If seeing all those noncelebrities on E!--the personal stylists, the restaurateurs--makes you seethe with envy, calm down. Where there's a will, there's a way you, too, can work it Hollywood-style. All you have to do is carve yourself an entrepreneurial niche that makes you an "expert" in something not many are. But expect some hard work, pavement-pounding and door-knocking, because, face it, if you're not Jerry Seinfeld's ex, immediate start-up exposure might not happen. Here, see how four Tinseltown-inspired companies got their big breaks.
Casting Call
By Laura Tiffany
Entrepreneurs: Robert Platts, 29; Jeff Hamilton, 31
Company: Gonzo Bros.
Description: They rent cardboard cutout"extras" at $5 a pop for crowd scenes
Location: Hollywood, California
Year started: 1997
Casting call: After working in management for anow-defunct studio, Hamilton and Platts were approached by acompany seeking 2,000 cardboard cutouts. Remembering their formerboss had a stash, they approached him and split the money. Thepartners saw gold and had 4,000 cutouts made.
Media blitz: In a very low-budget marketing campaign,Hamilton and Platts faxed every commercial, TV and film director inthe Hollywood 411 directory. Since then, they've providedcutout extras for crowd scenes in commercials (which make up about80 percent of their business) for Nike, Adidas and Gatorade, aswell as for the movies American Pie and Man in theMoon and the TV series Dawson's Creek.
What theyreallywant: Hamilton andPlatts, who also provide independent sales and marketing for astudio, see this as a stepping stone to their true goals: producingand acting. "The access we have to producers and directorsenables us to learn faster and figure out how to do what we want toin this industry," says Hamilton. "If we had regularjobs, it would be more difficult to break into the entertainmentindustry."
Cutthroat business: Their current competition--$90-a-dayhuman extras and studios with their own cache ofcutouts--aren't as threatening as their future competition.What are their plans for when computer graphics takes over thecrowd-extra niche? "We're very flexible," saysHamilton. "We'll adjust to whatever the demands are."But he agrees with Platt, who says, "By then, we want to beproducing."
Box-Office Smash
By Michelle Prather
Entrepreneur: Tanya York, 30
Company: York Entertainment Inc.
Description: Independent home video/DVD production anddistribution company
Location: Encino, California
Year started: 1990
Family ties: York's trek from London to L.A. at age17 wasn't like your typical runaway-heads-for-the-Sunset-Stripmusic video. Her mom's invitation to give the States a chanceprompted York to leave London's social scene. She says shewasn't seeking fame in Hollywood: "I took some actingclasses, but only so I could go back [to the UK] and tell myfriends how cool it was."
Tanya's ladder: Various film jobs in the extra,production and makeup departments followed. By age 19, she hadproduced three films.
The green mile: "It's what every Hollywoodproducer is trying to find," says York. Money, that is. Sheneeded a million-plus to embark on a solo career--and privateinvestors gave it to her. She then gave the public feature filmslike Frogtown II and Rollerblade Seven.
Bigger is better: York formed a partnership with MaverickEntertainment Inc. in Coral Springs, Florida, so huge chains likeBlockbuster Entertainment would carry their line of 45 films. Sheattends film festivals and previews movie submissions with her"opinionated" 10-year-old son. Says York: "This iswhat I've trained in for the past 10 years--I'm verycomfortable."
The Winner Is
By Laura Tiffany
Entrepreneurs: Genevieve Cibor, 32; MarkAndrushko, 32; Kelli Bennett, 31
Company: Scriptapalooza Inc.
Description: They run a script contest; winnersreceive access to major Hollywood players and a cash prize.
Location: Hollywood, California
Year started: 1998
Making waves: Each partner has a background in theentertainment industry, from acting to writing to producing, butCibor and Bennett, both writers, were particularly discouraged bycompetitions that either required industry contacts or only gavecash prizes, with no help getting a foot in the door. With a Website on Tripod, a few contacts from Andrushko's producingbackground and the guts to cold-call industry players, the partnersdecided to change the way script contests were run.
The write people: Participants--the productioncompanies and literary representatives who read the winningscripts--include UPN's director of comedy development and TheJim Henson Company. Final Draft Inc., a leading writing softwarecompany, cold-contacted the partners, offering to be the sponsor ofthe contest. "So many huge companies were receptive and eagerto be part of the contest, it was overwhelming," saysCibor.
The write stuff: Scriptapalooza received 605screenplays for its first contest--more, Andrushko says, thanseveral well-known, established competitions received. Based on theresponse from writers and participants, they started ScriptapaloozaTV (for TV scripts) last August and plan to start Flickapalooza, anannual film festival, this year.
First prize: "Our big reward is being able todiscover raw talent, jump-start their career and give them anopportunity that wouldn't otherwise exist," says Bennett."Another reward is our personal goal of becoming influentialin Hollywood's decision-making process--getting writers andprojects considered that the 'Hollywood Machine' might noteven bother looking at."
You're A Star
By Michelle Prather
Entrepreneurs: Marnie Lerner, 27; Cynde Cassel, 30; Diane Lerner, 50-something
Company: Star Treatment Inc.
Description: Gift-buying and personal-shopping service
Location: Los Angeles
Year started: 1996
In the stars: Destiny brought former entertainment writer Marnie Lerner and former personal shopper Cassel together in 1994 at a fashion show. When Cassel landed an ad job at the same L.A. publication that employed Marnie, the two were designated corporate gift coordinators for the 1995 holiday season.
Exit, stage left: Marnie and Cassel grabbed Marnie's mother, Diane, and began exploring the niche they knew would be a Hollywood hit. "Growing up in Los Angeles, you'd go over to friends' houses where $250 flower bouquets were delivered 'just because they're pretty,' " says Marnie. Sensing the "need" for an upscale gift-giving service, each partner invested $5,000. An additional $25,000 from a private investor solidified the launch.
May i leave a voice mail? The gals never thought Hollywood studios would constitute 80 percent of their $500,000-plus business--until the vice president of marketing at Universal Pictures finally responded to their cold calls. "She said 'OK, girls, we're doing Snow Falling On Cedars, and we need [gifts] for the actors.' " Ethan Hawke and Sam Shepherd were the first celebs Star Treatment shopped for; since then, they've gifted just about every huge star you can imagine.
Worldwide presents: They don't just buy Prada cell phone bags for Meg Ryan and Diane Keaton--they also serve people like you and me via http://www.Startreatment.com, their personal shopping Web site. With worldwide interest, expansion is likely. Don't forget your friends here at Business Start-Ups, ladies.
