Daniel Myrick has come a long way from the spooky woods of Maryland to the sunny bike paths of Venice Beach. The "Blair Witch Project" director and co-creator launches "The Strand" on March 15, once again harnessing the Internet to connect him with his audience.

A lot has changed since that unexpected blockbuster introduced the mainstream entertainment industry to the term "viral marketing." "The Strand" is a live-action experimental series designed for independent online distribution, an approach that wasn't possible in 1999.

"There are a handful of executives out there who are the gatekeepers of what gets made and seen -- or not," Myrick said. "I've pitched so many ideas and come away frustrated. So we just decided to do it ourselves."

Each webisode uses method-film techniques to capture real people and actors like Katherine Helmond interacting in a world where spontaneous and scripted dialogue seamlessly co-exist.

"For me as a creative, the webisodic format allows me to do so much exploration of characters and story without constraints on language or topic," Myrick said.

The world premiere will be available for free at www.strandvenice.com. Gearhead Pictures, Myrick's production company, is using digital payments technology from BitPass to charge 99 cents for each webisode after that. He also is considering whether to seek sponsors.

Myrick said this project demonstrated the future of filmmaking, in which filmmakers can use the Internet for distribution while protecting their content with technology that manages licenses, payments and promotions of the digital content.

"Unlike a Fox show that needs 3 million viewers a week or it's canceled, I only need a fraction of that and I can be filming forever," he said. "At Sundance, we were the only ones out there not looking for distribution. You've already got the largest distribution network in the world already on your desktop, and the end-user experience is getting better every day."

The official Web site will document the production process and encourage audience interaction, Myrick said, which will be used to shape the series as it progresses. He also intends to post audition videos, chat rooms and character point-of-view cameras.

"I know how powerful the Internet can be. I've seen it firsthand," Myrick said. "I think this is the perfect home for 'The Strand,' and I'm excited about its potential."

He believes that the entertainment industry is averse to taking risks, a condition that limits innovation and creativity, but that the Internet can provide a viable alternative for filmmakers. Adding a micropayment system rather than rely on advertising gives online ventures an interesting business model as well.

"BitPass enables independent production companies like us to make a show 'for the people, by the people,' where production is sponsored by people who watch it, leaving its destiny in the hands of those who care most about its future," Myrick said.

Myrick is represented by Industry Entertainment Management and the Endeavor Talent Agency.

BitPass has nearly 2,000 digital content merchants. The company has received venture funding from Worldview Technology Partners, Steamboat Ventures (the venture capital arm of the Walt Disney Co.), RRE Ventures and others.