TEENS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO FIND MONEY FOR THEIR FILM

It isn't out yet. It hasn't even been made. But a film from three teenage filmmakers already has video promotions from Jude Law and Stephen Fry. There's just one problem: The teens need the cash to make their movie. So Adrian Bliss, Ben Robbins, and Toby Stubbs find a different way to fund their new film. They're getting a little help from Internet and video ads. This is thanks to the actors Jude Law and Stephen Fry. The teens' effort began in 2008. That's when they discovered a copy of a little-known 1896 novel which is called Clovis Dardentor. It is a novel by the famous author Jules Verne. It tells the tale of two friends who are trying to get adopted by a rich man. The teens decided to make a movie based on the novel but it wasn’t as easy as they though it would be.

"We knew we couldn't just go around to these studios and ask for money because of our age, because we were even younger back then, a year ago," he says. "Well, we did try, didn't we? We called up. It was, 'No, no. Sorry.' And then they hung up," Bliss, 19, adds. After that, Stubbs said they knew they had to find another way.

The three teens then turned to the Internet. They created www.buyacredit.com. The Web site is currently asking for contributions of $10. Each person who gives money, gets to see his or her name in the end credits of the film. "Everyone wants to see their names in the end credits of a film," Stubbs says. The teens need $2 million. They say the site has already raised about $150,000. The boys are also selling ad space on the Web site.

The teens also got the help of actor Stephen Fry after sending a lot of tweets to Fry's Twitter page. Fry said he admired the teens for their efforts to get into the movie business. He says, "I clicked on their site and I thought, 'Oh, that's very sweet and very clever. So, I retweeted it and drew other people's attention to it. Adrian, who's sort of the leader of the gang, got in touch with me to thank me and his way of thanking me was asking for more favours."

Fry also appears in a video on the teens' Web site. He also asked his actor friends to offer their help as well. Fry has already appeared in a 10-minute film called Jam, the three made. Fry will also play the lead role in Clovis Dardentor. He will play the rich Mr.Eustache.

Using the Internet to fund movie projects is not a new idea. However, the teens went a step further. They found a way to include famous stars in their effort. Bliss talked up the movie to Jude Law.

"I waited outside the stage door for Law to come in," said Bliss, 19. "I told him about the film. He was really interested. And that's how we got his support from the start."

Law was soon giving advice. He even offered to make a video for the Web site. The actor hired his own camera crew to shoot the video.

Will Clovis Dardentor soon be coming to a theatre near you? Bliss, Robbins, and Stubbs certainly hope so. And with Law and Fry on their side, the young filmmakers just might see their dream come true.