Comments on: GotCast (Beta) Is Looking For Talent

By: Blowtorch Raises $50 Million to Launch a New Hollywood Studio

Blowtorch Raises $50 Million to Launch a New Hollywood Studio — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:01:21 +0000

[...] ever before through its Website, where people will be able to help cast movies (we’ve heard that idea recently) or pick the songs for the soundtrack, among other ideas. “It can’t be [...]

By: Samantha

Samantha — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 21:40:21 +0000

How about starnow.com? That site is huge in the UK and has launched in the US now too.

By: naysayer

naysayer — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 17:53:13 +0000

I forgot about Iam.com! If I recall correctly they were located in LA and had industry backing but it flamed out. It’s going to be tough to get this going without strong backing from the industry and a lot more than $3MM!

By: Wil Schroter

Wil Schroter — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 14:50:57 +0000

Don - you could easily keep it running for $50k, especially in the pastures of Columbus, Ohio (where we are) but that’s not the goal. It’s not about spending $50k to build a Web site or maintain it.

Any idiot can build a Web site these days for nothing! $500k is an investment in growing the business, which means marketing, biz dev, infrastructure, etc. And in the grand scheme of things, $500k isn’t exactly gangster money to start a company. But it’s enough to get us started.

By: Spiderman4

Spiderman4 — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:45:22 +0000

Anyone ever hear of Emodel? Lou Pearlman used to own it.

By: www.latesthollywoodgossip.info » GotCast (Beta) Is Looking For Talent

www.latesthollywoodgossip.info » GotCast (Beta) Is Looking For Talent — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:39:27 +0000

[...] Erick Schonfeld added an interesting post today on GotCast (Beta) Is Looking For Talent.Here’s a small reading:With the Hollywood writer’ strike in full swing, the TV networks are about to green light a lot more reality TV shows and other non-scripted programs. Wil Schroter, a serial entrepreneur in Columbus, Ohio wants to help fill those shows … [...]

By: HeatSeek

HeatSeek — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 09:48:09 +0000

Same idea was done during the dot-bomb days. Called IAM.com (as in, I am an actress). They got tons of funding, blew threw it all, and failed. Hollywood is a pretty closed industry that works on personal referrals and friends. Doubtful this company will last much longer than its dot-com predecessor.

By: N.Cauldwell

N.Cauldwell — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 08:33:13 +0000

Congratulations Will. Although I know absolutely nothing about the market for this thing, I like the idea.

Congratulations Ryan. Although I know absolutely nothing about married life, it looks like you have a nice wife.

By: Adriana Gascoigne

Adriana Gascoigne — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 06:30:28 +0000

GotCast is an ideal way for both talent and agents to connect online. Genius idea. It’s fast, easy, seamless. Just tried it. Wil, yet again, you’ve created a useful product for the masses specifically, eager Hollywood reality TV starts.

By: digital-lifestyle

digital-lifestyle — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 06:07:27 +0000

Cool idea, I hope this will help many struggling artist and the system will attract more talent.

By: David Mackey

David Mackey — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 05:05:27 +0000

Seems like a pretty innovative idea. I expect it will quickly become popular. Lots of people would love to be on TV (and you have to start somewhere) but have no idea how to get in.

By: Don Wilson

Don Wilson — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 04:51:37 +0000

Sorry to double post…

“Reality is a broad term in Hollywood right now. It’s not just “Real World”, it’s pretty much anything that’s not “Lost” or “Heroes”.”

So, basically anything that is worth watching isn’t in the “reality” category.

By: Don Wilson

Don Wilson — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 04:50:20 +0000

Wil, I could keep the same site surviving on $50k a year, what in the world do you need $500k for? An excessive amount of site designers?

By: Steve Ballmer

Steve Ballmer — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 04:47:25 +0000

Really, really, really stupid content here!

http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com

By: Wil Schroter

Wil Schroter — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 03:45:25 +0000

GG - I think what was mis-understood was that I put up $500k of my money and we haven’t spent it all.

I think what got confusing was “the money was invested” which got people thinking it was all used up already. Obviously investors “invest” capital without spending it all at once. A more proper term would have been “commited $500k”.

Sorry for the confusion on that.

By: garage guy

garage guy — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 03:29:00 +0000

@ Will - So you invested or bootstrapped the company for $500K, but where was that money spent? I’m certain Angels are going to ask the same question. If you said that you got the site up and running for under $15K that’s one thing, but without real Hollywood clout behind you, I’m afraid you’ve thrown $500K away.

By: Sam

Sam — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 01:49:33 +0000

It’s hard to believe no one has been successful with this business model before. While there are plenty of wanna be actors in Hollywood…take a look at current television shows…they are filled with men and women who look not like the “Hollywood type”, but rather like someone you work with, or encounter in everyday life. Having GotCast as a platform from which to pluck fresh talent is a huge advantage for casting directors and television viewers alike!

By: Wil Schroter

Wil Schroter — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 01:44:03 +0000

It’s Wil from GotCast. A few notes -

- No one said we burned through $500k, it just said we had invested that much. There are still startups out there that don’t burn through all of their committed capital!

- Reality is a broad term in Hollywood right now. It’s not just “Real World”, it’s pretty much anything that’s not “Lost” or “Heroes”.

- At Number 8 - your “wife” is way hot. I’m emailing her now…

By: surfncity

surfncity — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:38:03 +0000

The first sentence of the article says more reality shows will be produced because they are unscripted. Not true. Reality shows are scripted. And they rarely are reality.

By: Berlin

Berlin — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:30:52 +0000

Where’s the “casting couch” and bidding section?

By: naysayer

naysayer — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:24:35 +0000

How the heck did it cost $500,000 for this site? Was most of that cash spent on advertising? It certainly doesn’t look like the money was spent on the site!

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:05:52 +0000

There are millions of people across the USA and the world who dream of being famous. Many of them don’t have the skills needed to make it, but maybe a site like this can make them feel famous as they compete for castings.

By: AnonTroll

AnonTroll — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 23:43:56 +0000

I imagine that most of the applications on his and other similar sites are actors/actresses that currently don’t make the cut in the traditional Hollywood, so is it really a good place to find new talent or a new spin on sub-par existing wannabe actors/actresses?

By: Ryan Merket

Ryan Merket — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 23:32:56 +0000

Vote for my wife:
http://www.gotcast.com/jenniferkcmo

By: Morgan

Morgan — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 23:32:13 +0000

They need a tool to outsource the writing itself onto the Internet, just break that stupid union or guild already. If you can’t differentiate yourself in something as unique as writing, and you depend on group negotiations, you deserve it.

The entire industry can just move anyway, and it already has in some respects. There’s only so long a closed little group can maintain and protect artificially high rates.