The latest example of a short film evolving into a feature length project is The Raven, which began life as a 2010 online video directed by Ricardo de Montreuil, and is now in development as a feature film for Universal. The premise: A telekinetic rebel with some sweet parkour skills goes on the run from a futuristic LAPD.

While the film was originally being developed as a vehicle for producer Mark Wahlberg, Deadline reported this week that The Raven is looking to sign Hunger Games star Liam Helmsworth for the lead — bringing the dystopian sci-fi action project that much closer to multiplexes.

Here are some key takeaways from The Raven‘s success:

You never know what will get you some attention

De Montreuil is an established director on the festival circuit, having already directed three feature films, including the 2008 Mancora, which was screened at both the Sundance and SXSW film festivals. But it’s this $5,000 short, shot in 48 hours, that pushed him towards directing his first big studio picture.

Sometimes the path of a successful online short film takes you directly to a feature — take the example of Neill Blomkamp, whose short film Alive In Joburg eventually evolved into the Oscar-nominated 2009 film District 9.

But other times it’s less direct, as with former Totally Rad Show host Dan Trachtenberg, who made a big splash in 2011 with a short inspired by the video game Portal.

While a Portal feature remains elusive, the buzz that resulted lead Trachtenberg to another project — directing the adaptation of Y The Last Man, an award-winning graphic novel series that has equal fanboy appeal.

The Raven is more likely on the Blomkamp track than the Trachtenberg track, but even if a feature version is never produced, De Montreuil has gotten his foot inside the door.

Making movies really does take a long time

The Raven was originally posted on April 21, 2010, and was picked up by film blogs a few days later.

But the deal with Universal didn’t come through until July 2010, and between then and now there have been few updates. Even for projects that could technically be considered success stories, the pace of the studio system requires no shortage of patience.

Put it all out there

The Raven was released simultaneously on both YouTube and Vimeo, and across both sites the description is simple and to the point — it lays out the project’s logline, the cast and crew, the tools used to create the short, and a contact email for the creator.

And the most important fact laid out is the budget for the project: $5,000, which is impressive given the level of digital effects involved.

In addition to the short film, the official Facebook page contains news updates and concept art for the future tech featured in the project, and a short behind the scenes video showcases some of the stunt work that gives the project a human edge.

All of this leads to a concept of the short film as more than a short film — as a prototype for a much larger project. Which, for filmmakers interested in this approach, is the most valuable takeaway of all.

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For now, HitBliss is available only on the web and on desktops, not on mobile devices — though the company plans to expand to other platforms soon. Among the available content at launch are new movies like Argo, Magic Mike and The Bourne Legacy and new episodes of shows like Real Housewives and The Walking Dead.

Users are served a “playlist” of ads that are delivered to them based on information that they include in a profile. When they watch the ads, they earn virtual cash that can eventually be redeemed for content. Users can specify how much information they’re willing to make available to advertisers; the more information they share, the faster they earn.

Other companies have dabbled with virtual currency in exchange for video. Yidio, for instance, gives users points for completing various tasks, and the points can then be redeemed for Amazon Video on Demand credits. HitBliss is different, however, in that both earning and viewing are done through the same platform.

As HitBliss users watch ads — which they can do at any time, not just right before they want to watch a movie or TV show — cash accumulates in their accounts, and they can redeem it when they wish. HitBliss charges $3.99 for a new movie rental, $1.99 for an older movie rental and $1.99 per TV episode. (Movie rentals last 24 hours, while users will own the TV episodes.) In general, about 8 to 10 minutes of ad viewing (roughly four ads) can be redeemed for one new movie.

The system includes a lot of checks to make sure that users are actually watching ads. “Advertisers are only paying when users are paying attention,” HitBliss cofounder and CMO Sharon Peyer told me. If a user plays an ad and then navigates away or mutes the sound, the ad pauses. An “attention assurance meter” — with a patent pending — occasionally requires users to click it to ensure that they’re paying attention; if they are not, “it gets very angry,” Peyer said, referring to a smily-face icon that turns to a frown the longer it is ignored, before ultimately resetting the ad and requiring the user to watch it again. Over time, users earn “trust points” that decrease the frequency of prompts to make sure they’re paying attention.

Peyer said the platform’s store will eventually expand to include other types of digital content, like apps and virtual goods. HitBliss is based in Lexington, Mass., and is backed by Andy Marcuvitz’s Alpond Capital. Peyer and her husband, CEO Andrew Prihodko, founded the company in mid-2008 after selling a video- and picture-sharing site called Pixamo.

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Singer Ellie Goulding is holding “the world’s first digital album signing” to promote her latest release, Halcyon – the latest high-profile celebrity chat facilitated by Google’s increasingly media-savvy Google+ Hangout team.

That, of course, is an anachronism. A digital album can no more be “signed” than thin air be coloured green.

But album sales are plummeting, displaced by the success of digital track download stores. For artists who still attach importance to the album, could “signing” digital content draw fans to buy the whole digital collection, not just individual favoured tracks? That remains to be seen from Monday’s event, when meeting Goulding in a video chat will likely be the bigger draw. The takeaway is this – buyers value an experiential piece of the creator.

While Universal’s Polydor, to which Goulding is signed, re-images the virtual as physical, EMI is suing a retailer doing just the same.

Boston startup ReDigi lets customers list their used, legally-bought MP3s and, soon, ebooks for re-sale  to peers as “second-hand” files. But the record label has taken the outfit to court in New York and: “The company is demanding that the one-year-old start-up pay a $150,000 penalty charge for each song it has sold on” (via Telegraph).

The case may centre on the apparent reality many retailers do not sell customers actual digital content but merely license to use that content – licenses which often prohibit re-sale.

Second-hand retailers of CD-based music and games like Music Magpie are becoming popular. By launching a secondary market for second-hand digital content, ReDigi is attempting to profit from introducing characteristics of the pre-digital content ecosystem, when primary and secondary value could be easily ascribed to artefacts that boasted tangible presence in the real world.

But labels like EMI would have plenty to lose from ReDigi song fees that could be just five percent of originals’. Although diminished, the industry has been kept afloat thanks to digital track downloads that were still growing by nine percent annually last year.

There is a parallel precedent in a separate jurisdiction and a related industry. In July, the European Commission ruled that customers can re-sell and re-buy licenses to computer software, as long as those licenses are deactivated prior to re-sale.

Sites like UsedSoft and Green Man Gaming are already operating such marketplaces. In the music case, much could depend on how stringently ReDigi ensures second-hand songs can no longer be played by their original buyers.

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The agreement with NBCUniversal International TV Distribution will stream films including Battleship, The Lorax, The Bourne Legacy and Safe House to Lovefilm’s two million European subscribers in the second pay TV window. The pact also ends a dispute between the two companies over DVD rental that dates back to 2009.

The second subscription pay-TV window resides fairly late in a film’s distribution cycle, coming several years after a movie leaves theaters. In the western European region where Lovefilm operates, BSkyB’s pay TV service Sky Movies has exclusive first-window rights to the films of all six Hollywood majors — Lovefilm ends up getting Universal movies about six months after Sky Movies gets done with them.

Still, second window or first, access to top-tier motion-picture content remains essential for over-the-top services like Lovefilm to grow their subscriber bases. And the Universal deal has significance in regard to Lovefilm’s competitive positioning to rival Netflix, which has signaled its intention to expand into western Europe beyond the UK and Ireland later in Q4 after expecting to return to profitability in Q2.

The question: With Lovefilm already having signed a number of key exclusive licensing deals to premiere content, what will be left for Netflix by the time it fully infiltrates the western European region?

Last year, for example, Lovefilm signed similar exclusive second-window licensing deals with Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures, now giving it access to content from half the of the major studios.

Also among major American content suppliers, Lovefilm signed an exclusive deal for Disney/ABC TV shows in Janaury.

Read a Morgan Stanley Research note to investors Wednesday:

“We continue to believe that Netflix will face a highly competitive environment overseas. The fact that consolidated profitability is weighing on international expansion only buys time for incumbent competitors to become more entrenched prior to Netflix’s arrival.”

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Engagement is also up significantly thanks to the iPhone version. In terms of usage, Flipboard went from around 650 million “flips” (page turns in the Flipboard app) per month to a pace of about 2 billion per month post-iPhone launch. The iPhone version requires users to flip more often to view the same amount of content, but that’s still a remarkable improvement.

Obviously, this is great news for Flipboard’s reach, but it has implications for the larger iPad app market, too. Specifically, branching out may be a good idea even for apps which traditionally depend on the larger screen of the iPad to deliver their content.

Flipboard isn’t the only app out there branching out from iPad roots to iPhone implementations. News app and competitor Zite also released an iPhone-formatted incarnation last week, and streaming video apps like those for networks CityTV and Global in Canada recently introduced updates to their apps that make them universal, or usable across any iOS devices.

It’s a move that makes sense for companies who want to increase the adoption rate of their software product. Apple has previously stated that there were as many as 100 million iPhone and iPod touch users worldwide; that’s more than double Apple’s total iPad sales to date, let alone the device’s active users. It makes sense that iPhone apps reach a broader potential audience as a result.

Flipboard’s success is not just the result of repackaging an iPad app for a smaller screen. Instead, the app’s designers re-imagined it in a way that totally makes sense for the iPhone. That’s no small feat for an app like Flipboard, that takes its cues from magazines and definitely benefits from more available screen real estate. If publishers like those offering apps through Apple’s Newsstand want to reap the benefits of also offering iPhone products, they have to likewise bring a tailored experience, instead of just a shoehorned app that leaves you missing the iPad. Sadly that’s exactly how I’d describe many current iPhone Newsstand titles.

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This is still Flipboard

The app does a great job of telling you from the very first that it’s still Flipboard; it shares aesthetic sensibilities and principles of content organization with its big brother on the iPad. You won’t have to relearn the experience all over again for the iPhone, either, with the small exception of having to swipe up and down instead of left and right to navigate between stories.

This is different from Flipboard

Unlike Flipboard on the iPad, the iPhone version has to deal with a few limitations, the most significant of which being available screen real estate. It does so wonderfully, but refining the Flipboard experience to a point where it’s perfect for one-handed, casual navigation to quickly sift through and find stories of interest.

On the iPhone, Flipboard doesn’t even support landscape orientation, which actually works for the app since it’s clearly aimed at more casual browsing. One-handed operation is made simpler as a result, and buttons for sharing, starring and searching and interacting are all easily within reach. This is Flipboard for a hand-held device, and this guiding principle seems to be at work throughout the app.

For those new to Flipboard

If you haven’t tried out Flipboard on the iPad, then you should still try using it on the iPhone. Even if you’re not necessarily looking for the content discovery features the app itself offers, Flipboard really makes a great barebones Facebook and Twitter client; something the iPhone version especially brought home.

By signing in with your Facebook and Twitter credentials, you create specific channels for content from those sources. Browsing those channels is akin to checking out both social networks with much of the “noise” taken out of the equation. You can view your stream in a more linear fashion, making you much more likely to actually engage with others. At least, that’s my experience.

Channel surfing for your phone

Flipboard also does a great job of being a news reader for people looking for the ease of browsing found in a newspaper, but with the freedom to cull from virtually unlimited sources. Plus, you can add more targeted content vectors, too, thanks to partnerships with National Geographic, Wired and many more.

Flipboard has done a good thing with this free app, by not just settling for a straight port of its iPad experience to the smaller screen, but also by making sure the things we already love about the tablet version remain intact. Whether or not you’ve been a fan in the past, you’ll likely be one now. Don’t just take my word for it, though; Apple SVP Phil Schiller also lavished some rare love on this iPhone gem.

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This week we bring you the first game I’ve seen that takes full advantage of what iOS 5 and iCloud can mean for gaming: Scribblenauts Remix ($4.99). In addition to being a fun puzzle game, Scribblenauts  also takes full advantage of iCloud by syncing saved games across iOS devices.

The goal of Scribblenauts Remix is to help Maxwell get Starites on each level. You help him by creating objects he can use to interact with his environment. Creating objects is achieved by writing them out.

For instance, to get the Starite on the first level I wrote “hammer,” providing the main character with one he could use to attack the tree the Starite was stuck in and shake it loose. For some levels you need to get to the Startite that’s visible on-screen, while on others you need to create a number of necessary objects to unlock the Starite; in one I needed to create eight items a person in school might need. There is some level of intelligence to the notepad you use to create items; if you type in something it doesn’t recognize, it will suggest alternatives.

The laid-back nature of  the nature of the game is great for mobile gaming. You won’t find yourself in an awkward situation where you’re almost at your stop on the train, but aren’t in a position to quit the game quite yet. The graphics are fun and cartoony. Warner Bros. claims there are unlimited solutions and outcomes but I haven’t had much of a chance to test out that claim. There are definitely multiple ways to solve a level, though the goals never change. While you can create different objects each time you play the schoolhouse level, for instance, in the end you still need to create eight objects it’s happy with.

What’s really great is since it’s a Universal app and uses iCloud to sync saves, you can switch between devices at will. I didn’t have to do anything special to get fame syncing to work, but I assume you need to have Documents and Data under iCloud’s Settings ticked. What I did notice is it will sync the levels you’ve unlocked and your score, but not your progress through an individual level. How they use iCloud is exactly how I hope all game developers use it. Not being able to sync my save game state is a major pain. Since iCloud also keeps the data after you’ve deleted the game from your device, you can pick up where you left off when you reinstall. Fantastic stuff!

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I’d hate to live in the fictional condo depicted in Monsters Ate My Condo ($0.99). It’s a vertical matching game where the goal is to sacrifice floors of your condo to monsters to ensure the tower doesn’t collapse. On each side of the tower are two monsters whose colors match the colors of the floors. You can sacrifice a floor by swiping it toward one of the monsters. If the colors match, the monster is happy. Feed it enough off-color floors, though, and it will become decidedly unhappy.

When you line up three or more floors of the same color, you score points, and the tower stabilizes. Three similarly colored floors will create a bronze floor; three bronze floors form a silver, three silvers form a gold; and finally, three golds make up a diamond floor. Each of these are worth a ton of points. If the combo formed is the same color as a monster on the screen, you earn even more points. Occasionally, a bomb or concrete floor will appear. You can’t swipe these away, and instead need to form combos around it to make it go away. Have enough mis-matched floors, and the tower collapses into a gigantic pile of sad.

This is a high-scoring game. There’s an achievement to score a million points I earned in my first game. Scores of a billion are not uncommon. It’s a little over the top, but also surprisingly satisfying. There are two modes of play: Endless and Timed. Each use the same basic game mechanics, but timed mode has a two-minute countdown. Monsters Ate My Condo has intentionally cheesy graphics and sounds; it’s part of its charm. It’s a Universal game, so it works on both iPhone and iPad, but your status and score aren’t saved across devices.

These days, I find myself drawn to games that offer brief, rewarding sessions but hook me into playing them again and again. This certainly fits the bill, and for a buck, it’s a no-brainer purchase making it this week’s Games for the Weekend.

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At $7.99, ShadowGun is one of the pricier titles I’ve recommended. But it’s well worth the price of admission for graphics alone. Games like ShadowGun and Infinity Blade really show off the iPad’s capabilities as a mobile gaming platform. Strike that. Once iOS 5 is released and you can mirror your iPad 2 through an Apple TV, ShadowGun and games like it will be cutting edge, sit-comfortably-on-the-couch gaming.

In the game, you take on the role of John Slade, a bounty hunter set to punch the nefarious Dr. Simon’s ticket — I wonder if that’s a Firefly reference? While the graphics are great, the story isn’t. I didn’t care. It’s a game in which you run around and blow things up, and it does that well.

It’s very similar to Gears of War, since it’s an over-the-shoulder shooter, and cover is important. This isn’t a game where you stand there, machine guns a-blazing as hot, spent cartridges bounce off the floor. You’ll be doing a lot of taking cover behind obstacles clearly placed there for that purpose while shooting in small bursts.

You’re on rails, too. It’s pretty much impossible to get lost, but I’m surprisingly okay with that. The cover system is enjoyable enough that I don’t miss having free rein.

As with cover locations, there are many checkpoints to save your game. This keeps you from going through locations a second time to a minimum. The game seems to save your current spot when you quit the app. I did have a few crashes when I launched the game, but rebooting my iPad solved that.

I did find that I needed to adjust the controls slightly. My right thumb kept hitting the shoot button, but it’s easy to move it via the settings. The settings icon is a large plus sign and at first I thought it was a way to apply a health pack.

While ShadowGun is a universal app, I found it hard to play on the small screen of my iPhone. Also, your saved games don’t carry across the two apps. I’m really hoping developers are able to use iCloud to sync saved games in a future update.

Eight bucks is a curious price point. It’s expensive compared to most apps, and the similar (at least visually) Infinity Blade is two dollars less. I feel like I got my money’s worth, though. My last Wendy’s meal cost me nine bucks, and ShadowGun provided a lot more enjoyment. I also think the game needs multiplayer, and that addition might have made it an easier sell for the price.

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Movieclips’ founders were mum on what the money would be spent on, except to say that the company had a “big announcement” in the works. They also declined to disclose who led the investment in the company.

Movieclips distributes short-form video clips from Hollywood feature films in an ad-supported format online. At last count, the site had more than 14,000 video clips from more than 1,400 movies at its disposal, licensed from various movie studios such as 20th Century Fox, MGM, Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros.

While Movieclips has historically been focused on providing clips that users can search through, last year it introduced a number of curated clips and video mashups of memorable movie moments. It has also explored the possibility of striking affiliate agreements with movie studios for referring viewers to full-length versions of movie clips they watch. In a survey that it conducted, Movieclips found that 62 percent of 1000 respondents said that they preferred to watch clips before deciding to watch a movie on online or VOD rental services.

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