Everybody makes lists -- and so we've made ours. But let's load it with some caveats. First of all, it's merely a starting point, a chance for readers to understand a little bit of what this new magazine Stream is all about. We'll be republishing the list occasionally in the early going, as
we seek to define, then redefine and redefine again, the community we're interested in reaching. The filter we used in creating this inaugural list is simple: We'd wanted to champion not just independent filmmakers, but independent filmmakers who are explicitly embracing new ideas about how to distribute their work and reach new audiences. There is no age requirement. Some of these guys have been around for a while and are fairly well-known. Some you may be reading about here for the first time. All are worth finding out more about, and that will be a big part of what Stream does. You can consider this list something of a template for what's to come.

We are interested, of course, in your comments, as well as any nominations you might have for the next iteration of the Stream 17.


JOE SWANBERG
Swanberg is one of the better-known members of the DIY generation of filmmakers, if only because he allows his low budget approach to dictate his technique. He's also the one with the greatest web presence: After IFC released his third feature, Hannah Takes the Stairs, Swanberg began working on an online series Young American Bodies for Nerve.com, where the show has had two successful seasons and provided the Chicago-based videographer with a decent paycheck. Now, he's directing a new series for Spout.com called Butterknife.

LANCE WEILER
When digital distribution has solidified its place in the history books, Weiler deserves a spot in the first paragraph. One of the first filmmakers to adopt the technique with the online release of his horror movie, Head Trauma, Weiler is a major player in the development of the new model, championing its possibilities in a number of outlets, including The Workbook Proect.His can-do attitude wouldn't mean much if he didn't have the projects to back it up.

ARIN CRUMLEY & SUSAN BUICE
In 2006, Crumley and Buice made Four Eyed Monsters, a deeply personal work about their blossoming relationship. Buried in credit card debt and looking for a quick way out, the couple rejected the small distribution deals they were offered on the festival circuit and decided to release the movie on their own. Spout.com offered to give them $1 for every person who watched the video and signed up at their site. To make a long story short, their careers -- and their lives together -- remain intact.

JERRY & ORRIN ZUCKER
The Zucker brothers have worked as graphic designers in the commercial industry for years, but their online animated series It's Jerrytime has brought them great acclaim. An offbeat comedic look at Jerry’s whimsical experiences, the show recently won a special Emmy award for online content. It wasn’t the first time they were nominated for the honor: In 2007, the brothers lost to Live8 on AOL, but the corporate triumph didn’t slow down their ambition, and it paid off.

DAVID WAIN
The director of Wet Hot American Summer and The Ten recently wrapped another feature while working on the web series Wainy Days. Like his movies, the show spotlights Wain’s raucous, unpredictable style. On top of that, the director himself stars, playing himself. A real one man band operation, Wainy Days episodes are usually no longer than three minutes, about the time it takes to deliver a funny anecdote. And that’s the point.

R. KELLY
The rap star’s episodic Trapped in the Closet saga became a cultural phenomenon before it was available on IFC.com, but the concept flourished in the online format. Whether or not you actually enjoy the show (some may find the repetitive beats and Kelly’s larger-than-life persona to be grating), there’s no arguing against its ingenuity. He’s currently preparing a new season.

ROBERT GREENWALD
With his trenchant looks at some of the more controversial subjects plaguing contemporary America in movies like Outfoxed and Iraq for Sale, documentarian Robert Greenwald has proven his investigative talents. A pioneer of independent DVD distribution, Greenwald also continually deconstructs media spin as it appears on the nation’s notoriously one-sided channel with short films posted on the website Fox Attacks.

MATT & MARK CHAPMAN
Matt and Mark Chapman started the online animated series Homestarrunner in the late 1990s and it became an instant success. Major networks offered to buy the show, but the Chapmans chose to keep their rights and continue doing the show on their own site. They make good money off sales of related merchandise and have built a massive fan base. Meanwhile, their sprawling Wikipedia page nearly one-ups the entry for Star Wars.

RAMESH FLINDERS, MILES BECKETT, GREG GOODFRIED (LONELYGIRL15)
The filmmakers behind Lonelygirl15 began their show by posting seemingly real video blog entries of a young girl named Bree on YouTube. Thing is, Bree was actually an actress named Jessica Rose, and lonelygirl15 was an episodic work of fiction. But viewers didn’t get that right away, and the program became a hit before most people figured out that it was staged. Since the secret came out, lonelygirl15 has evolved into a much larger production -- but its grassroots rise to fame has given it iconic stature.

JONAS MEKAS
An early champion of New York’s avant-garde film scene, octogenarian Mekas has always maintained a progressive outlook. Writing in his column for The Village Voice in the 1960s, he predicted that eight-millimeter film would lose its chic quality and eventually look dated. Boy, was he right. These days, the Brooklyn resident has been developing a way to make his early experimental works available on his website. For over a year, he has posted short films by colleagues like Jim Jarmusch at the same URL -- but users have to pay a fee to access most of the material. Those willing to spend some time with the site will find a treasure trove of recorded moments from Mekas’ unique life. Among the highlights: Allen Ginsberg singing the blues and glimpses of the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Whitney Museum in 1971.

M DOT STRANGE
One of the major contributers to the notion that Internet word-of-mouth sometimes one-ups multimillion dollar publicity campaigns, M dot Strange premiered his eccentric animated film We Are the Strange at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, where the ultra-low budget project (shot in his bedroom) was received with mixed results. Unperturbed, M dot released the film online without any help, and actively promotes the idea that other independently-oriented filmmakers should do the same.

OREN PELI
Game designer Peli’s new movie Paranormal Activity is the new Blair Witch -- but it’s much, much better. The first time filmmaker generated online buzz for his cheap mockumentary/horror film before its festival run, and it was recently purchased by Dreamworks. Time to quit your day job, dude.


JONATHAN ADE AND PATRICK NICOLA (CHOCOLATE CAKE CITY)
A couple of Emory College students started a sketch comedy group in 2002. Their intention was to entertain some crowds. Instead, they entertained the nation. The group, Chocolate Cake City, gained national attention with their hilarious spoof, Brokeback to the Future, which altered footage from the Back to the Future movies to create a fake trailer for a gay love story. The groundbreaking mash-up started a new trend, but at the gang’s site, you can find tons of new videos, testifying to the versatility of their comedy and their intention to keep it alive in cyberspace.

DAVID LYNCH
Lynch makes his short films and video updates available at his his site, but only to people willing to shell out a monthly payment. Fortunately, big-time Lynch fans get their money’s worth. The eccentric filmmaker offers regular weather forecasts (really just videos of Lynch discussing whatever he wants) in addition to a lot of other weirdly intriguing video content. It’s a portal to Lynch’s unhindered creativity -- not to mention his ongoing output, considering that he makes announcements on the site about his next projects available to his core supporters before anyone else hears about them.

HUNTER WEEKS
Weeks made the documentary 10 MPH, which tracks unemployed dreamer Josh Caldwell as he rides a Segway from Seattle to Boston, available exclusively at the film’s website. He left the price up to consumers, much like Radiohead did with the release of their last album, In Rainbows. Since people dig the movie, the gimmick worked, and now Weeks is relying on similar support by following the model pioneered by Spout with Four Eyed Monsters: Register at OurStage, and the company donates a dollar to Weeks’ budget.

EDWARD BURNS
We start with someone who's pretty much an icon of indie filmmaking -- who also happens to have become a famous actor. Now he's on to the second part of his indie career. Frustrated that the limited release of his character-driven films prevented them from reaching large audiences before DVD release, Burns and his producers decided to take the theatrical release out of the picture and premiere his latest film, Purple Violets, on iTunes. The movie will still come out on DVD, but the online arena allows this niche title to become instantly available everywhere. The results of the experiment are still coming in, but kudos to the independently-minded Burns -- who spends his Hollywood acting paychecks on smaller productions that he writes and directs --for taking a gamble with the new frontier of digital distribution.

SANDY COLLORA
Fan films are nothing new, but Collora brings a new standard for production values to the game. His short movie, Batman: Dead End was made for $30,000 and became a smash hit on the web after its premiere at San Diego Comic Con in 2003. Pitting the superhero against ferociously rendered aliens and predators, Collora managed to impress fans of the franchise by bringing a fresh sense of intensity to the typically misrepresented character. He followed it up with World’s Finest, a fake trailer for the energetic Batman/Superman team-up we’d all like to see. Note to Warner Brothers: Hire this guy now.