Stray Cinema

Stray Cinema invites people to create short films, based on raw footage that was filmed in London on a digital camera. The idea is that participants download the footage and edit parts of it into their own 2 minute film. Links to free editing software is provided - e.g. Avid, Windows Movie Maker, Video Edit Magic and Wax. The films are then uploaded onto YouTube and embedded into the Stray Cinema website.

Stray Cinema is also contacting independent musicians and bands, via social networking sites like MySpace, to incorporate their music into the process.

Once there are 30 film submissions on the website, the community of Stray Cinema users will vote for their favourite films. The top 5 films will be screened in London alongside the directors cut. There will be VJ's at the event, mixing film footage to live music. Also there will be a live audiovisual webcast, live web-chat, vodcasting and blogging. The date for the event is yet to be determined.

Stray Cinema is aiming to be an annual event, repeating the process with raw footage filmed in a different city each year. All of this is being run by 7 people and there are 479 registered users. OK so it's not a trendy startup with millions of users, but to my mind it's excellent use of Web technologies. Check it out if you're interested in film and how web 2.0 technologies can be used to create and promote independent film-making.