"Catch A Break Podcast" is the insider's guide to navigating the entertainment industry. We bring you behind the scenes of behind-the-scenes. We bring you behind the scenes of behind-the-scenes.
MEET THE HOST
Julie Harris Oliver works with production companies and producers to address the lack of diversity and roll out data-driven human-centered tools to foster equitable and inclusive spaces. She most recently served as the Director of Production Equity and Inclusion at Warner Bros Discovery, where her mission was to make the company’s film and TV sets the safest, most inclusive places to create in the world.
After two decades in the entertainment industry, Julie realized that too often she was the only woman in the room where the decisions were being made and she needed a platform for the change she wanted to make. So, in 2016 she launched a podcasting company and produced six seasons of “The Other 50%: A Herstory of Hollywood” where she has interviewed over 220 successful women of all backgrounds who work in entertainment, and several brilliant gender equity experts. What started as an exploration of implicit bias in Hollywood quickly became an education in representation and inclusion. Julie is currently producing the 4th season of “Catch A Break” about getting your start in the industry, while talking to brilliant practitioners in all kinds of crew and studio positions.
Prior to Julie’s DEI work, she held executive positions at GreenSlate, Entertainment Partners, and HBO after being a production auditor for the Walt Disney Company. She holds a BFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.
MEET THE TEAM
Marcei Brown is a co-founder of CatchLight Studios and has produced or managed over 16 films since transitioning from Assistant Directing. Her most recent Executive and Co-Producer credits include THE AVIARY, UMMA, SONGBIRD, PURGE 5, BENJI, the Academy award-winning GET OUT and BLACKkKLANSMAN.
She previously worked around the country as a Unit Production Manager on major studio movies, including EVAN ALMIGHTY, WANDERLUST, IDENTITY THIEF, and THE FIVE YEAR ENGAGEMENT. She has also worked as an Assistant Director with directors such as Jay Roach, Tom Shadyac, and David Wain.
Marcei began her movie career as a Production Assistant after earning a degree in film from Loyola Marymount University. The camaraderie of the movie-making experience sparked her interest in being a filmmaker. She enjoys making the Director’s vision come to life on the screen.
Jessica Malanaphy is a co-founder of CatchLight Studios and works closely with filmmakers to tell commercial, character-driven stories for both film and television. She is the producer of the upcoming films PLUS / MINUS (Netflix) and THE DEVIL’S LIGHT (Lionsgate).
As Vice President of Creative at Illumination Entertainment, one of the entertainment industry's leading producers of all-audience event films, Jessica developed animated and live-action feature films, including THE GRINCH, SECRET LIFE OF PETS, and THE MINIONS.
Prior to Illumination, Jessica served as Vice President at Blumhouse Productions, where she was involved in pioneering a new model of studio filmmaking - producing high-quality, micro-budget films for wide release. During her five-year tenure, Jessica worked on a variety of the company's projects, from development through production, including THE PURGE, THE PURGE: ANARCHY, OUIJA, THE INSIDIOUS FRANCHISE, and more. Jessica worked closely with filmmakers including Jon Chu, James Wan, Leigh Whannell, Barry Levinson, Scott Derrickson, and Rob Zombie.
Jeanette Volturno, co-founder of CatchLight Studios, has produced 7 franchises. At CatchLight Studios, Jeanette served as Producer on Songbird, the upcoming film Aviary, and as Executive Producer on Netflix's upcoming films Nightbooks, Plus Minus and Trigger Warning. In 2012, Jeanette joined Blumhouse as the Head of Production where she worked on over 70 feature films including the Academy Award-winning pictures Whiplash and Get Out. Prior to this role Jeanette worked as a Line Producer on the hugely successful Paranormal Activity and Insidious franchises, which laid the foundation for Blumhouse’s success.
