

Crapify - twampss
http://mattmaroon.com/?p=622

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gruseom
Based on direct observation of some similar projects, I'd advise skepticism
about claims of "crowdsourcing". It is typically used as a buzzword to draw
attention to projects that don't actually deserve any, and wouldn't otherwise
get it. The way this movie was made is likely a lot closer to traditional
methods than the hype would suggest.

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puzzle-out
Good writers develop through practice. If crowdsourced films gives aspiring
writers the opportunity to practice their craft, then there is some
justification alone in that.

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gsmaverick
I also watched the trailer not that good. I definitely see no future for
crowd-sourced movies.

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jfarmer
That reminds of these paintings, "designed" by committee:
<http://www.diacenter.org/km/painting.html>

Everyone likes each individual element, but in concert they produce
(hilariously) awful artwork.

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neeson
I'm surprised that Iron Sky hasn't come up. It's an online collaboration, and
the trailer looks frickin' awesome:

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn4DW1uvsAE>

From Wikipedia:

Iron Sky is produced in collaboration with an on-line community of film
enthusiasts. At Wreck-a-Movie, everyone interested in chipping in with their
ideas and creativity can read the tasks given to the community and take a shot
(write an entry) at them.

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jawngee
I posted this on your blog, but I'll post it here since you want to take this
pointless discussion to a new level:

You're post is so incorrect, I don't even know where to start.

 _Apparently they crowd-sourced an entire movie. Everything from the script to
the casting was voted on, presumably by the same lunkheads who turned Digg
into an extension of Apple marketing interspersed with unfunny comics and
left-wing commentary. It’s a process scientifically designed to produce a film
that’s mediocre for its budget range, which apparently was somewhere in
between what a student film normally costs and my monthly car insurance
payment._

First of all, the process you've outlined in your post is _not_ the process
used on Massify. Massify users voted for the story, not the screenplay. The
winner did not direct the movie, he served as a producer and got a small role
in the movie. What he did get to do, however, is sit in on the production and
participate, work with the screenwriters to flesh out the story, etc.

Furthermore the budget for the film was way beyond the cost of a student film
and your monthly insurance car payment combined.

 _Don’t get me wrong, it’s neat the way the process worked, but I guess I’m
unable to see the value in coming up with a novel way to produce more
cinematic detritus. Hollywood regurgitates this crap 10 times a year, except
(judging from the trailer) with more polish. They don’t need crowd sourcing to
add to the dung heap._

It's painfully obvious you've had little to do with film, like ever. Do you
really believe most films are the work of a single individual? Movies have
been crowd sourcing since before the internet tubes. The only thing Massify
changes is who gets let into that particular crowd.

 _Don’t get me wrong, it’s neat the way the process worked, but_

How can you call the process neat when you haven't the faintest clue how it
works?

 _I guess I’m unable to see the value in coming up with a novel way to produce
more cinematic detritus. Hollywood regurgitates_

I'm not exactly sure our process is that novel. All we've really done is put a
web interface on the same mechanic and opened up who can participate, nothing
more and nothing less.

 _In fact, the one thing the movie industry has going for it is that it’s
still much more meritocratic than most of the rest of America. A good script
is a good script, no matter who wrote it,_

Again, you write with authority but it's obvious you aren't a student of film
history.

I'd argue your points more, but discourse on the web is futile, specifically
when there is a risk that the OP will be shown to be clueless and pedantic.

~~~
jawngee
PS. I'm the CTO of massify and built the entire thing with my own eight hands
(props to Nick, PDM, George and the rest of the crew).

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ken
"they couldn’t even afford the narrator with the really deep voice that
everyone else uses"

That's because he's dead: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_LaFontaine>

~~~
Angostura
Not the only one: You can watch Hal Douglas do his stuff here, in an amusingly
self-referential trailer

<http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yXbFuNQwTbs>

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ejs
While I agree that this will probably not be a great movie... who cares? Why
must the whole endeavor be run down this way. So since they may not produce
anything very exciting they should just throw their hand up, go home, and
watch TV?

I find it very interesting that these people have enough motivation and drive
to at least try to do something.

To me it feels like going and telling the people at the park playing
basketball to just go home, they wont make it to the NBA....

Is it so bad to make something, potentially sub par, just for the enjoyment of
it?

~~~
iamdave
Right.

While I understand the idea that Matt is trying to convey here (and agree that
a dying/inherently boring genre as slasher horror was a poor choice to
christen this idea on), I think he's going about it from the wrong angle
entirely. One bad movie does not negate the utility, and overreaching novelty
of crowdsourcing a movie.

That, and I think

 _Letting a gas station employee play director is perhaps less dangerous than
letting him be a thoracic surgeon, but it’s no more likely to achieve a good
result._

Is a wholly inappropriate thing to say, given the ultimate goal of this entire
project: do what has never before been done in this spectrum of entertainment
and produce a complete movie. That's an especially tough pill to swallow if
you haven't seen the movie, or met the director. (actually, it's an
inappropriate thing to say even if you put aside the fact that they're making
a movie. That's needlessly harsh)

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rantfoil
Massify looks like it has the potential of becoming a great social niche play
for indie/low budget film production. ModelMayhem seemed like a tiny idea, but
now they're as big as friendfeed. Not everyone is going to be churning out
Henri Cartier-Bresson-level work, but that's not the point.

~~~
bd
I just checked ModelMayhem. Wouldn't their growth be explained by the fact
that a significant chunk of their content appear to be naked ladies?

~~~
rantfoil
It's a members-only site and it's hard to become a member without actually
being a model, makeup artist or photographer. Though I suppose it doesn't
hurt. ;-)

