Hollywood has well documented biases regarding gender. So does tech. Yet, what is encouraging are the increasing number of female success stories found in each field. One woman in particular is making her mark straddling both industries.
Renée Olbert, co-creator, actor and producer of the successful webseries Seeking Simone, has been one of the many women paving the way for female filmmakers. And now, in an interesting twist, her career is taking her into the world of technology. But making this transition is not as much of a stretch as one might think. Renée's experience has been working with shoestring budgets, soliciting donations, sourcing equipment and reaching target audiences.
Sounds like a start-up to us! And while the series had north of 10 million views, there was an economic disparity. "You put your heart and soul into creating a living, breathing world you hope will resonate with your community. And there comes that moment you know you’ve succeeded and yet… there were just so few options for monetization," Renée recalls. The early years of the show coincided with the time that Apple launched the iPhone. As a self-professed "tech-geek", she realized that mobile applications could be an answer to some of the issues she faced as a producer. "We are so used to the term 'broadcast' being associated with television networks, but here was Apple showing us a new way to reach the masses by leveraging the ease of smartphones and wifi networks."
It was then that a light bulb went off. "Hold on... we basically have entered an era where we are carrying a home entertainment system in our pockets. Why are we as content creators continuing to give up so much power to distributors and networks when we can bypass them to reach our audiences directly,” Renée says. So she did just that. In recognizing this potential, she co-founded Throwing Fruit; a mobile app creation and management platform for filmmakers seeking to address several issues all independent filmmakers encounter. But as a former actor, you can only imagine the roadblocks she has faced, yet overcome.
"It's been a rewarding challenge, I will say that! But what we've been able to accomplish with the resources at hand is absolutely incredible. I am very proud of what we have achieved." She's speaking of the company's first apps A Brony Tale and the recently launched I Am Chris Farley. Both are free to download with in-app purchases and include content ranging from the films themselves to production photos and additional footage.
Throwing Fruit is starting a seed round of funding to continue to innovate and service their target markets. When asked if she ever gets nervous walking into investor meetings, Renée smiles, “That’s when my training kicks in! These are situations that are new to me, so at times it can be a bit nerve-racking.” She continues, “But I believe with every fiber of my being that what we are building is the future. So, I wouldn't bet against us."
