SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE: Cape Town start-up Crew Pencil (CP) is attempting to change the way the South African film industry operates. CP is a centralised online platform that connects production companies with qualified crew members. CP automates the process from sourcing, communicating, booking, to managing and invoicing.
Michael Bothma, operations manager at CP says it is the missing link that crew and production have been waiting for. “Crew on CP have their own diary that production companies have access to 24/7. If available, production can pencil them, download CV’s, see references, look at showreels and even view their gear lists, all while the crew member is working on set or sleeping,’ he explains. Crew Pencil gives a crew member all they need to easily and efficiently manage their own bookings all the time.
While CP is operational, and according to Bothma their numbers are growing, they are currently looking for a second round of investment. “This is needed for upscaling the development team, speeding up work on the mobile app and increased marketing and advertising strategies,’ says Bothma.
“We already have the majority of the country’s production companies on board, yet crew are still just accepting bookings without driving it through the site, as this is what they are used to. For us it’s all about getting across the value that CP will have for crew if they use it,’ says Bothma. “If crew drive all their bookings through the site then their diaries will always be 100% accurate. Which then in turn means that when production companies do availability checks, the results are also 100% accurate.’
Any challenges Crew Pencil face they say the app will solve, making Crew Pencil more accessible to crew. “Work on the mobile app has just started and will take a couple of months, depending on the investment we get,’ says Bothma. In the meantime they are contacting crew directly to get their feedback on the site and personally explain the value of running all their bookings through the site.
For more information visit the Crew Pencil website.