Perkins 14

Two months after filmmaker Wayne Wang bypassed the usual channels and debuted Princess of Nebraska on YouTube, another film will launch entirely online.

Horror flick Perkins' 14 tells the story of kidnapped children that terrorize a small town as restless, malevolent spirits. It screens during the third annual Horror Fest Online, which runs from January 9-15, 2009.

Unlike Princess of Nebraska, Perkins 14 is a fully-crowdsourced work. "This time, horror fans, the blood is on your hands," the trailer says, pointing to how a community of filmmakers collaborated to create, produce and ultimately vote for production of the film — with help from Massify, an online video production network.

Massify operates on the same principles as a social network, with interactive tools for sharing ideas to produce films. It also lets users work together on projects, post résumés and portfolios, secure funding through grants, and — in the long run — land production deals with distribution companies.

The story of Perkins' 14 begins in February of this year, when members of the collective submitted pitches and voted on their favorite premise. Casting auditions began in May, and screen tests followed. By early summer, pre-production started, ArsTechnica writes.

Engaging the community in the filmmaking process is key to making money from advertising, said founders Kenneth Woo and Brett Icahn (son of investor Carl Icahn and outspoken board member for Yahoo). If companies cultivate an audience before the film is made, they'll receive better reception at its opening and get the eyeballs needed for significant ad revenue, they explained.