Campus 18, a portal that was launched last year, has an online video contest that will culminate in the launch of an Internet serial that will be uploaded on the website. Puneet Johar, founder and managing director of Tangerine Digital Entertainment, which owns Campus 18, says, “This will take the concept of reality contests a step further. The Internet has a lot of potential and this will be the first time an online serial will be experimented with in India.”

While Johar hopes to air the serial in a couple of months, the hunt for artists in various aspects of filmmaking is already under way. In December, the Digistars Contest invited youngsters to send three-minute videos to showcase their talent in nine categories, including videomaking, performance, standup act, funniest video, social message video, story, music video and breakthrough concept. Recently, the creative team of the company short-listed 25 entries for the awards and the final call will be made by judges — DJ Nikhil Chinappa and actor/director Makrand Deshpande — and the people who vote via the Internet or SMS. “Apart from expert advice, we want the opinion of viewers. People can vote after watching the entries on the site,” says Johar. The winners will be trained by professionals, and the episodes created by them will be daily uploaded on the portal. An archive will also be maintained to help viewers watch old episodes.

Even though the winners will be announced only on March 31, the nominees are excited. Pradyot Porwal, an IITian from Powai, whose film Tera Kya Hoga Johnny has been nominated in the best video and music video categories, says, “This is an ideal platform for youngsters to showcase their talent. What makes it particularly unique is the opportunity to create an online serial.” Made by Porwal and his batchmates, the film is a thriller shot on a digital camera, with the title track of Johnny Gaddar, Chhoti si zindagi, playing in the background. Says Porwal: “Until now, the film was screened only on the campus, but now over 400 people have viewed it online. The feedback is encouraging and we hope to win.”

Adityo Aryan, who is nominated for best performance for his role in Aaaks, is looking to be the new Net hero. “The contest is a great means to reach out to audience interested in viewing different genres of films,” says Aryan, who is part of Iimagiineers, a Delhi-based group of filmmakers that was established last year and has entered 21 films for the contest.

How does the Internet compare with the television? Aryan feels