Mary Beth McAndrews is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved horror journalist with a focus on found footage, rape-revenge films, and gender representation in the genre. She has bylines online and in print for outlets such as RogerEbert.com, Paste Magazine, Slash Film, Thrillist, Polygon, Bloody Disgusting, Film School Rejects, Daily Grindhouse, Grim Magazine, and Girls on Tops. Her essays have appeared in Second Sight's Blu-ray releases of Revenge and The Strangers. She is also the co-host of two horror film podcasts, Scarred For Life and Watched Once, Never Again. 

She's also a social media manager and video editor with experience at media companies such as Discovery Communications and National Geographic, as well as nonprofits such as the Humane Rescue Alliance and Media Burn Independent Video Archive. She has crafted award-winning digital campaigns focused on storytelling and adapting assets to the vertical format. 

EXPERIENCE

Editor-in-Chief, Dread Central
August 2021-present
  • Manages the editorial calendar with both a team of staff writers and freelancers, editing and publishing every piece that goes out on the site
  • Created and executed a weekly video strategy that included the launch of three new series and the rebranding of a fourth
  • Manage social media presence across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as the YouTube channel
  • Host and editor for Dreadlines, Dread Central's weekly news show, and Dread Talks, our video interview series with talent across the genre
  • Collaborated with managing editor to craft and execute an ad sales strategy, expanding our revenue to sponsored editorial content, custom newsletters, and more
  • Assisted in managing the Dread Central podcast network
  • Creation of SEO strategy that led to a 183% increase in site traffic
  • Manage the editorial budget for Dread Central
  • Create strategic partnerships with brands, festivals, and other publications across the horror space
Freelance Writer and Editor
2016-present
  • Content editor for Film Cred July 2020 to August 2021
  • Bylines in both online and print publications, such as RogerEbert.com, Paste Magazine, Slash Film, Thrillist, Fangoria, Polygon, Bloody Disgusting, Bitch Mag, Grim Magazine, and Girls On Tops​​
  • Senior contributor for Nightmare On Film Street from 2018 to 2020
  • Senior editor for Much Ado About Cinema 2018 to 2020 
Assistant Editor, Daily Grindhouse
January 2021-August 2021
  • Collaborates with editors to maintain the site's editorial calendar and ensure that all deadlines are met
  • Assists with the creation of social media content, from article promotion to evergreen posts, to engage with the site's community across platforms
Digital and Communications Specialist, Humane Rescue Alliance
October 2019-August 2021
  • Produced, shot, and edited video content about adoptable animals and community programs
  • Managed social platforms to inform supporters and donors about the life-saving work done on a daily basis
  • Created digital fundraising campaigns that brought in tens of thousands of dollars from donors via social media
  • Audio producer for The Alliance podcast, a podcast focused on discussions with leadership throughout animal welfare
​Video Editing Intern, Media Burn Independent Archive 
​September 2018-June 2019
  • Edited archival video content for social media accounts, weekly blog posts, and email newsletters
  • ​Created trailers to promote monthly events 
Edition Editor, National Geographic
March 2017 - August 2018
  • ​Led a team of producers and designers on the daily production of National Geographic's Snapchat Discover Channel
  • Storyboarded and launched original vertical video series in collaboration with NatGeo's photo editors as well as with photographers from around the world.
Associate Digital Producer, Discovery Communications
May 2015 - March 2017
  • Created and implemented social and digital strategies for various TV shows such as Finding Bigfoot and How It's Made, as well as for larger tentpole projects​ such as Shark Week, Puppy Bowl, and Monster Week.

EDUCATION

MA, Film and Gender Studies | University of Chicago
June 2019

BA, English and Film Studies | St. Mary's College of Maryland
2011-2014

AWARDS

PRESENTATIONS

  • "9/11 Gender Fears in 30 Days of Night," The Vampire Academic Conference, October 2020
  • "The Digital (R)Evolution of Found Footage," Salem Horror Fest, October 2020
  • "The Girl With the Pink Star Earring: Reclaiming the Rape-Revenge Genre in Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge," University of Chicago's Examinations of Speculative Fiction, March 2019 
  • "The Horrors of Junji Ito," Otakon, 2018
  • "Satoshi Kon and the Dangers of Technological Fantasy," Katsucon, 2018

PUBLISHED ACADEMIC WORKS

  • "Fact or Fiction: Layering Media to Construct the Illusion of 'True' Crime in The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007) and Lake Mungo (2008)," Filter Reality, forthcoming
  • "Cash Rules Everything Around Me: The Masculine Body As Corporate Vampire," Queering the Vampire, forthcoming
  • See more of my writing here

SKILLS

  • Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Premiere, After Effects)
  • Podcast production (Audacity, Cast)
  • Email newsletter strategy (MailChimp)
  • ​Social media strategy (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Snapchat)
  • SEO strategy
  • Google Analytics
  • CMS experience (WordPress)
  • Project management (Trello, Asana)
  • Social media management software (Spredfast, Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Buffer)
  • Copy writing and editing