While surfing the tubes today, I noticed an interesting story about a film competition that was a bit out of the ordinary.
Videomaker managing editor VideoChick found the site:
Did you ever play that summer camp game where someone starts a story and the next person has to continue the next chapter, followed by another storyteller, etc. until everyone has a chance to make up a chapter? Well, now you can do it with video, and maybe win a prize for your effort.
….
We at Rootclip produce the first chapter (a.k.a. The “root clip”) and users create chapters 2 through 6. The final chapter (chapter 6) is only eligible for submissions by the winners of chapters 2-5. I also hope to see some of your work on our site. We’re really trying to create a collaborative community and build up the excitement for a new generation of filmmakers.
What it seems to me is that Rootclip is Hollywood 2.0. It is the beginning of the tipping point where big studios are overtaken by student filmmakers and dedicated enthusiasts, much like sites like ModelMayhem.com have empowered smaller photographers and lesser known models to play at the professional level.
Who knows what kind of quality a concept like this will produce, but it is a step in the right direction. I’m sure it will take them a try or two to get it right, but the idea of empowering the users with the ability to create the stories is something I can get behind.
