Women in the industry who inspire me when deciding on my future career

1. MY INSPIRATIONS IN THE
MEDIA INDUSTRY

2. Alongside being an actress, Greta Gerwig has written, produced, and directed films, including Lady Bird
(2017) and Little Women (2019) – upon release, both films were an instant hit and received a lot of
attention from movie lovers everywhere.
Originally set on becoming a playwright, Gerwig went on to meet director Joe Swanberg, soon becoming
the star of several low budget films created by first time filmmakers. Continuing to star in small films, she
soon began to co-write, as well as co-direct, making her way up in the industry over time.
In 2017, she wrote and directed the hit film Ladybird, taking half a decade to create, starring Saoirse
Rose and Timothee Chalamet. The story follows a teenage girl, involving scenarios Gerwig herself
encountered in her teenage years, which makes it feel that more personal. This specifically is something
that inspires me when creating something for an audience, involving your own personal stories in which
others are able to identify with, seeing themselves in the media. Being a woman in the industry creating
films around real topics, it let’s younger women like myself feel included as the audience, as well as
represented, which is something I would also love to do one day – create something knowing I can make
the audience feel seen.
Something in particular which inspires me is simply the fact she is determined, and never applied
herself to just one sector of the industry – she branched out. While starring in 2013’s Frances Ha,
for which she received a Best Actress Golden Globe nomination for, even when her scenes were
complete, she wouldn’t leave the set. Instead she would stay behind, taking notes on things like
lighting and the production design. Following this, she quoted “It does reach a point where you
think, If I fall on my face and it’s dreadful and everybody says it’s dreadful, I’d rather have tried
than not.” This especially inspires me and I do believe will help in my future career plan if I myself
go on to create content within the industry, since if you do try and don’t succeed, you can still say
you tried, and you can always try again. I have found when creating things like short
documentaries, not everything goes to plan first time around, but I believe it’s all part of the
process.

3. Chloé Zhao is a director, screenwriter and producer from Beijing, China, known primarily for her work on independent films. Studying Political
Science at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, she soon realised that her fascination with politics was based upon learning people’s
stories, this leading her to transition into film. Attending NYU’s graduate film program, she began to create short films, starting in 2008.
She wrote and directed her first short film Post (2008), then leading on to create The Atlas Mountains (2009)
and Daughters (2010). Upon finishing school, Zhao soon began work on a project which would take up to four
years. She began working on a screenplay for a film based on the Pine Ridge Reservation that was originally
called Lee. The project, which eventually was a Kickstarter success story in 2013, focuses on the trials and
tribulations of Lakota teens. Zhao learned the group's stories, and even casted a large number of the people
she talked to in the film. Now called Songs My Brothers Taught Me (2015), the film premiered at Sundance in
2015. It later played at Cannes Film Festival as part of the Director's Fortnight selection, and was nominated
for Best First Feature at the 31st Independent Spirit Awards.
In 2017, she directed The Rider, a contemporary western drama which follows a young cowboy's journey to
discover himself after a near-fatal accident ends his professional riding career. The film premiered at Cannes
Film Festival as part of the Directors' Fortnight selection and won the Art Cinema Award, as well as earning
her nominations for Best Feature and Best Director at the 33rd Independent Spirit Awards. At the same
ceremony, Zhao became the inaugural winner of the Bonnie Award, named after Bonnie Tiburzi, which
recognizes a mid-career female director.
In September 2018, Marvel Studios hired her to direct a film based on the Eternals, which upon release was a hit with audiences, including
myself. Something about Zhao which inspires me is that when creating these films, it’s clear that she does her research on the topic and the
history, always ensuring to make those involved feel included, and when she wants something, she works her hardest for things to be perfect.
For example, in Marvel’s Eternals, she knew from the very beginning that she would want singer and actor Harry Styles to play the role of Eros,
he was the only person she ever had in mind and she made sure that he was the one to take on the role and play it just as she imaged, which I
think is truly inspiring because she works for what she wants in her films, and it certainly comes across that she is a determined Woman, and a
role model to many, including myself as a young woman in this industry.

4. Florence Given is a 22 year old Sunday Times Best Selling, record breaking author and an
award-winning influencer. With the launch of her debut book ‘Women Don’t Owe You
Pretty’, Given became the youngest author to hold a position in the top 5 of the Sunday
Times best-seller list for a consecutive 12 weeks in a row. By November 2020 the book had
sold over 100,000 copies and been acquired for translation into 11 different languages.
Her work confronts oppressive attitudes towards women and their bodies, using her
platform to raise awareness of issues surrounding sexuality, consent, race and gender.
Being a writer and social-media influencer, Given works for herself.
While Given’s career is perhaps more influencer based, there are aspects of her work which
inspire me in wanting to have a career in the industry. Nowadays, the large majority of
people are influenced by what they see on social media, due to its large popularity. Having
following Given on platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, it has opened my eyes on a
range of different topics, as well as leading me to buy her book, which again let me further
my knowledge on subjects I perhaps knew little about beforehand through her writing.
Through simply following an account on social media which I then thought would appeal to
me, I have been able to learn more about important topics and most importantly hear other
people’s views on these topics, allowing me to see the reasoning behind the thoughts of
others. To be able to create something in the future, be that a book or as simple as a blog,
which can influence people in a positive way, as well as inform people on certain topics, I
believe would be fulfilling.

5. Tomris Laffly is a freelance film writer and critic based in New York. Being a member of New York Film
Critics Circle (NYFCC), Laffly regularly contributes to RogerEbert.com, Variety and Time Out New York,
with by-lines in Filmmaker Magazine, Film Journal International, Vulture, The Playlist, and The Wrap,
among other outlets. As well as this, she takes a great interest in the awards season, costume design
and women in film, and also covers various film festivals throughout the year including New York Film
Festival, Sundance and Telluride.
While as of now I am undecided on my future career path, being someone who is passionate about
film and knowing there are careers like this really inspires me to work to my full potential at all times.
Laffly once said that she learned who she was and who she wanted to become due to attending the
cinema, which I have found speaks to me greatly since as a young adult still in college, as well as a
frequent cinema-goer hoping to progress into the industry in my future, this creates hope for my
future and the potential career path I may take, since being able to do something you are greatly
passionate for as a job sounds like a dream come true.