With the current unemployment crisis in Hollywood, many TV and film crew members are concerned about finding their next job. This is particularly the case for freelancers, who often face unstable work and irregular pay.
Shobizzy is the latest professional networking app for the entertainment industry that aims to address this challenge. And, as more workers could be at risk of being out of a job, Shobizzy recently expanded its offering to allow users to pursue opportunities in additional areas like live events and content creation.
Launched in January, the app sets itself apart from traditional job post boards such as Backstage and StaffMeUp because it doesn’t require users to fill out applications. Instead, it provides a social platform for freelancers to create public profiles showcasing their skills and expertise, as well as form long-lasting connections with people in the business who can serve as valuable references for future job opportunities.
“Freelancers live a very non-traditional career path, in terms of the fact that we never have a permanent employer, and it ends up being that your network is the most valuable piece to your career because of the fact that it’s such a who you know business,” co-founder Doug Weitzbuch told TechCrunch. Weitzbuch is a freelance TV producer with 20 years of industry experience and has worked on shows like “Duck Dynasty,” “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Lip Sync Battle.”
It’s a smart move to allow freelancers to broaden their horizons beyond TV and film, as there has been a lot of interest in the creator economy, which is estimated to be a $250 billion business. There has also been a surge in live events this past year. PwC predicts that live event revenue in the U.S. is set to reach $68.7 billion in 2024.
“The television industry has been in the downturn this past year, and a lot of people are struggling to find work,” co-founder Kevin Eberly said, who previously founded PayYourRent, the online rent payment software company. “As we’re building [Shobizzy], we had a lot of interest from two tangential verticals. One is live event production, so things like concerts, tours, and festivals. And the other is digital content, you know, YouTube creators and stuff like that…We’re able to offer opportunities to freelance crew that they potentially never would have thought of on their own.”
Eberly added that the company currently has “strong relationships with multiple companies in the live event vertical, including Red Light Management, that are eager to bring the platform to their productions and clients.”
The new partnership with Red Light Management is significant because the company represents many well-known artists, such as Luke Bryan, Sabrina Carpenter, The Black Keys, The Fray, The Strokes, and Tom Petty. This potentially gives freelancers the chance to work on major projects that could help advance their careers.
Alongside the expansion, Shobizzy added new functionality to help live event companies manage hires more easily. The app’s production workflow is now tailored to concert tours, allowing companies to add multiple dates and locations in a single production. It also lets companies match with any vendors they may need, such as camera rental vendors.
Overall, Shobizzy’s suite of tools for production companies aims to streamline the hiring process. Using an AI-powered algorithm, the app suggests the best-fitting individuals for each role, considering factors such as the production’s location, current availability, and relevant IMDb credits. It then tracks the progress of hires in real time as the crew is assembled. Companies can also message crew members in the app.
Since its launch, Shobizzy has grabbed the attention of 6,500 signups and around 650 companies, including A&E, Amazon, Disney+, Discovery Channel, Food Network, Netflix, Nike, and WNBA, among others.
The company is currently raising a $2 million seed funding round.