Qumu's Hood played the role of CEO in the first film in the series, which was shot in an old sewer treatment plant. Hood will likely make an appearance in the second movie as well.

Mahan, meanwhile, is set to experience the behind-the-scenes world of filmmaking, including going through makeup and costuming, running lines with the actors and working with director O'Flaherty. "He's going to learn the ugly secret of Hollywood: Most of the time you're standing around waiting for someone," Hood says.

It's a far cry from Mahan's usual work activities. "I handle all network-related issues, hardware, software, desktop, Internet, phones, ERP -- basically a one-stop shop for our four locations in the U.S.," Mahan says of his role at TPI Composites, which makes wind turbine blades and products for military and public transportation vehicles. "I support around 200 desktop/laptop users and about 300 occasional or shared users on the production floor."

Mahan is making his first trip to Hollywood thanks to the Qumu contest, but it won't be his first acting role. When he was 6 years old, Mahan appeared on "Boomtown," a kids' show hosted by singing cowboy Rex Trailer, in Boston. "I was on 'Boomtown' in the 1960s," Mahan says. "That's the extent of my acting ... though I don't really consider that acting."

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