A group of Keighley men are taking on the Hollywood big boys by making a movie in the town.

The four friends will make full-length romantic comedy Three Blind Dates at locations in Keighley and across Bradford district.

They aim to prove that a movie created using video cameras and computer editing equipment can be as successful as one shot on film.

And they will take their completed work across the Atlantic in the hope of landing a major distribution deal.

Three Blind Dates is the brainchild of writer Mark Anderson, his cousins Tom Boocock and Gordon McDonald, and his sister's boyfriend Dave Marshall.

Together they go by the name The Four Horsemen and plan to take starring roles as well as lending their various technical skills.

Tom is a DJ and sound specialist, Gordon is a karaoke champion and Dave is experienced with cameras, computers and music-making.

Three Blind Dates is inspired by Gordon's appearance on the TV game show Blind Date last Christmas, as well as an old short story by Mark.

Gordon is the leading man and the others play friends who, on discovering the character is 25 years old and has never had a girlfriend, set him up with dates.

The Four Horsemen have recruited several local people to act in the movie at locations including pubs and cafes around Keighley.

Mark says: "We've got most of our cast, all we need are one or two extras and one girl to play a karaoke singer. We need someone who can sing well."

The Four Horsemen are also looking for local actors and actors, as well as budding writers and crew members, to make other films over the next few years.

Shooting on Three Blind Dates will begin next month and the aim is to finish in time for this summer's Hollywood Film Festival.

Mark will go out to the festival -- a US market place that brings together writers, producers, actors and investors -- in a bid to find a major distributor.

He says he has attended the festival before, during a year spent living in Los Angeles and being an extra in TV shows such as Baywatch.

As well as his script, Mark has written three novels, 15 short stories and 1,500 poems, and for the past ten years has been trying to find a publisher.

He runs a web site promoting his own science-fiction novel and work by other fledgling authors.

The Four Horsemen plan to write to Keighley businesses seeking sponsorship for their movie, either money or by providing equipment or locations. Their overheads are low, since most of the technical equipment already exists in their town-centre studio.

Mark says: "We want to prove to the world that anyone can make a movie. Our cameras are small but very high quality. We have everything we need."

The Four Horsemen can be contacted on 01535 665099 or 07957 863740, or via the web site http://members.tripod.co.uk/the_blind_date_movie