Emma Wallace
Film - TV - Journalism
My Inspirations
Being a woman in the industry hoping to progress further, there are countless women in this area of work which inspire me everyday with each creation they make. From screenwriters to producers, I'm thankful to have so many inspiring women to look up to.
Claudia Winkleman
A lot of us are used to seeing Winkleman on our screens, perhaps presenting shows like Strictly Come Dancing, but despite being a presenter, she is also a journalist and radio personality, as well as a film critic. In 2010, she took over from Jonathan Ross as the host of Film... (at the time Film 2010), a television programme consisting of reviewing films. Claudia Winkleman is someone I have been inspired by for some time, and this is because I think you can truly see how passionate she is for her work - when writing for The Times she writes about things she simply takes an interest in, or is passionate for, and they're a great read! I hope that in my future I am able to be in a job I enjoy and am passionate for, just as passionate as I am now, and just like her.
Nicole Perlman
After being named one of Variety Magazine's Top Ten Writers to Watch in 2006, Pearlman made history becoming the first woman to write the story for a Marvel film. After writing Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) alongside James Gunn, she went on to write the story for Captain Marvel (2019), which were both huge successes. Being a director and producer as well as a writer, Perlman's work has inspired me for a long time now - her two Marvel films being some of my favourites. As a woman, and a longtime fan of the Marvel franchise, to finally have a female lead was refreshing and simply inspiring, and I believe Perlman did an incredible job with the writing, truly capturing each character and creating such intense scenes simply through her words.
Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith
Creating some of my favourite films, McCullah and Smith have had a lasting impact on the industry, and for those who enjoy romcom's, there's a large chance you've seen some of their work. The pair writing 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and She's The Man (2006) I believe captured such likeable female characters in their writing, whose purpose wasn't just to appeal to the male gaze. The character's they created in both films both had charisma and humour, allowing women to be able to identify with such likeable characters. Inspiringly through their writing, they allow audiences to feel a range of emotions, and yet we are always left smiling by the end.
Florence Given
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, she 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. While Given's career is more influencer based, there are different aspects of her work which inspire me to progress further into the media industry. By simply following Given on different social media platforms, it has opened my eyes on a range of different topics, which then lead me to buy her book, again letting me further my knowledge on topics I perhaps knew little about. I may not be an influencer through social media in my future, but I find it greatly inspiring that Given has been able to have a positive impact on others while educating them, and I think to be able to create something with this outcome would be a great achievement.
Emma Thompson
While many people know Emma Thompson as an outstanding actress, over the years she has also wrote many screenplays and scripts, her most recent being the screenplay for Last Christmas (2019) alongside producing and starring in the film. As well as this, writing the screenplay and starring in the adaptation of the Jane Austen novel Sense and Sensibility (1995). Star's like Thompson inspire me in the way that they don't just choose one area of Media and abide by it - they branch out into several at once. Thompson also wrote additional dialogue for Pride and Prejudice (2005) which for me, being one of my favourite films, creates even more admiration for her. Furthermore, she continues to talk about issues in the industry and fights for change in how women in the industry are treated, in front and behind of the camera.