To L.A. with Love

When Isabella Mule ’25 turned 16, she didn’t want a party; she wanted to tour colleges in California. Though she loved the vibe of Emerson’s Boston campus, Mule felt conflicted because she’d heard that LA was the place to kick-start a career in film. After visiting Emerson Los Angeles (ELA), everything became clear: by coming to Emerson, she’d get the experience of living and going to school in Boston while capping off her experience with a semester at the College’s campus on Sunset Boulevard.

That building—a gleaming, futuristic, silver cube of 120,000 square feet—stands proud at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Gordon Street. It’s so stunning that it holds the No. 3 spot on Los Angeles Magazine’s 100 architectural gems of LA.

The building makes a statement. Not just because of its striking facade, but also because of the people and programs within it. Filmmakers, newsmakers, and storytellers come to ELA to express themselves. ELA is a place where Emersonians learn the ins and outs of the industry and create connections that help launch their careers.

“There’s something very symbolic about being in Hollywood, particularly being in old Hollywood, where things really started. We’re near silent movie studios and very famous locations, near the Hollywood sign,” said Kevin Bright ’76, LHD ’11, founding director of ELA. “It gives us glitz and glamour.”

In September, Emerson celebrated the 10th anniversary of this iconic building, as well as the critical role that ELA has played in the lives of students and alumni for nearly four decades.

Building Roots

In 1986, Emerson became the first East Coast college to establish a residential internship program in Los Angeles. Now, there are nearly 20 unique colleges and universities with LA study-away programs.

Under the leadership of Emerson President Emerita Jackie Liebergott, land was purchased in 2008 to build what would become ELA today. Renowned architect Thom Mayne and his firm, Morphosis, designed the award-winning building. Construction began in early 2012 and the first class moved in on January 12, 2014. Among those breaking in the building were future Emmy nominees Stefani Robinson ’14, a screenwriter and producer, and Jamie Rogers Caballero ’14, a documentary producer.

The opening of ELA marked a commitment to the city of Los Angeles and the creative force of LA-area Emersonians. The new building not only enabled the academic program to double in size, but it also created a home for the 4,500 alumni in the Southern California region.

“Alumni have always inquired about how to connect with other alumni on the West Coast,” said Kerri McManus, MA ’98, life coach at ELA and former director of student transitional services and career advising. “Having a home base where alumni can come in and talk to students—that allows for deeper connection.”

McManus was one of a handful of staff members who helped the program transition from the rented space it once occupied in Burbank to its permanent location. With a new building came new opportunities for alumni and the Hollywood community to utilize its state-of-the-art spaces, such as a 4K screening room and outside terrace.

Inside the hallways and studio spaces at ELA, posters cover the walls. They represent the work of alumni, including well-known TV shows like Will & Grace and movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once. Within these walls, ELA has hosted panel discussions, film screenings, industry events, festivals, and audio-post workshops. The building itself has even served as a set for other storytellers. It’s been featured in TV shows, including Scandal, movies such as Your Place or Mine, music videos with artists like Nicki Minaj, and even an Advil commercial.

Additionally, alumni helped spearhead a new program, the Career Advisory Network, which provides ELA students a unique opportunity to build connections within the LA alumni community. An annual pitch competition, PitchFest, gives ELA students and alumni the chance to test the power of their projects in front of a panel of entertainment industry pros. The Industry Insights series enables students to meet with a variety of professionals in a small group setting. These and so many other programs have helped ELA become a hub for creativity, where students can hone their voice and alumni can convene and inspire.

“Every semester, there are hundreds of opportunities for students to connect with each other, alumni, community service nonprofits, and entertainment industry organizations,” said Tim Chang, ELA’s associate vice president and chief operations officer. “Building relationships is so important for these soon-to-be graduates, and we take pride in providing diverse and enriching networking opportunities for our Emerson community.”

Blossoming Talent

Gaining industry experience in an internship is one of the draws of attending Emerson Los Angeles. This fall, Isabella Mule ’25 has been interning at the creative entertainment advertising agency Tiny Hero.

“The great thing about ELA is it kind of holds your hand in getting your feet wet in LA and preparing you for life after graduating,” she said.

At her internship, Mule has been able to utilize her editing skills and work on motion graphics. The internship requirement, for Mule and all ELA students, provides invaluable work experience.

“I often hear from students that the classes and faculty at ELA are among the most important and most memorable they’ve had at the College,” said Mikhail Gershovich, ELA’s assistant academic dean. “The time students spend here can often be transformative and that is very gratifying to hear.”

“Something that’s very important to me is making ‘younger me’ proud. Being at ELA now and working at my dream internship and living in LA, I’m doing the very thing that 16-year-old me sought out to do,” said Mule. “That’s something that’s super emotional for me. It feels like a full circle moment.”

A Flourishing Community

Mule remembers one part of her ELA tour quite vividly. They had stopped on the fifth floor terrace, where downtown LA, the Paramount Studios lot, and Hollywood sign are all visible. She remembers her tour guide saying something along the lines of: “There, you can see your dreams.” Now, each time she passes that spot, it reminds her of why she’s at ELA.

ELA’s impact extends beyond the relationships it has fostered between students and alumni. It stretches beyond the metal scrim and large glass windows photographed by so many.

“ELA has been a catalytic economic, educational, and cultural force since planting stakes in Hollywood a decade ago. On day one, the construction of the campus provided hundreds of jobs, revitalized the surrounding area, and gave to Hollywood a stunning, modern architectural masterpiece,” said Steve Nissen, president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. “Since its opening, ELA’s students and faculty
have patronized Hollywood’s many wonderful businesses and venues, fostered sustained partnerships with Hollywood’s entertainment community, and brought greater prestige to the area as an educational and cultural hub.”

After ELA’s opening, companies like Viacom and Netflix sprung up in the neighborhood along with restaurants and retailers. Both McManus and Bright can attest to how the area has transformed. Years before ELA was built, both used to work just a few blocks away at different companies.

Having ELA embedded in the Hollywood community from the beginning was essential, Bright said. One of his initiatives as ELA’s founding director was to establish a community service requirement.

“Emerson students building connections within the community was very important,” he said. “It’s a way to give
back and a great opportunity to meet people.”

Today, ELA partners with several community service organizations and nonprofits like the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, which advocates for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the entertainment industry. It hosts the Assistance League of Los Angeles Prom Day event, which provides free prom wear to high school students experiencing homelessness. During the summer, it offers significantly discounted housing for the Entertainment Industry College Outreach Program (EICOP), a nonprofit educational arts work-
force development program dedicated to educating, training, and recruiting the best and brightest student leaders from our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority-Serving Institutions for careers across a variety of industries.

“Creating a stronger community is integral to ELA,” said Chang. “As we nurture the next generation of storytellers, it’s essential that we harness our abilities to drive positive change. I’m grateful for the vibrant community of Emersonians in LA, who use their talents to move audiences and make an impact on the world.”

Photos by Derek Palmer, MA ’20, and illustrations by Eleanor Shakespeare