Aspiring filmmakers have a new tool to help them see their projects through to fruition — one that harnesses the power of social media.
Chairman and co-founder Carl Freer introduced his new FilmFunds Tuesday at TheWrap's media leadership conference, TheGrill.
In a nutshell, filmmakers upload their projects — either in script form or an unfinished production — and let users "promote" (the FilmFunds equivalent of "liking" something) projects as they see fit.
(Photograph by Jonathan Alcorn)
With enough promotions, the logic of the site goes, producers and studios are more likely to take a chance on a project.
But while the main goal may be to get projects made, Freer stressed that FilmFunds is designed to be a fun, engaging experience on the user end.
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Users will receive rewards for promoting a project. (Freer cited Paramount Pictures' decision to thank "Paranormal Activity" fans by including them in the credits for the DVD release of the film as an example of the sort of enticements that Film Funds users could receive.)
The site's interface also contains technology such as facial recognition "to make [the experience] fun and not so static."
But overall, Freer said, the main reward for users will be the knowledge that they participated in the decision-making process for what movies get made.If all goes as planned, Freer said, FilmFunds will leave users who "promote" a film to completion "feeling like it's their movie."