BeScene launches today to give filmmakers and other creatives (actors/actresses, animators, cinematographers, costume designers, directors, editors, producers, production assistants, script coordinators, writers, etc.) a Tinder-like experience to network.
Many organizations (Staff Me Up, Backstage, Mandy, and ProductionHUB) have created career portals to make it easier to get into cinema and media. BeScene seeks to let low-budget, student, and emerging filmmakers connect, rather than just experienced users.
“Our goal is to democratize ‘breaking into the industry’ by providing access to those who wouldn’t normally have it,” founder and CEO George Armistead tells Eltrys. “In 2024, no one should be denied their dreams because they didn’t attend a fancy film school or live in LA or NYC. Hollywood’s strategic entrance obstacles may be removed via this software.
We don’t exclude non-circle members from our community. Armistead says, “Every talented professional has to start somewhere, and we want to help them get there by making the hardest part of film simpler: growing your network.”
The business also thinks its swipe right and swipe left features make it stand out in professional networking.
“The simplicity and familiarity allow each user to find what they need quickly and in a meaningful way: through real human connections,” Armistead explains.
Not just BeScene thinks this. In 2018, former Tinder executives tried a similar tactic with Ripple, a networking tool that matches professionals by swipe. Even the popular dating app Bumble has a professional contacts area. HUSSLUP, another film industry networking tool, has a swipe function but is more like LinkedIn since it allows job search and posting.
BeScene starts with an in-app chat, a section to find new contacts, and a page to monitor your network. You may also view who has sought connections and send invite links to contacts.
Membership cards include members’ photos, work titles, and project preferences (short films, feature films, student films, documentaries, theater, music videos, episodic TV, reality TV, social content, or advertisements). Filter by role, project, location, and distance. It also reveals reciprocal connections, which might reveal their network and how it overlaps with yours. The software then asks you to skip or connect to a member, and if both users agree, it alerts them of the match.
Not having a film career makes setting up a profile straightforward. You don’t need to connect an IMDb page for evidence of credits or post a CV, actor reel, or portfolio. This is encouraging for aspiring filmmakers, but it requires more investigation to evaluate the person, which might disaggregate the experience.
If users complain or block other users for violating BeScene’s conditions, the team may view and cancel the account.
The firm will likely include an explore page, a post feed, and the option to establish groups or communities as it builds the product. Armistead promises in-app purchases and “other standard mobile app revenue streams” in the future. In addition, BeScene will serve content producers, musicians, and athletes.
BeScene is free for U.S. and Canadian iOS and Android smartphones. Armistead said the business wants to “quickly expand” to other areas. The backlog had nearly 7,200 people last week.
In 2021, Armistead and USC graduate Francesca Aiassa-Hernandez created ReelCall to solve this networking issue in the film business. Armistead tested the market and user base using the platform.
“Watching these talented filmmakers struggle to find staff and talent for their projects, even from a top-ranked school like USC, was eye-opening; the process seemed outdated and inefficient compared to most other industries. He says they launched ReelCall (the business and web app MVP) as a fun side project to solve this challenge by using current technology and methods to reduce time and effort in film pre-production staffing and casting.
“We quickly realized that simply creating an updated and modern casting platform was just a small part of a bigger problem: all film creatives deserve the opportunity to find and grow their networks, which is a more sustainable approach to consistent work and career growth than industry standard job boards,” Armistead says.
Unfunded, BeScene collected $250,000 from friends and family in 2022. A pre-seed round is being considered.
