Film4's Peter Carlton, one of the producers of Faintheart, said audiences tended to be cut off from moviemaking, and that the film industry had lessons to learn from rock groups who have harnessed the Internet to develop a fan base and sell music.
"We learned a lot from British music, which has reinvigorated itself partly through the Internet and also simply by playing gigs at local colleges," Carlton said.
"This is our equivalent of the college circuit - to find out if we get booed off at the first test run."
Carlton described Faintheart as "a fairly standard rom-com with a lovely Viking twist." Set in the world of battle re-enactments, Richard the "weekend warrior" sets out to win back his wife after she leaves him, branding him childish.
More than 800 directors submitted short films over the Internet, which were whittled down to a shortlist of 12. A panel including actress Sienna Miller chose three finalists, and Myspace users voted for the winner, Vito Rocco.
"Anyone who loves movies and interactivity will be fascinated to get involved in this pioneering film," said Rocco, who began shooting the picture last week.
The sponsors, including social networking site MySpace, provided US$2 million to fund the film, and it will be released in early 2008.
Once Rocco was selected, budding actors were invited to audition online for roles in the film. About 1,200 people applied, and 10 actors were chosen for parts ranging from walk-ons to smaller speaking roles.
Visitors to MySpace's MyMovie MashUp link will soon be able to choose bands to appear in the movie and on the soundtrack, and will have a say in how Faintheart is marketed and distributed, whether online or in cinemas or both.
Although billed as the world's first user-generated film, Carlton stressed that it combined innovation with traditional moviemaking techniques.
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