Kevin Smith's long-rumoured horror project Red State looks like it might go ahead after all. Smith, writer/director of Clerks, Chasing Amy and the upcoming Tracy Morgan and Bruce Willis comedy Cop Out, had struggled to find financial backing. The film, a dark story set in conservative Middle America, might be financed, or crowd funded, by Smith's fans.
Smith was conversing with fans of social-networking site Twitter about the political horror film and how troublesome it was to find funding for a project like this when one of Smith's fans offered to contribute. Then another. Soon, countless fans were lining up to throw their money in the hat.
Smith is setting up a website for donations and promises to double the total outlay of contributions. "Our plan is to put anything we make into a fund that would, in turn, finance other flicks fans want to see. And from that? Build a people's studio", said the New Jersey Native.
A new business model for sure. We're not sure if this can take off but it's interesting to see fans ploughing money into film projects in this age of free downloading and movie piracy. Maybe fans aren't so unwilling to part with cash if they believe in the cause?
-John Balfe
