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A Woman To Watch: Tello Films' Christin Mell

Apr 07, 2014

There are tonnes of amazing women out there who are shaking things up in their industry.  Across business, sport, art and tech, we’re talking to incredible ladies to learn about their lives and how they’re changing the game.  As the wise philosopher, Beyonce, once said, “Who run the world? Girls.”
Name: Christin Mell
Age: 38 (will be 39 april 28)
Location:  Chicago, IL
Sexuality:  Lesbian
First ever job:  Part time was being a YMCA Camp Counselor.  Full Time was Asst. Story Department for Regency Productions.
Uni? What/ where?:  BFA from Middle Tennessee State University, MS from Springfield College.
Current occupation:  CEO of tello Films
Months or years in current field:  6 years.
Tell us what your typical day looks like:
It really depends if I’m in production or not.  Non-production day (which are most) I spend my morning checking how the site is doing and responding to any technical questions.  I check twitter – we are super active on social media and I love twitter so that is part of my day (@christintello should anyone want to follow me).  We are usually in pre-production on a few projects so crewing up or casting for those, setting dates, breaking down a script, reading scripts or treatments.   I also keep up on tech and social media and lesbian webseries so I like to read articles the keep me updated on these things.  I also love to know about how the media landscape is being influenced by digital content and millennials.
What was your first big professional break?  I think finding amazing collaborators.  Early in creating tello as a subscription service I had the support of Nancylee Myatt and Bridget McManus.  This was huge.  I have been able to work with Nancylee Myatt in making the Cowgirl Up series and Nikki and Nora– which was HUGE for tello.  Then a few years in I met Jessica King and Julie Keck of the company King is a Fink.  They have help continue to make tello’s content and social media top notch.
What’s been your biggest achievement to date?
Making the series Nikki & Nora.  I was able to work with amazing talent and this was the largest budget tello has ever had.  We were the first to produce and distribute an unaired pilot and re-imagine it for the web, with the original creator and leads.  That was a huge accomplishment for us.
What keeps you awake at night?
Tech issues and the site going down.
Have you ever cried at work?
I’ve cried after watching a really moving commercial or hearing a moving story.  Only positive reasons but not because of something someone has said or done to me.
What’s your ultimate goal to achieve?
Make as much lesbian content as possible and have over 10,000 subscribers.
What did you want to be when you were 5 yrs old?
We lived in Orlando Florida when I was that age and I went to Sea World a lot.  I wanted to be a dolphin trainer or a Shamu trainer.
Who is your work idol?
As a person my dad.  As a company I love Pixar.  There are some great articles that have come out recently about the company’s philosophy.  I feel like it’s what we are doing or trying to do with tello but on a lesbian webseries level.

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