Introductions Necessary

Kathleen Collins deserves respect for managing to produce her feature film Losing Ground even before you consider that she achieved this in 1982 as an independent filmmaker.  But what earns her place in history is that when she wrote and directed Losing Ground, she was one of the first African-American women to produce a feature length drama.

Sometimes, a director makes a film that becomes engrained in the culture of a generation.  It affects the slang, the fashion, and the attitude of popular culture.  They launch superstar careers, images from the film become iconic, and scenes are parodied for decades to come.  And in very rare cases, one director manages to repeat this feat.  Amy Heckerling is one of those rare cases.

Called a Rock ‘n Roll Anthropologist screenwriter, producer, and director Penelope Spheeris has spent much of her career delving into the world of the social outsider.

You are likely familiar with the name Ava DuVernay.  As a filmmaker, she’s repeatedly made history as the first African-American woman to be nominated for and win multiple top awards.  Her career has ranged through both fiction and documentary, and many different facets of the production process including writing, directing, and producing.

When describing her work, director Gurinder Chadha says, “I tell stories about people audiences might think they have nothing in common with…then they emotionally connect with them and find they’re not different at all.”  Chadha is one the most successful directors in Britain, thanks in large part to the global success of her film Bend it Like Beckham.

Welcome to our second season, Introductions Necessary: Above the Line. I wanted to start this season on a personal note. As a screenwriter and director, I’ve been inspired by many of the women we’re going to feature this year. But our first episode focuses on someone who was a role model for me and many others on so many levels. This week, I want to honor Carrie Fisher for her work as a screenwriter who used her gift for comedy and witty dialogue to flavor her sharp observations of the world around her.

You’ve been listening to Introductions Necessary, a production of Nine Hour Films.

Every day during 2016, we’ve published podcast episodes celebrating the life and achievements of 365 different women in STEM fields, from history and into the future.  This was a huge undertaking, and it wouldn’t have been possible without a dedicated team.  So first I want to say thank you to Angela Goad, Nicole Hutchison, and Cindi Weatherington for the immense amount of work they’ve done to help this podcast be possible.

We also would not have been able to do this without you, our listeners and subscribers.  Thank you so much for listening throughout the year.  Even if you’ve just recently joined us, thank you, and remember that all of our episodes are available at our website if you want to look back and learn some more about women in chemistry, biology, math, the space program, engineering, and more.

We’re now looking ahead to 2017, which is going to bring a lot more great stuff.  First, we’ve announced our second season will be Introductions Necessary: Above the Line, a weekly podcast focused on women working as writers, producers, and directors in film and television.  We’re making our list now, so please feel free to suggest your favorites to us.

In addition, we’ll be continuing to promote women in STEM by working to find the best ways to use these podcasts, and creating tools that can be used by teachers and parents to help inspire girls who are interested in STEM.

We would really appreciate it if you would help us spread the word about this podcast by suggesting it to friends that you think might enjoy it and also by leaving a review on iTunes.  Reviews are incredibly helpful, especially for independent podcast projects like ours.  And don’t forget that we’ve got t-shirts, stickers, and more with our logo that you can buy from our shops at the website.  There’s even a limited number of $10 t-shirts

But more than anything, I just want to say thank you.  Thank you for chatting with us on Facebook and Twitter this year, thank you for being passionate about women in STEM, and most importantly, thank you for listening.

Inspired by pioneers like Sally Ride and Mae Jemison, many young women are hoping to be chosen for that mission.  Three of those hopefuls are Alyssa Carson, Abby Harrison, and Taylor Richardson.