Hollywood movie producers scout TikTok for new talent as Aussie Tayla Stevenson shares her story

Social media has increasingly become Hollywood’s hunting ground for the biggest and best talent as executives scout the apps for the next big stars.

That’s how Tayla Stevenson was discovered, with the 23-year-old Aussie trading Sydney’s northern beaches for the bright lights of Los Angeles as top talent agencies scramble to get her on their books.

The 23-year-old’s success all stemmed from a TikTok account she started during the lockdown, with only her second sketch video ever going viral and catching the attention of some of the biggest names in the industry.

The single video received over two million likes and 13.2 million views, with Ms. Stevenson garnering a loyal following of nearly 600,000 people on TikTok.

Ms Stevenson told Daily Mail Australia she was studying film and digital media at university when Covid hit and decided to cure her boredom by starting a TikTok account, a decision that is paying off, with a lucrative acting contract about to expire. be signed.

The Tik Toker started playing around with the app before deciding to do a “funny little skit where he met a cute boy in an elevator and everything went from there.”

“Everyone really liked my first sketch and they were like keep doing that, so then I came up with the idea of ​​an interaction between a bakery worker and a cute kid and added some humor and then it was like boom, it really exploded” , she said.

“When that happened, I felt like I had to go through with it and to date it’s still my most popular video, but it’s all gone from there.

“I’ve definitely had a lot of important people in the industry reach out to me on TikTok or my Instagram who want to befriend me or from producers and actors who want to work with me and pitch potential roles and all sorts of things.”

The 23-year-old mainly publishes comedy and young romantic sketches that she says perfectly prepare her for a transition to rom-coms.

Ms. Stevenson moved from Sydney University to UCLA to complete the final semester of her studies where she mingled with top talent in the industry.

Now that she has completed her studies, she says she will stay in LA to pursue an acting career.

The influencer says she was headhunted in Australia and since arriving in LA, she has realized how many social media stars are being contacted about acting roles.

Ms. Stevenson herself says she continues to be contacted by Hollywood’s top talent agencies, producers and actors expressing how they would like to work with her.

“A person’s platform, TikTok in my case, is used as a showreel,” she explained.

“People in the industry are using these clips, in my case skits, to cast for roles, so the whole industry is evolving and adapting to the modern world of social media.”

Ms Stevenson said she expects to sign a contract with a talent agency in the coming weeks and believes she will star in a movie or film by the end of the year.

“Most people in this industry now come straight from social media and so the executives are turning their attention to those who have created a platform themselves and have shown they can engage with an audience,” Ms Stevenson said.

“While I can’t say too much, I expect to have a few rolls by the Aussie summer as I need to have something signed in the next two weeks, which is really exciting.”

Covid has completely changed the entertainment landscape with many being housebound and turning to TikTok for their entertainment, while the industry is seeking actors from the platform for lead roles.

This was seen when social media star Addison Rae, 22, landed a multi-million dollar deal with Netflix after starring in the movie ‘He’s All That’, a sequel to ’90s’ ‘She’s All That’.

Other stars born of TikTok, such as Charli D’Amelio, have landed contracts for TV shows as well as her own docuseries.

While these artists undoubtedly have talent, it is their large following and social media involvement that Hollywood filmmakers consider a gold mine.

High-profile TikTokers are increasingly sought after for roles in movies, TV shows, and as brand ambassadors for beauty and fashion campaigns.

“Hollywood executives see the star power in the social media world based on their followers like Zendaya, The Rock and Charli D’amelia, while people want to see their favorite Tik Tokers and social media stars on the big screen,” said Ms. Stevenon. .

“I want people to know what the potential is out there and I tell those who want to get into this industry to put themselves on social media because that’s how more and more aspiring actors get their big roles.

“You never know who’s going to watch.”

The budding actor says anyone with a passion for anything in the entertainment industry should get on a social media platform, even if it’s not TikTok.

She says that while her focus is on her acting career in Hollywood, she’s set her sights on producing and writing her own movies in the future and bringing what she’s learned from America back to Australian shores.

“For me, my dream is to produce films and write my own scripts and I want to bring that back to Australia because the more we can learn from the American film industry the better,” she said.

“I know so many Aussie entertainers on platforms like TikTok who are so talented and I see them and I know others in the industry see them and say ‘I want to work with them someday’ that’s where the industry is going to go.”