It all started with a college elective. A media production class that would uncover a deep love for visual storytelling and digital production. This is how Annie Schutz first discovered her interest in photography and film, and became determined to pursue a career in this creative field. This was just the start. After transferring to Portland State University sophomore year, Annie immersed herself in the world of sports media—curating content for Portland State's Athletic Department, photographing gym sessions and private practices, and working with athletes to document their journeys on and off the floor. As she progressed through her collegiate career, Annie developed her creative style and built her brand in the space further. It was only up from there. From working with RCX Sports to the Cleveland Cavaliers to the National Women's Soccer League, Annie cemented her position as a multidisciplinary artist in the industry. The rest is history! Along with sports, she has also dived into the music and entertainment scene since—specializing in photography, creative direction, and digital production there as well—; and is thrilled to continue utilizing these creative outlets to authentically showcase the stories of athletes and artists.
You’ve tapped into all of these different areas of digital media. What was the inspiration behind branching out and exploring these different worlds of content creation?
Yeah! I started in video. With that production class I took working as a camera operator, I thought I wanted to work for ESPN—that was kind of the original goal. I thought I wanted to be a Broadcast Camera Operator. I transferred schools, I majored in film, I got my degree in film, and was kind of on that path to being a videographer for the majority of my time in school. It really wasn't until the lockdown that I picked up photography as well. That was mostly because of social media—players wanted photos too. It just turned out that I was a lot better at photography than videography. That became a majority of my portfolio. You learn (about) the power of social media and the reach in your community you can get on there. I think that played a huge part in it as well. I always knew that I wanted my art to go far and that, if you want that kind of reach, you gotta utilize social media.
Let’s talk branding! How did you get started building your personal brand in this space?
I've always just been really loud. I've never separated personal and business, I've never felt a need to. I think if you're hiring me, you should see who I am as a person and how I portray myself on social media because I'm not changing it up when I get a job. I think most of my social media for most of my adult life has been really dedicated to activism, education, and things like that. I try to make sure my photography plays a big part in that as well. I try to be unapologetic about myself. I'm very, very open about my race, my gender, my sexuality, how I'm a minority in the space, and I think that played a huge part as well—there's not a lot of queer Black women in sports that have been team producers or have worked for these brands. That has played a huge part in my branding and getting myself out there.
You’ve worked with an array of organizations including Portland State Athletics, RCX Sports, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Could you share more with us about each of those experiences?