The Scoutr Aims to Do for Filmmaking What Uber Accomplished With Transportation
San Diego-based startup The Scoutr has launched its new peer-to-peer platform, an online prop sourcing and location scouting tool that enables Creatives to rent houses, businesses, cars, motorcycles and boats from the public for use in films, television shows, commercials, photo shoots and more.
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Scoutr was founded with a simple goal in mind: to enable Creatives to quickly and conveniently source props and scout locations from an international database of listings for use in a wide range of art and commercial projects. These projects include feature and independent films, television shows, commercials, music videos, photo shoots and more.
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The Scoutr's peer-to-peer platform acts in much the same way as services like Lyft, Uber and AirBnB; it connects users (in this case, Creatives) with the public, who provide a service (props and location rentals). The idea is to allow individuals to leverage the resources of others and, in turn, enable the individuals providing those resources to benefit financially.
To facilitate use, The Scoutr incorporates a host of functionalities. The platform allows individuals to:
- Create public profiles, complete with avatars and bios;
- List items and locations for rent, such as a car, private residence or small business;
- Upload photos and embed videos of the item or location being listed;
- Set rental pre-conditions, including pricing and availability; and
- Communicate directly with others via The Scoutr's internal messaging system.
Entirely self-funded, The Scoutr soft launched in July 2014 and is now in Beta testing. Utilizing a secure payment gateway powered by Braintree, the same merchant that Uber and AirBnB use, members will be able to pay via credit card and receive deposits directly into a banking account of their choice. The company aims to make their website as accessible and convenient as possible.
Robert Carrier, founder and CEO, describes his motivation for creating The Scoutr: "Over the course of 2012 and 2013, a small group of friends and I made an independent film, on a very low budget. Through this process, I discovered that the tool I wanted most – an intuitive prop sourcing and location scouting platform – simply didn't exist. Those that were available to me, quite simply, didn't meet my needs; options were limited, direct transactions and communication weren't supported, and there was no sense of community. I created The Scoutr to be the tool that I myself would use. Now that it's done, I hope that other filmmakers, directors and photographers will be able to benefit from it."
About The Scoutr
The Scoutr was founded in San Diego, California by Robert Carrier, CEO; Andrew Ly, managing director; and Ian Bonewitz, managing director. The company launched its online platform in July 2014. To learn more about The Scoutr, individuals can visit: https://www.thescoutr.com/.
Media Contact
Robert Carrier
The Scoutr
Email
619.777.6218
SOURCE The Scoutr
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