Wrapal Acquired by Set Scouter, Creating Largest Locations Company in North America

Some of you may have read our Q&A or been in person to a class with our friends at Wrapal, the film industry’s first startup connecting filmmakers to film locations. Today, we’re delighted to report that they have been acquired by Canada-based Set Scouter, forming the largest film locations database in North America.

Launched back in 2012, both startups were the first peer-to-peer marketplaces of their kind that connected producers, directors and location managers to film-friendly properties in both Canada and the United States. In the seven years since, both startups became known as the ‘airbnb of film locations’ in different markets; with Set Scouter targeting Canada and secondary American film markets such as New York, Chicago, and Miami, while Wrapal focused on the heartland of the film industry, Los Angeles, the greater West Coast region, as well as some East Coast locations.

With the rapid growth of both companies setting the stage for a possible rivalry, CEO of Set Scouter, Alex Kolodkin, and Wrapal CEO Brian L. Tan “BLT” decided to collaborate instead of compete. Thanks to their efforts, producers and directors can now search for and book a consolidated inventory of tens of thousands of film locations in major cities throughout North America.

Similarly, property owners, managers, and agents can list their spaces for free knowing that feature films, short films, music videos, commercials and students productions across the continent might want to shoot content in their space. Kolodkin even decided to retain some of the existing Wrapal staff to entrench industry know-how and maintain the Los Angeles community’s relationship with Set Scouter.

We caught up with Brian “BLT” over the phone and asked for his thoughts about the acquisition. “Consumers fear consolidation because it means compromise”, he rightly observed, “however in this case, it actually means more choices – and a much more streamlined and effective locations scouting process. Both platforms were built by filmmakers for filmmakers. Now that we’ve joined forces, I’m looking forward to revolutionizing the entertainment industry together”.

Like Set Scouter and Wrapal, Mandy has been all about positively disrupting the film industry to make it that much more convenient, accessible, and user-friendly for all. We think this is great news for filmmakers and properties alike and are happy to share a $100 discount coupon towards Set Scouter booking fees for all Mandy users if the enter SetScouter4Mandy at check out.