Hi, I’m Amanda Kari McHugh!

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve just been accepted into UnionDocs’ prestigious Pod-Pod—an incubator for audio creators—with a 50% scholarship! This program is a huge opportunity to develop my capstone project into a podcast series exploring how AI and 3D scan technology are impacting stunt professionals.

Over the next 15 weeks, I’ll be collaborating with a small cohort of talented audio makers and learning from legendary audio experts, including a producer from This American Life. The program provides access to studio time, equipment, and invaluable mentorship. In addition, we will also be creating a group project together which will be showcased in an event at the end of the program.

My podcast will focus on a Marvel superhero stunt double who suspects his likeness was used without consent—a gateway to exploring broader issues. I’ll dive deep into the risks stunt professionals face due to technological advancements, the potential job losses in visual effects, and the ethical implications of 3D scan technology. I’ve already interviewed 24 stunt professionals, two visual effects supervisors, an AI expert, an entertainment lawyer, and more.

However, I need to raise $650 by 10/1/24 to cover the remaining balance of my tuition.

Why I Need Your Help:
I recently graduated with a strong portfolio, including viral projects and impactful internships. To focus on my studies and projects, I chose not to work while pursuing my degrees, relying on student loans and accumulating debt. I currently face financial challenges, with over $100,000 in student loans, maxed-out credit cards, and unexpected expenses.

My current job at a restaurant and gig work barely cover my bills, leaving no room to fund this career-defining opportunity. I am hustling to find job opportunities while still trying to focus on my passion, but I truly need your support to seize this chance.

How You Can Help:
Your donation will enable me to attend the Pod-Pod program and turn a mountain of tape into a compelling podcast series. Even a small contribution can make a big difference. If you’d like to help in other ways, I’m also open to job leads in journalism, production, or remote work opportunities.

Thank you for your support! Let’s bring this story to life together!

Amanda Kari McHugh is a multimedia journalist and double-masters recipient from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. With a passion for impactful journalism and storytelling, she has successfully engaged audiences through her viral content and community engagement. As part of her graduate studies, Amanda developed “Voices of Adoption:” a project spanning TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Substack. Her video addressing the Dobbs opinion leak went viral, accumulating over 140k views and receiving more than 2k comments on TikTok.

In her internship at The Texas Standard, her coverage of the Texas Eclipse Festival garnered a remarkable number of views, leading to its translation into Spanish and was featured on the homepage for several weeks. Moreover, her two-part special on adoptees’ struggle to access their original birth certificates became one of the network’s most engaging pieces across their social media platforms. Other bylines — which includes photo and video work — include: StoryCorps, The Mott Haven Herald, Everfest/Fest300, The Hollywood Reporter, Vice, Time Out New York, Highlark, Lecturas (print), Dancing Astronaut, NYCity News Service, CUNY TV and more.

Prior to shifting full-time into journalism, McHugh worked in the film industry and as an event photographer. She was a producer on the Pivot docuseries Life Line Booth, the UPM for the viral musical comedy video “Burning Man: The Musical ” and a producer for the award-winning webseries, Slice the Series. Recently she was Associate Producer, raising nearly 300k for the Kickstarter campaign of the upcoming feature-documentary I Know Catherine, the Log Lady, presented by David Lynch. Her feature-length documentary, The Family Tree, is in post-production, and has been selected to be workshopped by Sundance, Canon and was selected as a Staff Pick on Kickstarter, raising over 16k for post-production.

About the Pod-Pod:

Pod-Pod is a 15-week Lab for audio makers that offers supportive scaffolding, feedback, and an engaged community to help participants develop work of their own, as well as an opportunity to participate in an expansive collaborative project. Pod-Pod participants gain access to incomparable mentorship and guidance from some of the most exciting minds and talents in the audio world – not to mention access to recording equipment, professional development resources, and regular group hang-outs.