Web site offers window to opportunity
By Daily Bruin Staff
Oct. 10, 2000 9:00 p.m.
 Illustration by JASON CHEN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff
By LiLi Tan
Daily Bruin Contributor
Forget wandering aimlessly around Hollywood scattering your head
shots and resumes to every agent in town. Your claim to fame may
lay online at MediaTrip.com.
The Internet is now becoming the hottest spot to get discovered.
Some sites charge fees, offering personalized Web pages and
open-call notices to aspiring actors, but MediaTrip.com won’t
take a penny for submissions.
MediaTrip.com and Joe Roth’s Revolution Studios created a
strategic partnership in June of 2000 to publicize films prior to
their release. Because of MediaTrip.com’s previous success in
casting for the film “Tomcats,” the site is currently
launching an open online casting call for Revolution Studio’s
upcoming feature film “The New Guy.”
“We had such a great response from our previous online
project for the film “˜Tomcats,’ that we wanted to
continue creating opportunities for our users to get involved in
the making of our major motion pictures,” said MediaTrip.com
CEO Austin Harrison. “This contest broadens the opportunities
for both men and women to get involved in the site’s
community and the casting of a movie.”
MediaTrip.com offers an interactive artist community which
allows artists to display their talents to Internet users as well
as giving them exposure to entertainment industry
professionals.
MediaTrip.com is currently looking for three cheerleading
squads, a band, three men and 10 women to work alongside stars like
DJ Qualls (“Road Trip”), Eliza Dushku (“Bring It
On”) and Eddie Griffin (“Deuce Bigalow: Male
Gigolo”) in the upcoming film.
 www.mediatrip.com/thenewguy/cheerleaders.html “The
New Guy” is about a student who gets himself expelled so he
can change his reputation from “loser” to “tough
guy.”
His plan works like a charm until an old bully from his previous
school discovers his transformation.
MediaTrip.com gives more than 15 people the chance to land roles
in “The New Guy.”
Not only are aspiring film stars able to submit their
portfolios, but they can also vote on the submissions, thus
narrowing down the number of potential squads, musicians and
actors, so the directors can make their final decisions.
To vote, Web site users look at the photos and watch the video
reels uploaded by high school and college cheerleading squads and
then decide on the top 30.
Afterward, those squads will be asked to create and submit a
“New Guy” cheer and the top three squads will be given
performing roles in the film.
Rock bands can also submit their band biographies and music on
MediaTrip.com, and from there, Web users and producers determine
their fate.
Likewise, actors will submit photos and biographies in an
attempt to be cast as extras. MediaTrip.com users will vote on the
top 10 men and the film producers will then decide on which three
men will be cast. Over the next 10 weeks, Web site users can vote
on a female winner each week to be an extra in “The New
Guy.”
“The New Guy” isn’t the only thing that lures
Net surfers to MediaTrip.com, though. Artists can create their own
community on the site, featuring their own works and communicating
with one another through the site’s message boards.
Several contests are also held on the site. Currently,
MediaTrip.com has a Flowlab skateboard autographed by the Black
Eyed Peas up for grabs for one of its lucky users.
MediaTrip.com also features other movies besides “The New
Guy.” Web site users are able to watch animated reels of
“Gary the Rat,” featuring the voice of Kelsey Grammer
(“Frasier”).
In addition to several short films, MediaTrip.com offers reviews
of current movies playing in theaters. Audio interviews with
blockbuster stars such as Sylvester Stallone (“Get
Carter”), Jada Pinkett-Smith (“Bamboozled”) and
Keanu Reeves (“The Replacements”) provide further
entertainment while stay-at-home movie watchers can learn about the
latest video and DVD releases.
MediaTrip.com provides the latest in the world of music by
offering interviews, music videos and concerts from groups like De
La Soul, Madonna and Third Eye Blind. The Web site also features
its own community radio program accessible from the Internet.
For tons of laughs, click on the “Live Action Shows”
to watch comedy programs. Currently, MediaTrip.com features an
alternative comedy show called “No Drink Minimum.”
Users can also watch the “Daily Comic,” with Bob
Odenkirk and Karen Kilgariff.
Not only is MediaTrip.com a site where cheerleading squads,
bands and aspiring actors can audition online to win roles in
movies like “The New Guy,” it also offers a variety of
entertainment for everyone.
Check it out for the latest in movies, music, comedy and stars.
MediaTrip.com has the interviews, information and contests
necessary to bring together a community of artists via the
Internet.
