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Chris Moore: The End of the Experiment
The first Project Greenlight experiment is almost over. The only piece of this integrated entertainment yet to be shown to a mass audience is the film. Will those of you watching the show and participating on the site go see the movie? We hope so, it deserves a look. At this point though, the experiment is nearing its end. How are we doing so far?
So many things are running through my head right now. If you remember I did an article, not a byline, about the experiment that is Project Greenlight back when the television show was about to air. In that article there were really three big questions. Primarily, were there talented people out there not getting a chance in Hollywood? Secondarily, would anyone watch an eleven week documentary series centering on the behind the scenes of making a low-budget movie? Finally, is there enough interest in filmmaking to create a big, supportive, educational (as well as entertaining) website and online community?
Well the easy answer to all three of these questions is YES! "Stolen Summer" is a great movie. Hopefully all of you will see it beginning March 22nd. Not only Pete Jones but also a large percentage of the Top 10 has begun careers in Hollywood through Project Greenlight. So without a doubt there are a number of talented people who have done more than just get through the Hollywood gates, they are making things happen. Hopefully Project Greenlight will continue to be a way for more people to break down these gates and bring new voices to the movie business. The real proof is that Miramax looks ready to greenlight another movie from an unknown off the Internet.
What can I say about the show? People watched, the press wrote about it and, most importantly, people cared about the characters. Personally, do I wish I did not have such a volatile temper on screen? Yes. But, all in all, the show helped people see how hard it is to make a movie, how stressful it is to make your first movie, and finally how rewarding it is when you show it to your first paying audience. Here, again, the proof is that HBO wants to do another series about a first time filmmaker.
The website, has been as active, supportive, and honest a place as anything I have ever seen. Many firsts were accomplished here. Could peer review work? Would people actually read the scripts and answer the questionnaires? Would people like all the additional stuff we put on the site for the television show like the articles, the bylines, and the Paper Trail? Again, big success on all three. The online community is amazing and it was incredible to interact with people on the message boards after they had watched the show and read the content on the site. A perfect example of the integration this project was meant to have, and great results for the first time out. All results that say we must do this again.
When an experiment goes this well the only thing to do is to say thank you to all the people who busted their asses to make it happen. Pete Jones, our first winner, took some bullets but stayed focused and made a great film. Liz Bronstein, the show runner of the television series, had the hardest job of all and she kicked ass. Elyse Rubin, the producer of the web site, had to keep everyone working on the site even when there were other things happening and she made it what it is today. And finally, Jeff Balis -- he was a guinea pig in my own private experiment to see if I could produce a movie from afar. I could not and he paid the price. I am sorry for Jeff, but happy with the result he and Pete created.
Finally, this experiment could never have become what it did without all of you. The audience for the show and the people on the site made Project Greenlight better then we even thought it could be. Thank you. Go see the movie.
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