Now that showbizzle has launched and traffic is rising along with interest, we’re seeing more and more questions like ‘What exactly IS showbizzle?’

Here’s an explanation from the hands of Lindsey Rosin, co-creator and producer of showbizzle.

Showbizzle’s FAQs

Who is Janey?
Scroll down below this FAQ and let Janey tell you who she is and what she is all about in her own words. But in the meantime…

Okay, but is Janey a real person?
Depends on the power of your imagination. Haha. Kidding. In all seriousness: NO. Janey is a fictional character. But if she were real, she could be you. Or your best friend. Or that girl with the laptop you always see camped out at your local coffee shop.

So Janey’s the girl that everyone is talking to?
Yes, and she has a lot of friends.

Are they real people? Or are they actors?
All of the people appearing in Janey’s guestbook are actors.

Are the stories that they’re telling real?
No. For the most part, the stories are completely made up. But some of them are very loosely based on true stories and real-life experiences– we’re all twentysomethings hanging out and working (or trying to work) in Hollywood. Good stories are not hard to come by.

Do all the characters know each other?
Yes and no. Lots of the characters know each other. Some are sleeping together. Some are working together. Some hate each other. Some spend a lot of time talking about each other. What’s the one thing they all have in common? Janey. They are all friends with Janey. And they’re all telling their stories to Janey. And then Janey is sharing their stories with you (and everyone else on the world wide web).

Alright… I think I’m starting to get it.
Good.

How many new videos do you put up every week?
At most six. At least three. And on the weekends we’ll be putting up a weekly recap – a condensed version of everything that’s happened throughout the course of the week.

Wow. That’s a lot of videos. What if I can’t keep up?
All of our videos were designed to work independently AND as part of a larger world of three-dimensional storytelling. All of the videos can stand alone, but they are also pieces of a larger picture. As you watch the videos and read the blog, you will get to know the characters. Their storylines intertwine not only through the videos but on the blog as well. It’ll all become clear and everything will be really awesome. Okay?

So there’s no pressure to watch them in a certain order?
Definitely not. We are releasing them on our website in the order in which they happen in Janey’s world. Once a story is released on www.showbizzle.com, it is given a number. You can start at #1 and work your way forward. That would mean that you’re watching in chronological order.

Is that what I’m supposed to do?
You’re not “supposed’ to do anything. They’re no right or wrong way to watch. But by watching in order and reading the blog you’ll get the full impact of what three-dimensional storytelling really is. But feel free to choose your own adventure… you can also watch the videos by character.

Watch them by character? What does that mean?
Each of Janey’s friends has a character profile. On that profile are all of the videos that pertain to that character. If you like a certain character, check out their profile and watch their story from beginning to end.

How will I know when a character has new a new story?
You can tag a character you like in the RSS feed, and when a new video is released you will be notified through your RSS reader. But the best way to stay up to date is to come back to the site and watch the latest and greatest. There will always be someone new talking about something new.

Is there anything else I should know?
We have lots of things in store for our members. The best way to stay current is to make a profile and tell us your story. Either as you – the real you – or as a new showbizzle character you’ve created.
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Now go back and have some fun at the site: http://showbizzle.com

In my words — This is a project I’m working on with Chuck and Lindsey Rosin (located out in Hollywood) and Bob Wright of MarketingArts.com in San Francisco. What’s unique about this project is the combination of extremely well written episodic content by Lindsey, with executive production leadership from her father, Chuck, who wrote the first 144 episodes of 90120. Chuck had the notion that combining a tightly written series of two minute webisodes (say 170 total to start) with a niche social network would build a unique business proposition for the website. To get a feel for what the episodes are going to look like, visit their website at http://www.showbizzle.com. You can click and play the teasers there.

As we go along, I’m going to be talking more about the social marketing strategies that showbizzle employs. Care to join me? This is more complex than it looks on the surface due the unique nature of the content and the presence of a niche online community that will be hooked directly with this content. That’s what makes it unique and I’ll be discussing this more as we near the launch in September.

The ’showbizzle’ world is all about young (and older, of course) people fascinated with a career opportunity in Hollywood. Or maybe you just love the drama of Hollywood. Regardless, the social networking component of this project will include a way for you to become a member of the community by submitting your own episodes and having them highlighted on the home page if yours is selected. You’ll get a chance to learn the behind-the-scenes story of showbizzle and learn about writing and producing episodic content for the web from Lindsey and Chuck and other amazing professionals they’ll be interviewing in the community. That’s the preview I’ve been promising to all the folks I’ve been talking with on the phone for the last few weeks. Here is a bit more to whet your appetite, pulled from the showbizzle site.

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OK, in Chuck’s words … Think of showbizzle as scripted entertainment that could pass as a reality show, broadcast in the form of a daily blog, with the goal of building a social network aimed at emerging actors, writers, directors, fans of the biz – basically anyone with a computer and some time on their hands who is looking for some fun entertainment.

We’re looking for people, most likely like you, who are maybe thinking about spending some time out in Hollywood – or who would just like to live vicariously through the lives of our characters and the members of our showbizzle community.

Maybe showbizzle is just entertainment, or, maybe for you it’s something more… maybe you really are thinking about taking a chance, making the plunge, doing whatever it takes to make a career in show business happen – or, as we prefer to call it, showbizzle… which is kind of like show business, only a lot more fun.

Here’s the plan: Starting mid-September 2008, showbizzle will present at least three original, two-minute, scripted videos every day until Thanksgiving (that’s 9½ weeks for those who are counting) posted on our showbizzle website…

The website serves as the daily blog of our fictitious blogger – Janey – who hangs out every day on the patio at her favorite coffee place, listening to old friends and new acquaintances from all strata of Hollywood showbizzle (in other words, our characters) confide intimate details about their career ambitions, creative aspirations, pipe dreams, hook-ups, f***-ups, romantic liaisons, embarrassing day jobs, galvanizing moments, personal quests, major revelations, unexpected characters and narrative twists – you know, the basic personal and professional stuff that typifies what it’s like to be young… in Los Angeles… in 2008.

The one thing we can assure you about the 170 videos we will be posting on the showbizzle website this Fall is that each vignette will feel authentic and different from virtually everything else you can currently find on the world wide web.

We’re showbizzle. We’re different. And we like it that way.