Set Scouter, a peer-to-peer platform connecting film producers with homeowners looking to rent their spaces for production, has acquired Los Angeles-based film scouting startup Wrapal.com. The price of the deal was not disclosed.
“This acquisition means more choices and a much more streamlined and effective location scouting process.”
– Brian L. Tan, Wrapal.com
With the acquisition, Los Angeles becomes the latest city for Set Scouter, among its listings in Toronto, New York, and Chicago, among others. The startup said both itself and Wrapal.com have become known as the “Airbnb of film locations,” with Set Scouter eyeing the Canadian and broader American film markets, and Wrapal focused on Los Angeles’ film industry. Set Scouter said the acquisition will allow it to expand its presence in one of the most active film production destinations in the world, and will make Set Scouter the largest marketplace of film locations in North America.
“Simplifying production is our obsession,” said Alex Kolodkin, CEO and co-founder of Set Scouter. “By combining Wrapal’s west coast knowledge base, connections, and partnerships with our expertise and technology, we are giving production companies and agencies a standardized way to scout locations from coast-to-coast.”
Set Scouter was founded in 2012 and launched in July 2013, by Kolodkin and COO Lidia Bit-Yunan. The startup was inspired by Kolodkin’s frustration with attempting to scout out set locations in Toronto as a film student, according to the Financial Post. The startup has worked with Ryerson University’s DMZ, participated in Communitech’s Rev program, and was one of four companies selected for 500 Startups’ Batch 15. In 2014, Kolodkin received a two-year entrepreneurship fellowship from the Ontario Centres of Excellence and the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, which helped the startup validate product-market fit and develop its platform.
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“This acquisition means more choices and a much more streamlined and effective location scouting process,” said Wrapal CEO, Brian L. Tan. “Both platforms were built by filmmakers for filmmakers, and now that we’ve joined forces I’m looking forward to revolutionizing the production industry together.”
Set Scouter allows producers to search for locations using criteria like price range, location, and space type, and then message owners to address production details and budget. Bookings on Set Scouter are made through the site to lock in a date and location, while Set Scouter manages payments, overtime fees, security deposits, and insurance certificates. All of Wrapal’s listings will be integrated onto Toronto-based Set Scouter’s platform.
“This is a landmark moment in location scouting,” said Steven Vitolo, founder and CEO of PDF annotation app, Scriptation. “By expanding its inventory to include Wrapal’s unrivalled database of west coast locations, Set Scouter is poised to continue disrupting an industry that so badly needs it. With so many properties now available on one platform, the production community is the real winner.”
“Instead of having two rival regions competing for attention, filmmakers can search for and book a consolidated inventory of tens of thousands of film locations in major cities throughout North America,” wrote camera sharing platform ShareGrid in a blog post. “We think that’s a win-win for filmmakers and properties alike.”
Image courtesy Set Scouter and Wrapal.com