AFM 2011: Ex-Groupon Executive Takes Startup Company Prescreen to Santa Monica

Groupon, the web deals company which Shawn Bercuson will be a co-founder, had its IPO on Friday. But Bercuson, who turns 30 inside a couple of days, have been in Santa Monica for his first-ever AFM to find content and business deals for his latest venture, Prescreen. The web platform for extended-form content, mostly movies, but furthermore concerts, launched in September and desires to provide filmmakers and entrepreneurs with a substitute for traditional distribution channels, on the web and otherwise. It features curated content, getting a movie suggestion and trailer e-mailed to clients each day - Groupon-style. Clients can rent it for $4 on the very first day and $8 for your relaxation from the 60-day period. "It's a bad investment of money, but of your energy,In . Bercuson, who's Prescreen's founder and Boss, describes. Once leased and started, people can watch the information for roughly 48 several hours. And so they can share it through their websites. One key social aspect in regards to the website may be the TrendSpotter feature, making clients credits toward their next movie when they're one of the primary 5 % having a minimum of 20 people to purchase a film or get three from the pals to buy it. The information owner can get fifty percent in the revenue a film makes online, here is how frequently a film remains bought and privacy-protected information on individuals who chose it, including what their ages are bracket, the city they live in in addition to their interests, among other activities. With info the film posseses an addressable market of a single.7 million people, that lots of customers are 18-24 and live in California and New Mexico, which their interests include cooking, French films and dancing can fix specific online marketing, which Bercuson desires to start offering, and limited release together with other kinds of concentrating on. "Ultimately, we like them about shifting ad dollars to online" desire to earn commissions from content partners for digital ad buys, according to him. Standup comedy shows, which Prescreen hopes to improve this mix, could also add a connect with ticket buying sites in another useful intend to content partners, according to him. Prescreen, which Bercuson states his team still sees to stay in beta mode, already has 50,000 clients which is adding about 1,000 daily. Its first movie was How to begin Your Individual Country, which got about 90 rental costs. A concert within the band The Civil Wars has furthermore been available. "Now, we'd our first breakout movie," he adds. I am offered over 550 rental costs in one day and was at 4,092 trailer sights and 676 buys by Friday. Overall Prescreen sights stand around 2,100. The business features a staff of 11. How can they choose content? Bercuson states they look for material that's either entertaining, educational, informative or inspiring. Which according to him he desires to bring people some good finds. The web site touts that movies on Prescreen get "blockbuster exposure by having an indie budget." Content might be inside the pre-theatrical, theatrical in addition to DVD or later stage, but must be exclusive in Prescreen's online realm due to its period it's online. "It might be available - more expensively - in electronic sell-through, however it appears sensible to take advantage people earlier inside the existence cycle because of the research you obtain, Baucson states. "There exists a great deal of movies, but don't schedule more than per week ahead," he adds. That allows the web site to supply films connected with world occasions or social trends, such as the Occupy Wall Street movement. Prescreen is simply Web-enabled now, but expects to become on iPads, phones and Web-enabled Televisions in the future. Prescreen incorporated in February, Bercuson elevated $millions of from Groupon pals and vc's in March, hired the initial engineer in May, as well as the website has already been all set to go. Bercuson states he likes movies, but was not ever a film aficionado and understood nothing in regards to the film business until he went skiing in Sundance along with his father and was asked for by pals who've been attending the film festival to think about conferences about digital distribution. "I happened in, nevertheless it increased being all-consuming," he recalls. "I saw great chance...I believed after i don't take action, someone else will." His next goal: acquiring an effort run in the large studio - there are actually some talks - and crossing 100,000 sights on one day. At AFM, he's searching to fulfill indie filmmakers, content entrepreneurs together with other possible partners. "We're here trying to find content and work development," according to him. What's Baucson discovered the film business up to now? The normal trailer is just too extended for online viewing, losing thirty percent of audiences every a few seconds, he mentioned. "Online audiences differ from people who sit in the cinema," according to him. "Online trailers have to be much shorter." How can he experience Groupon's IPO, which was listed at $20 and saw the stock in the online deals site rise 31 % to $26.11? "It's exciting to sign up a thing that has changed and invented a company,In . Baucson states. "I awoke somewhat earlier today and lost somewhat sleep regarding this and was checking my phone as part of your before. Nevertheless it didn't change me. It hasn't really sunk in." Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Subjects Groupon