HUSSLUP, presently an invite-only beta, is a job search and networking app for artistic professionals within the media and leisure business to attach with studios and manufacturing firms seeking to rent expertise.
At present, the corporate introduced an internet model of its cell app. It would roll out extensively subsequent week.
Very like LinkedIn, HUSSLUP permits customers to write down posts, community with others and seek for gigs.
Nevertheless, as an alternative of being focused to most of the people, the app goals to be a central hub for artistic professionals within the leisure business, above or under the road, to collaborate on a venture, promote an upcoming film/TV present, invite others to an occasion, discover new expertise and extra.
Different group instruments embrace the flexibility to create a bunch, share encrypted artistic samples, chat by way of in-app messenger and create annotated contact lists for every venture, film or present.
In tandem with the online launch, the corporate additionally launched new web-based options known as “Professional Search,” a proprietary characteristic that enables for extra in-depth searches, and “Serendipity Mode,” a Tinder-like part on the platform the place customers can shortly join with different members.
The brand new ProSearch instruments present a approach for staffers to lookup expertise based mostly on particular standards, comparable to their credit score degree, illustration, go-to style/venture sorts, availability, places the place they’re prepared to work, skilled affiliations and extra.
Customers can even save potential hires to an inventory, the place they’ll then add feedback, notice which individual they employed and share with others.
Notably, the instrument additionally permits customers to type search outcomes to find numerous hires. HUSSLUP claims that roughly 65% of its present membership self-identifies as numerous in not less than one of many following classes: gender, race and LGBTQ+.
The business continues to be criticized for underrepresentation, so HUSSLUP’s new characteristic is a major addition to its toolbox.
Among the many prime 200 highest-grossing theatrical releases on the North American field workplace in 2022, individuals of colour (POC) made up solely 22% of lead actors, 17% of administrators and 12% of writers, per UCLA’s 2023 Hollywood Range Report.
Internet customers are additionally getting “Serendipity Mode,” a characteristic that lets them “swipe” – or, on this case, click on proper or left with their mouse – on tiles that characteristic profiles of members, firms, and communities. The playing cards are organized randomly to offer customers a greater probability of discovering a variety of individuals.
Sooner or later, the corporate plans to launch extra web-based options, H Shuster, founding father of HUSSLUP, informed TechCrunch. This contains “Challenge Rosters,” a characteristic that may allow customers to take an inventory of their hires and generate name sheets, anonymized statistical experiences for tax incentives and extra.
HUSSLUP additionally intends to create a textual content, picture and video search instrument in addition to AI-powered suggestions.
Not like the vast majority of professions, there’s no rule e-book for learn how to get a profession in leisure. More often than not, you both have connections in the suitable locations, luck is in your facet that week or — for those who’re lucky sufficient — you’re a nepo child.
Therefore HUSSLUP’s tagline, “Reworking Hollywood from clique to click on.”
Schuster based HUSSLUP as a possible resolution to this ongoing clique drawback–“the antiquated sport of phone,” as she and her staff prefer to name it.
An govt producer with 20 years of expertise in Hollywood, Shuster has labored on actuality exhibits like “MasterChef” and “The Largest Loser,” and is aware of all too nicely how irritating it may be to seek out new expertise.
“After I was sitting behind the desk of hiring, you understand, I’d actually make 5 or ten cellphone calls to colleagues, associates, a supervisor, agent, and get 5 or ten names,” Shuster informed TechCrunch. “You don’t know these individuals, so that you’re then making an attempt to get their credit on IMDb and their artistic samples on YouTube… It’s tremendous painful and disaggregated, and it may possibly take a very very long time to seek out somebody who’s accessible after which vet them.”
“There needs to be a extra environment friendly approach and likewise a extra joyful approach, frankly, for artistic expertise to initially have a spot to mixture all of their skilled info and construct a profile that basically permits them to inform the story of themselves and current themselves to the business the way in which they need to be seen,” she added.
H Shuster, founder and CEO of HUSSLUP
All of the profiles on HUSSLUP have verified credit to make sure everybody on the app has labored within the business in some unspecified time in the future. About 75% of HUSSLUP customers are not less than mid-career, Shuster claims, starting from administrators, writers, producers, editors, animators, composers, music supervisors, artwork administrators and extra.
Nevertheless, as soon as the app exits beta, the corporate desires to finally invite college students and up to date graduates who’re nonetheless seeking to break into the business. HUSSLUP is presently working with quite a lot of universities, together with NYU and the American Movie Institute, amongst others.
The corporate additionally companions with quite a few manufacturing firms, studios and organizations, together with Common Studio Group, Common Photos, Blumhouse, Will Smith-founded Westbrook, the Russo Brothers’ AGBO, Tyra Banks’ Bankable Productions, Don Cheadle’s This Radicle Act and Ladies in Movie, amongst others.
In December 2022, HUSSLUP raised a $2.5 million seed spherical, led by f7 Ventures and Gasoline Capital, with further funding from Ulu Ventures, Gaingels and 360 Enterprise Collective.
Beforehand, HUSSLUP raised a pre-seed funding in 2021 from the Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs accelerator powered by Techstars.
To this point, HUSSLUP has round 6,000 members, based on the corporate.