Lights. Camera. Connect. Meet Cinematcher’s Founder & CEO Lauren Magura and Her New App Designed to Transform the Hiring Process in the Film Industry
Lauren Magura, who has a background from NBC Universal and Universal Pictures in media operations and marketing in film, came up with the idea of Cinematcher through her passion for connecting people within the entertainment industry. The true dedication of everyone in the industry, and the need for a simpler On-Demand hiring process influenced Lauren to put Cinematcher into motion. She is truly passionate about her mission to enable everyone to connect easily and instantly, and oversees all aspects of the company. In March 2017, her company launched the Cinematcher app, which already has diverse users from all different industries and all 50 states and 15+ countries.
What is Cinematcher, you ask? Cinematcher is an app that matches creative productions to awesome local and global talent instantly. The company was awarded “Best Early Stage Company 2017” by the NJ Tech Council.
Cinematcher is a game changer in an age where content is being created at record speeds. Every person who creates content will need local talent, and that’s where Cinematcher comes in, giving EVERYONE a chance to create.
The company’s impressive partners are RushTera, a global file-sharing platform, New York Women in Film & Television, The New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Science, Chief Executive Air, a market-leading full service private aviation company specializing in on-demand private aircraft charters where you pay as you go with no contracts or ongoing fees, and John’s Catering & Craft Service, a NYC locally owned and operated catering company servicing low budget as well as large film productions.
Veteran New York based filmmaker John A. Gallagher also recently joined the Cinematcher team as an indie film expert mentor/advisor.
I asked Lauren how the app works. Here are her answers explaining the different features of her innovative app:
QUICK CONNECT
Our “Quick connect” feature coupled with Cinematcher’s geographical locator will allow members to instantly match with openings in their area with the swipe of a finger – anywhere in the world.
EVENTS FEATURE
Our events feature allows industry-related events to scroll as a banner on top of ALL users’ dashboards, allowing them to ‘check in’ and connect and message other attendees.
HIRE & GET HIRED
Users have the option to “Hire” and “Get Hired” simultaneously, categorizing their matches, messages and connections for each. Users can also use our “Diversity and Inclusion” feature to filter diverse matches. We feel strongly about encouraging diversity within the industry!
EXTRAS
Eliminate paid television, radio, and print advertisements for extras! Our “Extras” feature allows users to post the job details, and add in the number of extra needed.
MY PROFILE
Users have the option to connect their profile through their LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter accounts. Users can also add links to their social pages, and more importantly to their IMDb, YouTube, and personal website pages so their digital resume is all within their single profile.
LIGHTS. CAMERA. CONNECT.
Users have the option to swipe right or left to “Connect” with their matches. Once two users connect, they have the capability to message and accept matches, enabling push notifications.
What gave you the ‘Cinematcher idea’, Lauren and why did you think the film industry needed it?
Back when I was working for Universal Pictures, I loved production and wanted to learn, so I began shadowing productions of all sizes. While shooting on these productions, I saw a pattern of lacking essential crewmembers due to availability changes, sickness, emergencies, etc. Things happen, and people drop out. In the film world, every minute you are paying for a shoot and not shooting, you are losing money. The line producers or production managers were constantly scrambling to hire people on the fly, but there was no easy way to do so. After the shoot, we would end up meeting super talented local crew. That’s when the light bulb went off that we need local talent, that there’s awesome local talent available, we just had no way of connecting. We saw that massive disconnect, not just in LA, NY or CT, but also everywhere in the world.
Think about how technology has changed the ways we date, order food, get a car. It was truly baffling that we are not using that technology for an industry that is constantly mobile.
With digital distro channels and every industry having the need to create content, film productions are shooting more frequently and in less traditional areas so the need for on-demand creators is NOW. Cinematcher is that solution using our unique algorithms and geolocation.
Any additional important information you would like to share?
We’re currently partnering with Seed&Spark and the Duplass Brothers for a national initiative called ‘Hometown Heroes’, crewing 75 feature films in hometowns nationwide to encourage filming using local and diverse crews.
Visit Cinematcher’s website and social media accounts for more details on this amazing app. Your next job in film, or need for talent, could just take a swipe to the left or right.
Connect with Cinematcher:
Website: https://www.cinematcher.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Cinematcher/
Twitter: @Cinematcher
IG: Cinematcher
DOWNLOAD THE APP:
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