Member Article

Interview: Movidiam’s George Olver on decentralising and demystifying the film industry

A pair of entrepreneurs have spotted a gap in the market for a digital platform connecting filmmakers, after witnessing first hand the way in which advancing technology was decentralising the industry.

George Olver and Alex Vero, founders of West London-based Pendragon Productions, created Movidiam following several years of R&D into the influence the digital sector was having upon filmmaking.

Co-founder George Olver found a few minutes in his busy schedule to talk to Bdaily about how Movidiam came about and what he hopes it will become.

“In the last ten years, Alex and I have become increasingly aware of the way in which production companies are being streamlined as a result of several external factors,” George said. “The impact technology and the internet is having on the way film is produced and distributed is undeniable.

“We’ve taken what we’ve learnt from running our own film production business and channelled it into Movidiam, which is essentially a professional network connecting independent and freelancers, as well as a project management platform for filmmakers on the go.”

“Movidiam brings filmmakers who previously just worked on a regional scale to the global stage,”

Before launching Pendragon Productions, the pair gained experience working at every level of the film production process, George said: “We have worked our way up from the rock face - both Alex and I began our careers making coffee in post-production houses and we have built up the industry over the last decade to the level it is as now.

“It is from this experience that we acquired the insight to develop and build Movidiam.”

George described filmmaking as a “fragmented industry” citing figures that show 91 per cent of people involved in the film production process are, indeed, working freelance.

He added: “Movidiam acts as a backbone, or the rigour, that pulls freelancers and independent filmmakers together, giving them the canvas on which they can produce their films.”

George Olver, co-founder of Movidiam

The duo have used both their expertise and the financial resource gained from running their own business to leverage the development of the platform, George explained: “To build a technology platform, and to be in development for a number of years pre-release, you obviously need a significant amount of resource,

“Initially we funded the venture from Pendragon. After developing the beta version of the platform, we reached out to our widers networks for funds.

“We are currently in talks with some angel investors as we work on a significant launch plan on the west coast of the US.

Movidiam aims to support filmmakers, both freelance and small independant companies, as the industry moves away from the traditional London-focused model.

“Movidiam brings filmmakers who previously just worked on a regional scale to the global stage,” George commented.

“Freelancers are also using our platform to raise their visibility. Movidiam gives users access to tens of thousands of potential co-workers, with expertise in all areas of filmmaking.”

The development process has been highly intensive, with great focus laid upon the user experience, George explained: “What we’ve done is overlay an advanced user interface on a database, giving a high quality user experience while still functioning as a creative network.

“The website itself is not your typical interface, in fact, it is a cloud-based platform that can be accessed from anywhere in the world on mobile or desktop - perfect for a travelling filmmaker.”

As the industry continues to develop, George is hoping that Movidiam will pioneer the new processes within filmmaking, while saving time and resource for those in the industry.

He concluded: “Previously, getting into the industry has been very challenging for an aspiring filmmaker. It was a very blackbook-orientated system, more about who you know than what you know.

However, Movidiam has demystified this film industry and is giving people from all walks of life an opportunity to share their talents.“

Movidiam officially launches later this month, but the beta version is currently accessible at http://beta.movidiam.com/login.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .