For Variety, Scott Kirsner reports on the new way some entrepreneurial producers are utilizing the internet to raise production budgets:

“The tactic’s been tried since the early days of the Internet, but a fresh crop of entrepreneurs thinks the time could finally be ripe.

In mid-March, Portland filmmakers Steve Herring and Rebecca Rodriguez started selling $10 ‘memberships to a Web site that will track the progress of their feature film Toast, which has a budget of $600,000.

Production won’t go forward until 60,000 members have signed on. When the movie is complete, members will receive a free copy of the DVD by mail.” Read the entire article>>