While at the Cannes Film Festival I had a unique opportunity to interview a pioneer in the independent film realm who hopes to really shake up the stale studio system. Jasmin Prosser has been working in the film industry for most of her life, having worked in both the European and Hollywood film industry. With her years of experience she found that as new models are emerging for aspiring filmmakers there needs to be a better system in place to support their artistic efforts.
Thus, Studio Beyond was born, the first complete social network designed to connect filmmakers, actors, producers and even financiers to make movies more easily. I sat down with the digital trailblazer who explained the concept behind Studio Beyond in great detail. Check out the interview and if you are an aspiring to be immersed in the film industry be sure to check out Studio Beyond which just recently launched.
The Film Stage: Can you tell me a little about where the idea of Studio beyond came from and what was the motivation for creating the site?
Jasmin Prosser: As with any other business it’s always that personal experience that shapes the world we live in. So my case is no exception. Having been in film business for a while, I’ve realized there was a real need to connect talent more easily with top executives, film financiers, producers, sales agents in order to make a life easier for everybody involved.
In Hollywood, there are often significant barriers for film makers who often find themselves unable to tap into Hollywood resources. Since Hollywood is a giant business oriented towards making ‘safe’ decisions, it favors cautious choices, tending to use ‘proven’ people to work with (actors, directors, producers, editors, etc.). While this low-risk approach is understandable, it is not always the ideal way to put together the most creative or profitable product.
To address this, Studio Beyond was created to facilitate an open exchange of ideas, resources and talent throughout the entire movie making community. By doing so, Studio Beyond ensures that opportunities can open up to literally everyone in the movie and TV industry, not just a chosen few.
Can you break down a little bit the structure of the site and the facets of it?
The Studio Beyond community enables you to virtually ‘pick and choose’ the people with whom you want to collaborate. You can interact directly with casting or talent agents, executives, producers, film financiers or distributors. I think it’s amazing. We are turning the table around for talent.
If you’re an actor, director, writer you can upload your script or headshot or directing reel. Is that what you’ve envisioned?
Yes. Through the virtual studio office, writers and directors can showcase their work, composers can upload their music scores, producers can host review screenings of their full-length movies for distributors, sales Agents, press members. We’ve integrated the most advanced online tools currently available. This allows the user to integrate all their professional activities in a dedicated mobile office, from one deceptively simple screen.
Have you thought about integrating at all the new trend that has been happening in the independent sector of crowd funding where someone could put a pitch online and begin to receive funding from unknown people based on that?
Right now that’s not yet part of our strategy. For the moment, we are focusing on bringing film financiers into the Studio Beyond Community. So far we have quite a number of film funding pre-registered members including our funding partner Movie Portfolio Fund. Free registration is open to anyone looking to experience the online office and its benefits before committing themselves to full packages with extended benefits.
We have about 1,000 pre registered members waiting to enter their virtual office which will be launched on May.
What do you want to see come out from this website? Will you showcase the films online or will you have a distribution plan for the films that do succeed through the website?
We don’t have a distribution plan because there is no need. Through the Studio Beyond platform, the filmmakers will have direct access to distributors, sales agents and exhibitors all over the globe. Studio Beyond is a platform which exists to facilitate deals rather than to act as a power house. Our goal is to identify and promote the success of any Studio Beyond projects and talent that will emerge from the Studio Beyond community. We have created a platform where new stars of tomorrow can be discovered. We need another Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and Meryl Streep. Why should Producers struggle to get financing because there’s no stars attached? Let’s discover new stars and make a life easier for everyone.
The great part is that we have press within our members so the press is there to communicate all that is taking place within Studio Beyond to the outside world.
What would be your message to someone who is unsure about how breaking into this industry and why they should use Studio Beyond as their medium to achieve success?
Entertainment needs dreams and dreams don’t come in a vacuum. We live in an era where we can now replace the ‘lone violinist’ with an entire orchestra. Technology and the revolutionary effect of social media has absolutely changed the rules and opened the doors wide open. And Studio Beyond has been developed in the spirit of these exciting times. Studio Beyond is a breakthrough concept that integrates cutting edge technology and the openness of the social internet, both hallmarks of our world today.