• by Aaron Baar , July 11, 2011

Intel and Toshiba are working to bring a social crowd-sourcing to the moviemaking process via a new Internet film (featuring some heavyweight Hollywood talent) series running later this month.

"It's primarily a piece of entertainment, and it moves down the path to integrate social media aspects into it," Ryan Baker, OEM partner marketing director for Intel, tells Marketing Daily. "As a brand, we're 'Sponsors of Tomorrow,' and we'd like to think we're sponsors of tomorrow's entertainment."

In the new project, designed to bridge the gap between social media and film, a young woman (played by Emmy Rossum, who was in the film adaptation of "Phantom of the Opera") finds herself trapped in a room with only a Toshiba Satellite P775 laptop (powered by a second-generation Intel chip) and an untraceable Internet connection. Through the course of the film series, the character (Christina) uses her social network to help her figure out where she is and how she can escape.

The project will also rely on the audience to use its own social networks to connect with Christina (once the videos begin airing on July 25), tweeting clues and posting advice to her Facebook wall. The film's editors (led by Emmy winner Josh Bodnar) will incorporate the posts into the episodes' storylines. The film is directed by D.J., Caruso (who directed "Disturbia" and "Eagle Eye") and shot by Oscar-winning cinematographer Mauro Fiore (whose credits include "Avatar" and "Training Day.")

"When we brainstormed this, we knew it had stopping power not only with consumers, but with Hollywood as well," Baker says of the talent that signed on for the project. He noted that Caruso and Rossum, in particular, seemed excited about the idea of telling a story that incorporates input from the outside.

Both Intel and Toshiba are looking at the project as a way to reach younger users, who are less likely to pay attention to traditional advertising. "We're trying to hit a younger demographic, and we know they're doing 'video snacking,'" Tom Hume, director of marketing communications for Toshiba, tells Marketing Daily. "This is a step above advertising. It takes traditional one-way communication and turns it on its head."

Intel and Toshiba expect to build buzz for the project over the next two weeks by holding an online casting call, in which people are encouraged to upload videos related to the film's plot points. The winning video submission will be incorporated into the movie and the winner will be included in the film's credits. In this video, Caruso encourages people to "get into character" as a well-connected social networker, upload an audition and encourage friends and family to "like" their audition.