On the net you can search and browse but you very rarely find anyone who's put all their heart into the project. Not only did this video seem well thought out but it also showed equipment that none of the noobs knew even existed. You see, anyone can show you a picture of their favorite car but it isn't until you actually see that car tear butt down a street that you've got any real appreciation for it (and that's especially for someone completely new to the hobby). I think it also showed them that your (SpecOps) equipment really is as good as you say it is and worth every penny.

So things were going well but not everyone was enthralled at the thought of playing a sniper (in particularly the speedball players) so what did I do? Well, if you guessed picked up the other paintball video you offer then you're correct. It seemed that nearly everyone could find some sort of niche in your videos to call their own. And the videos were short enough that I I pretty show much show everyone who comes over to my house at least one of them.

But not all is well.

Sadly, when I went back to grab another video I realized that you (SpecOps) hadn't made one in quiet some time and from the looks of it had no plans on continuing your endeavor. Now, I understand that first and for most, you are a store that makes and sells goods and that you live and die by your profits. Everyone knows that the economy looks crazy now but things won't always be like this. I would greatly encourage you to continue marketing yourself through these videos. Now, I am just one man and I don't pay your entire utilities bill every month so I know there may not be a lot of sway that my words may have on your financial decisions But think about it. You reached one guy in Seattle who came back to a small out in the middle of nowhere town and brought paintball to us through your advertisement. Who knows what you could do?

Sincerely
Nathan Addison



I really do hope that you guys at Specops read this. If so could you give me some feed back to know that you're still in it to win it?

[KILLER TRENT]

I'm with you on that one bro. I live in Everett, Wa which is just north of seattle and i did the same thing with the video. But i didnt move or anything, just told my friends and almost everyone at school about it. nice act of praise to special ops. major props dude

[5N1P3R]

I have been hoping and hoping for this for a long time. I think Special Ops videos are amazing. The DVDs are spectacular and even the little episodes at media.specialopspaintball.com are sweet. I know if SpecOps made another DVD I would buy it.

*I heard from Dewy (SpecOps old Movie producer) that they were making more, but then all of a sudden the movie crew got fired or something.

[MASER]

When Special Ops down sized a while ago, they let the entire video department go. The Director (Dewy-dB) is off doing real films now, I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for a new DVD.

[JackRock]

W00DSBALL 5N1P3R, on Feb 12 2009, 03:34 PM, said:

I heard from Dewy (SpecOps old Movie producer) that they were making more, but then all of a sudden the movie crew got fired or something.

Fired? No. Laid off? Probably. The difference is that fired means it was disciplinary, whereas a lot of people were laid off for economic/fiscal reasons. And yes, Dewy was one of them.

This post has been edited by JackRock: 23 February 2009 - 05:36 PM

[5N1P3R]

JackRock, on Feb 23 2009, 06:36 PM, said:

W00DSBALL 5N1P3R, on Feb 12 2009, 03:34 PM, said:

I heard from Dewy (SpecOps old Movie producer) that they were making more, but then all of a sudden the movie crew got fired or something.

Fired? No. Laid off? Probably. The difference is that fired means it was disciplinary, whereas a lot of people were laid off for economic/fiscal reasons. And yes, Dewy was one of them.

Yes that is what I meant. Sorry. I am only 14 and do not know my business terms yet

[TyTy]

EVERY time I watch any of the SO videos it pumps me up like no other. I loved the Blackcell ones quite a bit. Any new releases would only be a big hit/benefit I would think.
-Ty

[5N1P3R]

TyTy, on Feb 23 2009, 06:45 PM, said:

EVERY time I watch any of the SO videos it pumps me up like no other. I loved the Blackcell ones quite a bit. Any new releases would only be a big hit/benefit I would think.
-Ty

^^ You said it all right there.

[BIGBOSS_202]

Look at it this way. Even if Spec Ops didn't lay off the vid guys. We'd still love to see new vids to inspire us to be better players or to learn new skillls and what not. All you need it a digital video camera and windows movie maker and you can make decent or good vids on the cheap. Maybe if us as members of this forum or the Spec Ops brigade put our heads togeather, we can make good vids and post them on site likw youtube and myspace. We don't need the corprate end of it, just enough talent to expand our brand of paintball.

[captain ownage]

BIGBOSS_202, on Feb 26 2009, 12:23 AM, said:

Look at it this way. Even if Spec Ops didn't lay off the vid guys. We'd still love to see new vids to inspire us to be better players or to learn new skillls and what not. All you need it a digital video camera and windows movie maker and you can make decent or good vids on the cheap. Maybe if us as members of this forum or the Spec Ops brigade put our heads togeather, we can make good vids and post them on site likw youtube and myspace. We don't need the corprate end of it, just enough talent to expand our brand of paintball.

Good point

I LOVED watching the SO movies and was DEEPLY hurt when i found out that when SO downsized, the video crew got let go. I would be OVERJOYED to see those vids back up and running!

BEST OF LUCK TO SPEC OPS DURING THESE ECONOMICALLY HARD TIMES!

[Thalion]

Out of curiosity, what sort of youtube videos do you have in mind?

[5N1P3R]

MOATI, on Feb 26 2009, 12:46 PM, said:

Guys...I too loved our video department...and it was heart breaking to have to see them leave.

I have a few bits of good news though.

- Next week, the remaining copies of the Elite Weekend DVD (Dewey's last work here) will be made available for purchase.

- Dewey is still around the area and may be available for some contract work...so the possibility of another high quality Spec Ops DVD still exists. We would need to come up with a theme that would be universal enough to allow for good sales to make it worth doing.

- We do have plans to do some videos that would be hosted on our site and You Tube and such. We don't have the technical skill that Dewey has but we are hoping to do a decent job on some basic videos.

How would someone go about getting the Elite Weekend DVD?

Thanks.

[Mercy of Spades]

MOATI, on Feb 26 2009, 12:46 PM, said:

Guys...I too loved our video department...and it was heart breaking to have to see them leave.

I have a few bits of good news though.

- Next week, the remaining copies of the Elite Weekend DVD (Dewey's last work here) will be made available for purchase.

- Dewey is still around the area and may be available for some contract work...so the possibility of another high quality Spec Ops DVD still exists. We would need to come up with a theme that would be universal enough to allow for good sales to make it worth doing.

- We do have plans to do some videos that would be hosted on our site and You Tube and such. We don't have the technical skill that Dewey has but we are hoping to do a decent job on some basic videos.

Awesome! I really appreciate the hit back. Yeah it sucks that you had to let the video guys go but I believe most of us understand. SO you said the Elite videos are getting ready to go on sale? That's great news seeing as how I never even knew you guys had any lol. And the video guy Dewey is still around? Then yeah there's still a good possibility of one day seeing a vid again. Using your website for new videos seems like a win win situation as well. Not only would we get the clips that we like but your website would most likely generate more hits and that would end up in turn producing more sales opportunities. You Tube would work as well with the right advertisement.

You said a safety video and a renegade video? Sounds solid. I couldn't stress safety enough. Personally, I think a how-to organize/execute your own private games would rock. A lot of folks (myself included) seem to get frustrated and sometimes discouraged when well laid plans fall apart. Private field construction (how big, good paintball terrain, things to avoid) would help a lot of us who can't go to big scenario fields that often. When watching your videos the first time I saw things like T-Boxes and flag base ideas that have seriously helped our games since then.
And you know, when all this economic stuff passes I'm sure you'll have weathered the storm and continued on producing quality products.