Cameo launches Cameo Calls, a service for followers to video chat with celebs – TechCrunch

For those who actually need to video chat tonight with William Hung of retro American Idol fame… received twenty bucks to spare? Yesterday, Cameo launched its Cameo Calls merchandise, which lets followers video chat for as much as quarter-hour one-on-one with their favourite influencers and celebrities. The expertise units the period, time, and worth of their name, which Cameo says averages around $31.

To e-book a name, customers can go to Cameo’s website or app to see a schedule of upcoming Cameo Calls that they will purchase. These additionally seem on particular person expertise’s Cameo pages. Whenever you buy a Cameo Name, you get a singular ticket code that you just enter on the app to hitch your name.

In June 2020, Cameo enabled customers to book Zoom calls with celebrities as lockdown turned a worldwide norm, however Cameo phased out that function in April. As an alternative, Cameo Calls now affords a local expertise within the app, quite than counting on third-party software program. The draw back for shoppers, although, is that this makes it harder to ask your favourite actuality star to your workplace’s Zoom glad hour. However on the brilliant facet, the Cameo Calls features a devoted photograph op on the finish of the decision, so you may get your superstar selfie with out coping with the awkwardness of asking to take a photograph.

Experiences like Cameo Calls make sense in mild of the COVID-19 pandemic, when superstar meet-and-greets won’t be protected in lots of locations. However Cameo additionally thinks this product can stand in for a typical meet and greet even in “regular” instances. Usually, superstar meet-and-greets require ready in a protracted line to solely have 5 or 10 seconds of time with the expertise. Regardless that many Cameo Calls periods are only some minutes lengthy, you may be capable of get a extra private expertise than in case you had been the one centesimal fan in a protracted in-person line.

“We foresee Cameo Calls changing meet and greets at music festivals and world excursions, fan conventions, sporting occasions, and extra,” mentioned Cameo co-founder & CEO Steven Galanis.

Cameo says it examined this product with over 3,000 calls — talent-hosted themed meet-and-greets, espresso chats, non-public live shows and tarot card readings. Some performers who examined the function embrace James and Oliver Phelps, who performed the Weasley twins within the Harry Potter motion pictures, and David Henrie, a former Disney Channel star.