Tara Coughlin received her BA in Film and Media Studies and English Literature from Smith College. During her 2017 spring semester, she studied film production at FAMU University in Prague. She continued her studies at The University of Texas at Austin where she obtained her MA in Media Studies.
Her areas of research include videographic essays, film and media criticism, fan culture, and participatory culture. In addition to her academic work, Tara is a YouTuber and produces video essay content for her channel "Four Ize Reviews.