BETA is a web series that centers around the story of a glamorous, socialite divorced woman and a determined, loner consultant who dreams of taking on the technology industry. BETA is giving the public something that is not seen on TV today. This series aims to change the ordinary experience of watching television and build a detailed narrative work that illustrates women working and growing together. This story provides the authenticity of workplaces in today’s world through diverse industries typically dominated by men. BETA is a story that reflects the hardships, challenges, aspirations, and dreams of women in this world, which is dominated by men and technology, or men’s technology. The filmmakers hope that BETAs’ characters, namely, Delta and Lini, can become the role models for women passionate about pursuing their career paths in STEM fields.
The two filmmakers, Adriana Leonard and Carley Marcelle are the creators behind this web series, inspired by their backgrounds in business, entrepreneurship and exposure to the tech world. Adriana Leonard is a South Carolina native. She graduated from South Carolina University and continued her studies in London at Regents College and then in Los Angeles. She immersed herself further in the storytelling process in 2015, and co-wrote, shot, and starred in a short film entitled Signing Out, which was accepted and nominated at seven worldwide festivals.
She is teamed up with Carley Marcelle, who enjoys stories, conversations, and designing solutions. Carley has worked and trained as an actor, filmmaker, entrepreneur, marketing director, management consultant, business strategist, and specialist in the industry and organization. Carley’s expertise in this field strengthens the narrative of BETA. The duo of filmmakers behind BETA brings you the story of an odd couple who left their corporate company to take on the start-up world together. Technology is one of the key driving forces for social and economic change. And women most certainly have a role to play in that change.
Adriana emphasized that people only know men’s names, such as Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg. But only a few know about the great women who have made a big name in the industry, such as Annie Easley, Grace Hopper, Donna Dubinski, Sheryl Sandberg, Meg Whitman, and Susan Wojcicki. These women are the inspiration of the web series BETA. Adriana says, “These are the kinds of women that are making huge strides on a global level, but we do not see them, we do not relate to them, and we don’t talk about them.”
The web series will show that women can also lead in the world of business, entrepreneurship, and technology, which is one of the fundamental driving forces to achieve social and economic change.
“They [women] are responsible for disrupting and transforming industries,” says Adriana, as she also refers to the importance of the female youth. “We need our female youth to see themselves represented among those game changers. In the way that Wonder Woman and Black Panther opened the doors and became symbolic figures for women and people of color.”
Learn more about this web series through their website, and watch the trailer of BETA on YouTube. Full season launches January 1st, 2021!