We could learn a lot about finding our life’s purpose from a boy detective and a woman who refused to let someone else define her. These are the palpable lessons of Tintin and Katniss, the protegonists at the centers of the book The Adventures of Tintin and The Hunger Games, respectively. What’s perhaps more subtle is what the movie versions of these stories teach us about creativity and the relentless pursuit of growth, transformation, and continuous improvement.
It would be easy to say that the animation of movies like Monsters Inc., Toy Story, or The Polar Express were the penultimate testament to the reach of the art. Many movie critics repeatedly made this declaration, as did many artists and engineers who work in the field. It would also be easy to say J K Rowling will always be the reigning queen of the young adult novel series. How could anyone ever create a story as compelling to young adults (and all adults for that matter!) as Harry Potter? These are simply just not goals worth having because they aren’t achievable. Many agents and publishers have criticized new and would-be authors for even attempting to create new young adult series for this very reason.
Steve Spielberg, Peter Jackson, and Suzanne Collins ignored the critics and pushed on into their own sense of creativity. The results? Spielberg and Jackson built an animated movie that frame by frame left viewers wondering if they were really watching an animated movie. There are moments when the animated quality of the film The Adventures of Tintin is clear, but for most of the time the art comes to life with such authenticity that I caught myself lost in the story as if it were a live action picture.
The Hunger Games just celebrated a stellar global opening weekend of $214.3 million, far more than any of the Harry Potter films. Its Friday-Saturday take was the third largest in Hollywood history in a month when blockbusters are typically not released. And like Harry Potter, surveys show that 56% of all movie goers this past weekend were 25 or older despite the fact that Collins wrote these books for young adults.
Katniss, Tintin, and the creative minds behind their adventures have shown us that there really is no limit to our creativity, to our abilities to generate new stories and ways of telling stories that bring an ever-wider audience into our embrace.
Published by Christa Avampato
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
We could learn a lot about finding our life’s purpose from a boy detective and a woman who refused to let someone else define her. These are the palpable lessons of Tintin and Katniss, the protegonists at the centers of the book The Adventures of Tintin and The Hunger Games, respectively. What’s perhaps more subtle is what the movie versions of these stories teach us about creativity and the relentless pursuit of growth, transformation, and continuous improvement.
