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MySpace Contest Seeks Director for $2 Million U.K. Film
In an interactive experiment called "MySpace Movie MashUp," the social networking site is joining together with two British film companies to bankroll a feature-length project that will be directed by the winner of an online contest. Filmmakers will submit short films to be judged by a celebrity jury and an audience vote. After the director has been picked, the site's users will then be a part of the casting and marketing process for the film.
Variety reports the the contest, which is only open to U.K. residents, will launch tomorrow in London. filmmakers can submit their shorts online until April 27th with the feature film project scheduled to shoot in October.
The backers then will work with the chosen director to pick a suitable project -- either choosing from scripts already in development at Vertigo or Film4, assigning an experienced writer to collaborate with the director on something new or considering a project brought by the director.
"Until you know what sort of director you're going to get, it's difficult to know if a British thriller or an improvised comedy would be more appropriate," said Film4 exec Peter Carlton.
No contest
More innovative projects like the open source movie, A Swarm of Angels, Four Eyed Monsters are already taking place.