What Shooting People does

Shooting People was a UK-based online community platform and networking website serving independent filmmakers, founded in 1998 by Cath Le Couteur, Jess Search, and Stu Tily. Over its 27-year life it operated as a hybrid online/offline community, hosting job postings, crew-finding tools, funding and resources databases, short film showcases via the New Shoots awards program, and in-person events including Q&As, screenings, masterclasses, and parties. The platform served a horizontal long tail of thousands of filmmakers, primarily in the UK, with testimonials from high-profile international industry figures (Werner Herzog, Danny Boyle, Christine Vachon) attesting to the community's cultural significance.

The platform's three retained archived products are: (1) the New Shoots: Filmmakers Awards, a seasonal short film showcase program with shortlists dating back to 2020; (2) a Resources Database, a curated directory of UK film industry support organizations, festivals, and diversity-focused collectives; and (3) a Funds and Opportunities Database listing film funding, bursaries, competitions, and talent development schemes from bodies such as BFI Doc Society, Northern Ireland Screen, and the BBC. Underlying technology was a standard web-based community platform with no disclosed proprietary features, AI capabilities, or integrations.

Shooting People operated without publicly disclosed pricing, revenue mechanics, or institutional funding. It appeared to function as a grassroots, founder-led community rather than a venture-backed commercial enterprise. In 2025, after 27 years of operation, the community formally wrapped; founders Cath and Stu maintain the three resource archives online at no cost to users.

Name

Shooting People

Legal name

Shooting People

Website

https://shootingpeople.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shooting People was a UK-based online community platform for independent filmmakers, founded in 1998, that operated for 27 years offering networking, job postings, funding databases, and short film showcases before wrapping in 2025 and leaving static archives online.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Filmmaker Community Platform

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Casting & Talent Placement (Sessions, Bands, Touring Musicians) (MPAIAGAM), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Filmmaker community platform
• Independent film network
• Short film awards
• Film funding database
• Creative networking

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Shooting People was an online community platform for independent filmmakers founded in 1998 in the UK, providing networking, collaboration, and resource discovery tools. The platform offered three core products: the New Shoots Awards (an annual short film awards program), a Resources Database (curated directory of film production resources), and a Funds and Opportunities Database (curated listings of grants, commissions, and funding calls for filmmakers). The platform operated for 27 years before closing.

Product overview

Shooting People was The Filmmakers Community and Independent Filmmakers Network — a filmmaker support platform that has now wrapped after 27 years. The core offering consisted of three interconnected services: the New Shoots: Filmmakers Awards (a short film showcase program featuring seasonal shortlists of award-winning community shorts), the Resources Database (a curated directory of UK film industry organizations, festivals, and support bodies), and the Funds and Opportunities Database (a searchable listing of film funding, bursaries, competitions, and development schemes for filmmakers). After closing in 2025 after 27 years of operation, the platform retained these three resources online for the filmmaking community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Shoots Awards An annual short film awards program run on the Shooting People platform, recognizing achievement in independent filmmaking and providing visibility for shortlisted and winning films. Targeted at the platform's membership of independent filmmakers.
• Resources Database A curated online directory of film production resources, industry contacts, and services available to Shooting People members. Targeted at independent filmmakers seeking practical production support.
• Funds and Opportunities Database A curated online database of grants, commissions, funding calls, and other opportunities available to independent filmmakers. Targeted at filmmakers seeking financing and career opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• The platform operated for 27 years, helping thousands of filmmakers make work and connect
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Direct peers

• Stage 32: Online community and networking platform serving film, TV, and theater creatives — the most directly comparable service to Shooting People, with a similar mix of networking, job postings, and educational content for working creatives.
• Mandy (formerly Mandy Network): Crew and talent network for film, TV, and theater professionals with job postings and crew-finding functionality — directly analogous to Shooting People's core crew-finding feature.
• The Black List: Filmmaker and screenwriter community platform focused on script discovery and industry connection; comparable in serving the independent film/screenwriting community with curated industry access.

Regional players

• Raindance Film Festival: UK-based independent film community combining training, festivals, and filmmaker networking — comparable as a UK indie film community with educational and connective programming similar to Shooting People's Q&As and masterclasses.

Emerging players

• Film Freeway: Platform connecting filmmakers with film festivals and submission opportunities — comparable in aggregating opportunities for independent filmmakers, though more transactional and festival-focused.
• Short of the Week: Curated short film showcase platform featuring award-winning shorts from independent filmmakers — directly comparable to Shooting People's New Shoots shortlist and awards program.

Broad incumbents

• Vimeo: Video hosting and creator platform serving filmmakers and video professionals broadly; comparable as an enabling infrastructure layer for independent video creators, though much larger and broader in scope.
• Bondit (Media Capital Technologies): Film financing and packaging platform connecting independent filmmakers with capital — comparable to the funding-discovery function of Shooting People's Funds and Opportunities database, but at a more transactional/commercial scale.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ShootingPeople
• Facebookfacebook.com/39623815017
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shooting-people

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shooting People