Matt over at FresHDV had an interesting post the other day about A Swarm of Angels, which is a self-described attempt to create "cult cinema for the Internet era." On one level, this isn't that different than what I wrote about in my last post: Filmmakers using the internet to raise funds for a project that harnesses the collaborative nature and spirit of the internet. Still, some key differences make me skeptical about its potential for success, at least compared with a project like Lost in Light on Have Money Will Vlog:
First, instead of trying to raise $1500, they're trying to raise a little over half a million dollars. I have no doubt that it is possible to raise that kind of money over the internet, but this project is essentially asking people to pay about $18 to participate. Maybe that's reasonable? Personally, I would rather give money to a more personal project like Lost in Light
Secondly, the project is trying to enlist 1000 people to help create it. Again, I think you can find this many people to collaborate on a project. Firefox, Wikipedia... these are great examples of internet, open-source collaboration. But are 1000 heads better than one (or even 20) when it comes to feature filmmaking? Snakes on a Plane, as one previous example, isn't exactly Exhibit A for the so-called "wisdom of crowds."
Reservations aside, I'll be interested to see the project evolve and I wish the best of luck to the participants. All one thousand of you.