ATLWood’s red hot film industry is booming, but for producers, sifting through a sea of applicants to find the best fit is time consuming. And if you’re an actor hoping to break into the film industry you can expect to spend your time and money at casting call after casting call. Traditional casting methods are the pits (and not the good kind like Brad), so here to break the box office with the latest and greatest direct-to-talent casting app is RoleCall. We recently caught up with the Founder and CEO to find out how he landed a gig in Atlanta’s startup world.
Stephen Beehler (pictured above) is the man behind RoleCall, with eight glimmering years in the film and television industry. While splitting his time between the Hollywood and Atlanta film scene, Beehler became increasingly frustrated by the inefficiencies of the casting process. “Both parties, producers and actors, waste too much time, money, and energy”, Beehler proclaims. “It took me nearly 4 months to cast a lead actor for my last project and I thought, I don’t want a 25 year-old to play an 18 year-old high school football player… why don’t I just find a real life 18 year-old high school football player?”
“If films are a reflection of the world we live in, why not have real-world people play the parts? RoleCall makes it simple for film-makers to connect with people who have the exact real-world look or skill-set they need for their project, regardless of whether they’re a professional actor or not. The app removes barriers to entry for acting: getting an agent, driving to auditions, spending hours in waiting rooms, scouring the web for open roles. Movies need people off all shapes and sizes, from all backgrounds and walks of life. So whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or a firefighter, with RoleCall you could be in the next local indie-film or next blockbuster.”
RoleCall also uses a one-way casting method so talent no longer has to solicit themselves for potential projects, and instead receives personal invitations from the film-maker. This type of method is seamless for the film-maker because they’re no longer spammed by hundreds of applicants who are irrelevant for the project. “It puts the film-makers in control of their work, and allows for the talent do go about their day until they get an invite from an interested film-maker. Producers have access to a massive, untapped talent pool of ready-to-work, real-world people who will help bring a more real experience to the screen and likely lower production costs.”
“RoleCall has the potential to make huge waves in the film, television, and modeling industries. We traditionally think of these glamour industries as being hard to break into, but how many stories have you heard of a superstar actors or models getting discovered at lunch or at the mall? If you have what they need, they want you. RoleCall gives these industries access to new pools of talent that would have never be accessible – helping projects move through pre-production faster and for less money. If you’re a film-maker, RoleCall is your ultimate casting director. If you’re talent, RoleCall is your personal agent.”
“The film industry and the tech industry are the two new darling industries of Atlanta and RoleCall is their new baby. I was working in Atlanta’s indie film scene when the initial idea for the app came to me. I heard the guys from Ten Rocket pitch their company at an Atlanta Tech Village event so I reached out to them and they helped me get the app out of my head and into my phone… they’re awesome.”
RoleCall is currently bootstrapped and looking to raise $120,000 from local angels in the film or B2C tech space. Beehler is also looking for folks interested in turning RoleCall into a household name – so whether you’re an intern looking to help with their guerrilla marketing plan or a developer with ideas for the app, give Beehler a shout. Oh, and if you always thought you’d make a great actor, download the app and make a profile – you never know, you may walk the red carpet one day.
Follow RoleCall:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getRoleCall
Twitter: https://twitter.com/getrolecall
Instagram: https://instagram.com/getrolecall
Tumblr: http://getrolecall.tumblr.com/
