Mel Brooks’ cult masterpiece, The Producers, is being re-released on DVD this month, while Hollywood insider comedy, What Just Happened?, (starring Robert De Niro as a Robert Evans-style big shot in middle life meltdown) opens on October 10. A preview screening was attended by LWLies last night. Quick review – better than expected, but expectations were low. So go see it, but, unless it’s got extras, don’t bother with the DVD.
In the midst of all these big budget productions, however, internet think tank You Gov wants the British public to make its own movie. Collaboratively.
The Co-Producer project asks regular folks to sign up to its online database (no money is involved) and vote on a series of surveys. Currently in its nascent stages, survey questions have so far focused on trying to get a consensus on genre, with conspiracies and sci-fi plots somewhat over-represented.
Should the eventual film make a profit it’s split between everyone. In the movie world, this is what lawyers call ‘contingent compensation’.
Waiving a fee for eventual profits is a risky move, although it worked for the cast of Star Wars back in the ’70s.
So what do you have to do to nab some profit? Not much. Members only have to vote on half of the 12 surveys; your participation level is up to you. So, if you’ve got some ideas that would otherwise go nowhere, You Gov could be the place to air them.
Though it’s all very democratic – a bit like a cool co-op for a digital age – there is someone at the helm. Stephan Shakespeare will be the executive producer, and according to his blog has even been talking to the folks in Hollywood about the project.
Check it out here to find out more. Welcome aboard, co-producer!
