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, 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 the Scarred For Life podcast where she and her co-host Terry talk to members of the horror community about the films that scared them as kids. 

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.

EXPERIENCE

Editorial Assistant, Daily Grindhouse
January 2021-present
  • 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-present
  • Produces, shoots, and edits video content about adoptable animals and community programs
  • Manages social platforms to inform our supporters and donors about the life-saving work done on a daily basis
  • Assists in bringing in tens of thousands of dollars from donors via social media
  • Collaborates with key stakeholders and contractors to make social content that aligns with the organization's mission​
  • Audio producer for The Alliance podcast, a podcast focused on discussions with leadership throughout animal welfare
Freelance Writer and Editor
2016-present
  • Content editor for Film Cred July 2020 to present
  • Senior contributor for Nightmare On Film Street from 2018 to 2020
  • Senior editor for Much Ado About Cinema 2018 to 2020 
  • Bylines in both online and print publications, such as RogerEbert.com, Paste Magazine, Thrillist, Polygon, Bloody Disgusting, Bitch Mag, Grim Magazine, and Girls On Tops​
​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, Snapchat)
  • Google Analytics
  • CMS experience (WordPress)
  • Social media management software (Spredfast, Hootsuite, Sprout)
  • Copy writing and editing