Web Video Pioneer Stuart Skorman Launches the First Human-Powered Movie Recommendation Engine

Clerkdogs.com Challenges The Netflix Challenge
SAN FRANCISCO--(Business Wire)--
Stuart Skorman, one of the pioneers of the recommendation technology known as
collaborative filtering used by Netflix and other popular brands, is out to
prove that computerized movie advice needs a human touch. Skorman believes that
film discovery requires a mix of man and machine similar to complementary
destinations such as Wikipedia for information or Pandora for music. Consumers
lack a place online where they can interact with great clerks to discover new
films and TV shows.

Revenge of the Clerks

ClerkDogs is poised to create the first discovery service for film fans based on
the analysis of movies by former video store clerks. ClerkDogs is not based on
user-generated reviews. It’s all about simply finding a great film without
requiring consumers to rate hundreds of movies. All results are based on video
clerk analysis.

ClerkDog’s Mash It tool consists of 35 mood-defining attributes that can be
adjusted, resulting in a list of movie matches that bring consumers closer to
movies they will love. For example, if you like Pulp Fiction because of its dark
humor and characters, you can find other movies based on those specific
ingredients. Current discovery technology forces consumers to fill out generic
ratings without allowing them to interact or participate.

The Conversation with a Video Clerk; Reborn as a Web 2.0 Sequel

The movie mapping analysis and genome project that powers ClerkDogs was started
when Skorman opened his first brick and mortar video store in 1985 and moved to
the Web in 1995 when he founded Reel.com. Reel was the first online video store
to integrate collaborative filtering into e-commerce, which Skorman sold three
years later for $100 million to Hollywood Entertainment. In 2006, Skorman
reunited the five original writers from Reel.com to invent ClerkDogs.

“Our mission is to deliver the first real film discovery experience that’s as
fun as the movie you end up watching,” says Skorman who is a former video store
clerk himself. “ClerkDogs interacts with film seekers in a Web 2.0 way that
feels like you are talking to a knowledgeable video store professional.”

Challenging the Netflix Challenge

Thousands of the smartest techies on the planet have tried to win the one
million dollar prize Netflix is offering to significantly improve the
collaborative filtering technology at Netflix. They have all failed! Skorman
believes technology has taken this movie prediction business about as far as it
can go. It’s time to bring real human intelligence and intuition back into the
movie shopping experience. ClerkDogs uses technology to enhance and communicate
human intelligence and intuition, not to replace it. Their innovative algorithms
are important, but here the stars of the show are the former video store clerks.

The company has launched today in beta and recommendations are available at
www.clerkdogs.com with films specifically in the crime and suspense genres.
Other genres will be added in the near future.

To check out a video example of how it works visit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx4D0qBpN-s&fmt=22

About ClerkDogs

ClerkDogs is the first-ever human-driven film discovery service that connects
you to the films you want to see based on your mood and built upon the knowledge
of seasoned video store clerks.

60-year-old founder Stuart Skorman came out of retirement to create ClerkDogs
because online movie advice today doesn’t compare with the experience of
interacting with a seasoned video store pro.

ClerkDogs’s offices are located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

for ClerkDogs
Vijay Chattha, 415-305-6041
vijay@vscconsulting.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008