Today we’d like to introduce you to Darren Darnborough.
Darren, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in London UK, where I started to work as a professional actor around aged 16. I gained a degree in Film & Media from the University of London and continued to pursue acting and filmmaking, but I was also very entrepreneurial. I founded several companies and businesses, and then in 2002 co-created StuckForStaff.com – the world’s first online marketplace for promotional staffing.
In 2006, I decided to relocate to Los Angeles to focus on the acting career, and have since been living in LA, working in TV & Film – credits including MacGyver, Magnum P.I., Roots, 2 Broke Girls, True Blood and more. As a writer/director, my debut film ‘Stefano Formaggio’ is available on Amazon Prime, and I have co-produced other films.
I co-founded my current company WeAudition.com with Jessica Rose and Richard Cambridge back in 2015 when we decided there should be an online community of actors willing to rehearse with each other through video-chat. What began as WeRehearse.com has now grown to an international community of actors and coaches, and with our introduction of video-chat Auditions and General Meetings, we rebranded to WeAudition.com.
WeAudition now connects actors, filmmakers, coaches, agents, managers and casting directors around the world, through video-chat for Auditions, Rehearsals, Self-Tapes and advice, and our community spans all types of actors from students to series-regulars and celebrities.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being an entrepreneur is never a smooth road. There are peaks and troughs, not only in your abilities, or financially but also in your idea. If you are looking to innovate, it is inevitable that things may not go according to plan and it’s about responding to those changes.
When we launched WeAudition, we allowed actors to book and schedule each other for rehearsals. What we didn’t realize was that people would be very flakey and not keep their appointments. We quickly iterated to an on-demand model, like calling an uber, and that changed the trajectory. Actors could literally summon another actor within five mins to rehearse with them, which has since become the core part of our service.
It can be a tough road convincing people to use your product, but I think if you have a strong vision, commit to your mission, genuinely want to serve others and improve an industry authentically, then you will build and grow, and that has been key for us at WeAudition. The founders are actors and filmmakers so ultimately we understand the industry, its players, and genuinely want to improve it.
WeAudition.com – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
WeAudition is the first video-chat system to Audition, Rehearse, Self-Tape and get advice.
We are an international community of actors, coaches, casting directors, agents, and managers that connect on the WeAudition platform to meet and assist each other. Actors can log on to find a video-chat reader for their rehearsal or self-tape, in an instant, or make money by helping others on their auditions. Filmmakers can also audition talent directly through our site, live in our video-chat audition rooms.
This proprietary technology & software we have built allows connection like never before in the industry and has opened the door to great relationships, jobs, and opportunities for many of our members.
We were the first to innovate in this space like this, and what we are most proud of as well, is that because we are also in the film industry and have over 40 years international experience between the founders, we are able to leverage our personal relationships and connections for the benefit of our members. We genuinely want to see them succeed, and so our contacts become their contacts, and our presence at major film festivals and events around the world continues to foster that for our members.
What we’re especially proud of is how the WeAudition community give back and support each other too. There are few actor resources out there that are so community driven.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I can’t really pick one, but honestly, it is when I see other people succeed through something we have helped with or created. There’s no greater satisfaction than knowing you helped someone else achieve their goal.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.WeAudition.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weaudition/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeAudition/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/WeAudition
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
