#Fake famous series#

For the most part, applicants were actors and models looking to up their social media engagement and make it big.Īfter whittling down their top contenders, we are left with “three less obvious choices”: aspiring actress Dominique Druckman, real-estate agent personal assistant Wylie Heiner and fashion enthusiast and head of 1-OFF Recycled Garment Project Chris Bailey.ĭruckman’s story begins in a cozy, Los Angeles apartment where she leads a simple life, working as a Lululemon employee and pursuing a burgeoning acting career in her downtime.

#Fake famous series#

A series of applicants filter in and out of the audition, led by a panel of social media experts, casting agents, stylists and Bilton himself. We’re captivated to likes, followers and pings by design –– all of which temporarily boost happiness, yet ultimately leave us isolated and depressed.īut Bilton is particularly curious about a different aspect of social media influence: “Is that all real?” To answer his question, his crew assembled a casting call in Los Angeles, amassing over 4,000 submissions from micro-influencers and celebrities alike. However, considering the immediacy of social media, its relative ease of access and the constant growth of overwhelmingly popular social media sites, blaming those who engage in the system seems entirely inappropriate. “They’re looking for, which translates to more followers, which is the current currency of the most important thing on Earth today, what everyone seems to be obsessed with. “Today, kids in America say they want to be more than any other occupation on Earth,” Bilton said.īut there’s a dark, unforeseen cost to the glitz and glam of social media fame –– and “Fake Famous” is interested in exploring that often overlooked reality.Ī post shared by Nick Bilton Bilton’s tone in the documentary berates and condescends, as if motivated by a desire to humiliate those who choose to abide by an Instagram-worthy lifestyle.

Said discussion is centered around a social experiment that operates under the guise of an innocent, seemingly straightforward question: “Do you want to be famous?” According to debut director, producer and seasoned journalist Nick Bilton, a fair number of people do. However, the pink wall seems tangential to the issue largely focused on by “Fake Famous,” existing merely as a pretty-pink introduction to a deeper discussion of social media. Better known as LA’s infamous “Pink Wall,” the landmark attracts more than 55,000 visitors a year – and is captured in more than 100,000 Instagram posts annually. The documentary opens in an operatic, slow-mo montage of posed, articulated photoshoots in front of the Paul Smith Los Angeles store. In an attempt to deconstruct the influencer lifestyle, “Fake Famous” follows the lives of three wannabe social media stars on the path to internet fame. As the lives and luxuries of famous influencers are continuously flaunted and glorified on platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and Tiktok, ordinary social media users are increasingly interested in being online famous. In an age of social media supremacy, the concept of being a “social media influencer” is all too familiar –– particularly among social media users ages 18 to 24.