Oscar-winner Ron Howard discusses new networking platform

ATLANTA - Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard says everything about film and television has become so sophisticated over the years…everything, that is, except hiring practices.

"They depended on word-of-mouth and past experiences," says the director. "They would lead to patterns, lazy patterns of hiring over and over the people that you know, that you've worked with."

In other words, Howard says getting the proverbial "foot in the door" was a tough task. So, Howard and partner Brian Grazer teamed up to create Impact, an online network to connect film and TV professionals with available jobs.

"It's open for you to sign on, you know, you build your profile," Howard explains. "Look, it's a little like LinkedIn, but people aren't using LinkedIn in our business very much. And this is tailored to what we do."

Asked if something like Impact could have been helpful earlier in Howard’s own career, the "A Beautiful Mind" director says there’s no question.

"Definitely. By the way, it was helpful on a film last year, which is available on Amazon Prime now called ‘Thirteen Lives,’ which was in Australia. The app was very, very new at that point, but we found people. We had some very specific needs to try to fulfill."

And by launching the platform in Atlanta, the team behind Impact hopes to make a big one here. 

"What this is trying to do is break down the old hiring patterns," Howard says. "Because, you know, they're just limited."

Click here for more information on Impact.