Lorna Allen, (PhD Researcher)

Lorna Allen is a Ph.D. researcher at Ulster University, Belfast, investigating how niche streaming platforms act as digital gatekeepers in contemporary horror cinema. Her research combines multiple methodological approaches to examine how Shudder, the leading horror-focused subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, shapes the genre's cultural legitimacy through its original productions and curated content. Despite Shudder's critical and commercial success, academic literature has largely overlooked its original films as distinct cultural products. Her work addresses this significant gap by analyzing marketing strategies, distribution practices, and community-building initiatives while providing critical insights into how specialized streaming services transform genre cinema in the digital age.

Prior to her doctoral research, Lorna completed an MA in Film at Queen's University Belfast, where her dissertation, "Selling Female Vengeance: Examining the Impact of Popular Feminist Movements on the Production and Marketing of Female-driven Revenge Narratives Since 2017," analyzed marketing campaigns for films such as Revenge (2017), Hustlers (2019), and Promising Young Woman (2020). Through qualitative research, she demonstrated how cultural movements like #MeToo influenced marketing strategies to engage audiences and challenge traditional genre conventions. She also holds an MA in Media Studies and a BA in Humanities from Ulster University, alongside a Postgraduate Certificate in Film Journalism from the British Film Institute and Sight & Sound.

Lorna brings over 16 years of award-winning experience in marketing, PR, and digital content development across diverse sectors, including healthcare, arts and culture, and corporate communications. Her work in strategic communications earned the International Association of Business Communicators' Silver Leaf Award for Excellence in Media Relations. Her broad strategic communications background enriches her current academic research into digital platforms and content distribution.

As a freelance journalist, she has contributed to The Belfast Telegraph, The Irish Independent, and Film Ireland, covering film festivals and industry developments. This exposure to critical discourse and industry practices informs her research into how niche streaming platforms shape contemporary horror cinema's evolution and cultural legitimacy.