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"Camp Takota stars three major YouTubers and uses Chill's new marketing system to build a community around the film before its release, letting fans watch the creation process from start to finish.\u00A0The film will stream on Chill, where fans can also\u00A0order merchandise and download digital extras, and creators get to track analytics and have direct contact with fans.\nThis Chill production, announced early August, has gained more traction \u2014 essential to this distribution model \u2014 than an episodic crowdfunded series that  failed to raise enough money in June. But can this process inspire fans to sign up early, interact online to drive buzz and pay for online video content?  \nSee also: Social Video Site Turns to YouTube Stars for First Feature Film\nWith Takota specifically, Chill hoped the actresses' existing 2.7 million YouTube subscribers would opt in for set updates, production diaries and other exclusive content. So far more than 75,000 super-fans have done so, signing up on Chill for early access to the project.\n\"Building a community post-distribution doesn't make sense,\"\u00A0says Brian Norgard, Chill's co-founder and chief executive.\u00A0\"The Internet is where the super fan lives.\"\nTakota super fans have launched a slew of Tumblr pages,\u00A0YouTube videos\u00A0and tweets anticipating the film. Uber fans are even writing \"Chill\" on their bodies in appreciation.\n\nIf a small YouTube-driven project gets this much attention, what happens when a major Hollywood film uses this system? Think \u00A0Zach Braff and Spike Lee, who both used crowdfunding support to get projects off the ground.\nIf Chill can eventually monetize its fans (the film will be available to download for a fee later this fall), this could be one of the first real answers to how to turn nascent web video companies into viable film-making platforms. That would either eliminate the need to\u00A0partner with mainstream entertainment companies altogether or offers Chill a tool to license to major studios.\n\"Right now, Chill has a community, and it's the center of gravity for this project. Why would it want to just be an arm of a larger promotional effort for some giant project,\" asks\u00A0James Erwin, a coder turned screenwriter who sold a script to Warner Bros. after posting snippets on Reddit.\nIn Tinseltown it's dangerous to get excited before checks clear.\u00A0Franklin Leonard, the founder of the Blacklist, a writers' platform highlighting top unproduced screenplays, says the actual release of the film will tell the tale. \"The list of films that have had buzz on social media but weren't able to translate it into revenue is long,\" he said.\nWriter-director Alex Rotaru echoes that sentiment. He admires Chill's play but says he wonders if this early fan adoption will \"translate to a big enough fraction of fans paying to see the finished product.\"\nJon M. Chu, the director of G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never thinks it will. He says this system could be a major opportunity for savvy creators, especially since films are already heavily covered online by blogs and media. This platform gives filmmakers a way to control the messaging and shepherd fans, a tactic Chu says he's used to create content for Bieber and G.I. Joe fans.\n\"When the movie came out, those people felt a sense of ownership over the whole process,\" he said. \"As a filmmaker, it also emboldened me to stand up for certain choices, because I knew the audience better.\"\nChill's Norgard says his offering is an example of the film-making process without the studio. It's just talent, marketing and release. He's not turning his nose up at Hollywood, even though he's having some early success. He's excited.\n\"What happens when this goes live with a franchise film?\" he said.\nWould you sign up for early access and updates to a film starring your favorite filmmakers or actors? Would you pay for it? Let us know in the comments below.\nImage: Chill"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2013/08/25/chills-distribution/>