Comm455/History of Journalism

I recently read a post on Mashable about a new film that is set to be released on YouTube. The film is the product of Ron Howard and his daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard. It is inspired by 8 photos selected by Ron from a photography contest sponsored by Canon.

This whole concept — the film’s inspiration, the way it is being released — is so interactive and really shows how the Internet can be used in incredibly creative and thoughtful ways. The photography contest, Imagina8ion, had 100,000 entries from photographers of all ages and skill levels. Today it is possible to enter a contest, and thanks to the power of the Internet, be in a Ron Howard film.

The film is being released on YouTube for a weekend only, but completely free. I think this is a great way to reach a huge audience and generate good buzz about the film. Howard is using the Internet to his advantage and to the film’s advantage, since it probably wouldn’t have gotten as much publicity otherwise.

Another cool tidbit about the film — it was shot using only Canon cameras and DSLRs! It is amazing to think, but DSLRs today can record cinema-quality video. More and more movies are being shot like this, as the cameras are smaller and easier to maneuver.