Request to Marines for list of 2023 film collaborations

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

A list of all the films that the U.S. Marine Corps has participated in the production of, in any capacity whatsoever, for the year 2023. Any and all such lists, full or partial, would be appreciated and may include, but are not limited to, Entertainment Media Liaison Office (EMLO) reports. I request that you search for these documents in any location where they might be located, including but not limited to the entertainment liaison offices and communications HQ.

I am the Director of Research Operations at a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization called The Decoding Culture Foundation. These documents will be used for public education and research purposes. I therefore request a waiver of all fees that may otherwise apply. Attached is a document with organization letterhead confirming my position, as well as the organization's 501(c)(3) application and approval form.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Brett Carollo

To Whom It May Concern,

This message pertains to FOIA requests 2024-USMCFOIA-001544 and2024-USMCFOIA-001545.

I am writing to appeal your rejection of my request for waiver of fees. In response to the four questions posed in the last communication:

1. The request most definitely concerns identifiable operations of the government, namely, official collaboration between the federal government and the entertainment industry--a topic, I would note, of which the public is very little aware.

2. Yes, public knowledge of Marine Corps support for these Hollywood productions would certainly contribute to public understanding of the operations of government.

3. Yes, the focus is on contributing to the public's understanding, not merely a private, individual understanding. As I demonstrated in my request, I am the Director of Research Operations at a 501c3 non-profit which is devoted (among other things) to making the public aware of the nature of the Hollywood-DC relationship.

4. The contribution could indeed be significant (see above).

As for the issue of how "editorial skills" would be applied to the documents: beginning this summer, our Foundation intends to publish a magazine in which contributors will be encouraged to use our archives, where all of these documents obtained by FOIA are stored. Furthermore, we regularly post snippets of the documents with commentary on X. I would add as well that I have been in touch with multiple PhD students and other researchers with an interest in these records.

I therefore reiterate my request for a waiver. If the waiver is denied again, we will consider agreeing to pay fees, under the conditions stipulated in my original FOIA request.

Sincerely,

Brett Carollo