Home About Articles Screenplays Videos Resume Contact

Articles

Climate Impact

How women around the world fight climate change

Climate change is exposing the inequalities of the world. As extreme weather events are causing famine, conflict, and insecurity, marginalized communities are suffering the most.Women especially have found themselves disproportionately experiencing the impacts of climate change, with little to no support from the highest-emitting countries that are intensifying global warming.In response, women across the world have come up with innovative ways to take action to protect their homes, their commun...

Reducing Oil Spills: How Strengthening NEPA Can Help

It’s hard to imagine an industry that has done more to drive inequality in our modern time than the fossil fuel industry. From creating pollution that harms critical ecosystems and makes people sick, to corruption and tax avoidance that has deprived countless nations of revenue, it’s clear oil companies have operated with damaging impunity for too long.These companies constantly reap financial benefits for themselves at the cost of others, while several US oil players, including Exxon, Chevron,...

How we’re making the richest polluters pay

The richest countries and the richest people in the world are the biggest polluters, but they’re also the ones who have the resources and power to end the era of fossil fuels and build a safer future for the present and next generation. As of right now they have not done enough to fight climate change. Therefore, as a result, the lowest-emitting, vulnerable communities are facing the most devastating consequences, such as deadly droughts, floods, and forest fires.That is why this fall, with the...

6 ways the debt ceiling bill changed NEPA

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has faced years of attacks driven by the fossil fuel industry. An important bedrock environmental law, it requires the federal government to investigate the health and environmental impacts of projects like the construction of oil pipelines. Oxfam and our partners have worked hard to defend NEPA, but recently Congress turned it into a bargaining chip.Threatened by NEPA’s protection of people rather than profit, the political allies of the fossil fuel...

What happened at COP28?

At COP28, multiple Oxfam representatives, along with youth climate activists, participated in many advocacy events and moments, including:Change isn’t made overnight, but by continuing our work in spaces that matter, like COP28, we are able to take a step closer to our climate goals.The conference did not achieve everything that Oxfam had hoped for, but it did make some improvements that signaled progress, including:These outcomes did not live up to the hype of great change that was promised by...

What is a just energy transition?

The effects of the climate crisis have worsened over the past few decades. As hurricanes become stronger, droughts become more frequent, and global hunger increases, advocates have argued fiercely for the end of fossil fuels.But a transition away from polluting energy and towards clean, renewable energy must be done in a way that’s fair for everyone. Right now, the people who suffer the worst impacts of the climate crisis are not those most responsible for it. In fact, wealthy polluters around t...
Rights + Resources - Supporting Forest Tenure, Pol •

Empowering women: The secret to successful conservation in Nepal

Situated on Chandragiri Hill in Kirtipur, Nepal, about 12 km northwest of the capital city of Kathmandu, is the Champa Devi Forest and the Bagh Bhairab Forest. With no local support systems in place to protect the local environment, these forests were over-grazed by livestock and were so dry that forest fires often occurred.  
To combat these problems, the Nepalese government turned over the management and protection of the forests to local groups called Community Forestry User Groups (CFUG). Th...
Woodwell Climate •

What is permafrost?

Arctic permafrost stretches across Alaska, Scandinavia, Russia, Iceland, and Canada, and can be found beneath the Arctic Ocean, the Arctic tundra, alpine forests, and boreal forests. It covers 15% of the land in the Northern Hemisphere and 3.6 million people live atop it. Scientists estimate that Arctic permafrost contains 1.4 trillion tonnes of carbon, an amount more than double what is currently in the Earth’s atmosphere. That carbon sink is stable as long as it stays frozen, but when it thaws...

Entertainment

The Female Gaze •

Altering Vintage Art

Written by: Katie Constantine


Edited by: Catherine Harlow


The Dada art movement, originating in 1916 Zurich, was a reaction to WWI as people were frustrated with the state of society and the world. The movement’s goal was to mock and critique the bourgeois while rejecting traditional values by altering pieces of art and everyday items. Eventually, it inspired and gave way to surrealism, but has continued to influence art throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. 


When Banksy arrived on th...
The Female Gaze •

5 Things You Should Know About ‘Abbott Elementary’

Abbott Elementary is a new mockumentary sitcom created, starring, and executive produced by comic Quinta Brunson. Taking place in a poorly-funded public school in Philadelphia, the comedy is made up of young teachers bursting with innovative teaching ideas and veteran teachers shaking their heads at their naïvete. It has gained rave reviews from critics and is quickly becoming ABC’s highest rated show. So what exactly makes Abbott Elementary work? Well, from breaking the fourth wall to a slow-bu...
The Female Gaze •

The Importance of the Broken Elevator in ‘The Big Bang Theory’

Written by Katie Constantine


Edited by Morgan Moore


If you’ve seen The Big Bang Theory (TBBT), you know about the legendary broken elevator in Leonard, Sheldon, and Penny’s apartment building. It’s a staple in the show until the final few episodes when the crowd cheers as the doors finally open to reveal it’s been fixed. While some may write it off as just a fun anecdote, it is so much more than that. From a screenwriting perspective, that broken elevator played a strategic role in definin...
The Female Gaze •

How ‘Cruella’ Makes You Root for the Villain

Written by Katie Constantine


Edited by Morgan Moore


The new movie Cruella, written by Dana Fox and Tony McNamara, dives into the backstory of the infamous villain from 101 Dalmatians, Cruella De Vil. In order for the movie to be a success, it’s crucial for the writers to get us to root for Cruella. This is a tall order considering she’s been hated for decades now, but the writers were able to achieve this feat by doing the following:


1. Take Away Her Worst Trait


She is known for want...
The Female Gaze •

How the First Few Scenes of Minari Expertly Set Up the Movie

Written by Katie Constantine


Edited by Tiffany Chan and Kathryn Cooperman


It’s clear why Minari, an indie movie based on the childhood of writer/director Lee Isaac Chung, is nominated for Best Screenplay at the 2021 Academy Awards. Set in the 1980’s, Minari follows the Yi’s, a Korean-American family that moves from a city in California to rural Arkansas in pursuit of the ever elusive American dream. For 98 pages, we are given a window into the lives of a prospective farmer, Jacob; a city g...
The Female Gaze •

The Connection Between WandaVision And Pleasantville

Written by Katie Constantine


Edited by Kathryn Cooperman


*Beware: WandaVision Spoilers Ahead*


WandaVision took over everyone’s lives, and for good reason. With its nostalgia, mystery, and sitcom approach, it was unlike anything we’ve seen from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But while everyone was focused on which old show each episode referenced, all I could think about was how the entire first season seemed to draw inspiration from the critically acclaimed 1998 movie Pleasantville....
The Female Gaze •

Top 27 Movies to Watch on Galentine’s Day

It’s February, which means Galentine’s Day is upon us! If you haven’t heard of it, Leslie Knope crowned February 13th as a day to celebrate amazing female friendships. While we’re forced to stay in this year, and most likely separate from our close friends, that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate with our favorite big screen female friendships! So we’ve gathered the top 27 movies to watch on Galentine’s Day.


Since we can’t actually travel and party with our best friends, watching Girls Trip is t...
The Female Gaze •

The Key to Bridgerton’s Diversity

Written by Katie Constantine


Edited by Catherine Harlow


Since Bridgerton hit Netflix on Christmas day, it has quickly become one of the site’s most watched series. Many people have related it to Downton Abbey and Gossip Girl due to the time period and the anonymous gossip column that captivates London. While it sets itself apart in many ways, the most obvious way is through the diverse casting, feminist characters, and LGBTQ+ visibility. These fresh takes are what happen when there is dive...
The Female Gaze •

Every Bob’s Burgers Christmas Episode Ranked

Written by Katie Constantine


Edited by Morgan Moore


I think we can all agree that Bob’s Burgers has some of the best Christmas episodes around. They’re unique, hilarious, and oftentimes quite strange, but which one is the best? We’ve ranked every Christmas episode from the show’s 11 seasons. See if your favorite took the top spot!


Coming in last place is an episode where the Belcher kids accidentally insult a mall Santa and must perform an ice capades show to be placed back on the nice...
The Female Gaze •

Autumn Paintings Through the Eras

Autumn is finally upon us! The leaves are changing, sweaters are being worn, and people are watching their favorite seasonal movies, but before there was When Harry Met Sally and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, autumn was depicted through paintings. With its vibrant colors and moody weather, autumn has inspired artists for centuries. Below are some examples of how artists from each era had their own way of showcasing the picturesque season in a fascinating way.


Rococo (1730-1780)...
The Female Gaze •

RBG: A Legacy Captured in Film

This past Friday, one of our world’s greatest heroes, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, passed away. It’s devastating, but I take a very small bit of comfort in the fact that we are lucky enough to have her legacy captured in film. 


In 2018, the movie On The Basis of Sex opened at the box office. Felicity Jones expertly played Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she fought to dismantle the laws that allowed, and even encouraged, discrimination against women. From The Imitation Game to Rocketman,...
The Female Gaze •

Top 4 Screenwriting Challenges to do During Quarantine

With many of us stuck at home during this pandemic, the days have become less structured, which often leads to a decrease in productivity. We developed these top 4 screenwriting challenges to do during quarantine so that you can reclaim a bit of that missing structure while sparking creativity and working on your craft.
1. Album Challenge
Do you have a favorite album that you find extremely inspiring? If so, try committing to writing a scene for each track. One a day or one every other day reall...
The Female Gaze •

10 Movies Every 20-Year-Old Should Watch

Let’s be honest, surviving your twenties takes some determination, a bit of coffee, and an inspirational quote folder in your phone. There’s the constant sleep deprivation, which doesn’t help the anxiety felt about the trajectory of careers and relationships, and being too broke to escape it all for a weekend. So you go the cheap way to find comfort in this quasi zombie-freakout decade: watching movies that either get you to laugh about your situation or make you believe things are going to work...
The Female Gaze •

The Top 4 Shows of 2019

The past year has seen a long list of new shows premiere, but your time is valuable and you don’t want to waste it starting a disappointing series. So we did the leg work for you and found the top new shows worth your time.
 

1. Pen15
A Hulu original with a twist. The two very much grown adult female writers star as middle schoolers in this comedy that takes place in the early 2000s. I know, it sounds strange, and it is a bit strange, but it will give you all the ‘90’s flashbacks you’ve been dy...
The Female Gaze •

How to Write Great Antiheroes

When building a plot around a protagonist, a writer’s goal is to have the audience root for them. That’s pretty simple to achieve when the hero is considered a good person. The character development becomes complicated when the lead of a movie or show is an antihero. The antihero is usually driven by their negative traits more than their positive traits, thus making it harder for the audience to feel good about cheering them on. That’s why it’s important to follow these key steps to building an...
The Female Gaze •

Top 10 Best and Worst Remakes of the Past Decade

Recently, there has been an uptick in the number of remakes and reboots in both film and television. Some have been great additions to the originals, while others have left viewers wishing the producers had just left them alone. If you haven’t yet seen the latest remakes, have no fear! We compiled a list of the best and worst remakes of the past decade so you know which ones to watch and which ones to skip.

When Chris Pratt broke into the superhero world with the action-packed film Guardians of...
The Female Gaze •

Should You Really Trust Movie Critics?

On the cover of the book The Outsiders, the author’s name is written as S.E. Hinton. She thought if consumers knew she was a woman, they’d be less likely to buy and praise her book. Therefore, she used her initials to disguise her gender, and the book was a hit. Maybe this seems ridiculous or paranoid to some, but this is a reality that stems throughout the entertainment world, and it all starts with the male-dominated field of critics. A few months ago, The Center for the Study of Women in Tele...
The Female Gaze •

6 Movies Every Aspiring Screenwriter Should Watch

The best way to become a great screenwriter is by watching and reading movies with fantastic writing that inspire you to take a deeper look at the structures, dialogue, characters, and world-building within them. It’s also helpful to watch them when you’re feeling uninspired, to give yourself that little spark to get you writing. So here are my top 6 movies every aspiring screenwriter should watch:
When Learning Dialogue:

This movie puts characters into specific boxes by building up certain arc...
The Female Gaze •

Time to End the White Savior Trope

It’s no secret that race and gender have been hot-button topics in the entertainment industry, especially lately. There have been valid complaints about the lack of diversity, representation, and multidimensional female characters in films and TV, but one of the most underrated critique is the white savior trope, which is when a film focuses on a white person “saving” people of color. It’s the driving force in films such as McFarland, Radio, and Freedom Writers. Now, you may say, “but those thre...
The Female Gaze •

The Impact of a Budget on Indie Films

The way everyone seems to be positively responding to the movie Eighth Grade mirrors the way they responded to Lady Bird. There is this pattern lately with coming-of-age films where a rising star in the industry develops a down-to-earth film that’s relatable to the masses. It creates an interesting trend where, on one end of the spectrum we have these massive Marvel superhero films ruling the box offices and taking over the narratives of the film industry, and on the complete other end of the sp...
The Female Gaze •

How The Bold Type Sets The Bar For Feminist TV

I was a bit hesitant when I started watching Freeform’s The Bold Type, but I was willing to give it a try, since it’s about three female best friends (Jane, Kat, and Sutton) fighting for careers at a feminist magazine. Though I have a few issues with the show, I think it may be one of the best dramatic representations of millennial women to date (note that Broad City is a comedy, not a drama).
The show provides more representation than most shows like it. It takes place in NYC, and unlike other...
The Female Gaze •

Why Lady Bird Was A Successful Film

Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut,  Lady Bird, has become a cultural phenomenon. Earning a score 100% on Rotten Tomatoes while garnering the most reviews in history, it would be an understatement to say that this indie film far exceeded commercial expectations. When I heard about this film, I wondered, how did this subtle look into the mundane life of a teenager, a topic that has been done many times over, hit a note with audiences across the nation when films like The Edge of Seventeen and The D...
Memoirs From The Trails •

Hike Denali: The Savage Alpine Trail

This past August I met up with my best friend in Anchorage, Alaska to start our week long adventure hiking and road tripping up and down the state. She moved out to Oakland, California two years ago while I remained in Boston, and we figured it would be a great adventure to have a reunion someplace we’ve never visited before. Since Alaska was on both of our bucket lists, we thought it would be the perfect destination. After flying in to Anchorage and spending the first night at a local hostel, w...
Load More

Interviews

The Female Gaze •

Profiles in Art: ane crabtree, pt 2

Ane Crabtree is the costume designer behind The Handmaid’s Tale, Westworld, Masters of Sex, and many more thrilling television shows. Although she grew up in Kentucky, she now hails from “Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, and all beautiful points of the world in between.” You can see more of her work on her Instagram and Twitter (@anecrabtree). Last week, we sat down with her to discuss her personal journey through the arts, but this week we had the chance to ask her more about the hows/whys of he...
The Female Gaze •

Profiles in Art: ane crabtree, pt 1

Ane Crabtree is the costume designer behind The Handmaid’s Tale, Westworld, Masters of Sex, Pan Am, and many more award-winning television shows. Although she grew up in Kentucky, Ane is currently based in “Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, and all beautiful points of the world in between.” You can see more of her work her Instagram and Twitter (@anecrabtree). This week, we sat down to talk about her personal journey into costume design.


Q: What is your story? How did you fall in love with fash...
The Female Gaze •

Profiles in Art: Zubeida Agha of the Guerrilla Girls

Zubeida Agha is a member of the Guerrilla Girls, a feminist arts collective based in New York City. And before you get confused about why we are interviewing a late Modernist painter from Pakistan-that isn’t her real name.  Founded in the late 1980’s, the Guerrilla Girls are a group of artist and art professionals from the art world that operate under pseudonyms of deceased female artists. Throughout the years they have used posters and different social campaigns to raise questions about represe...

Economic Justice