Meet Emmy Briggs

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emmy Briggs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emmy, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
You can make just about anything happen by simply doing it. You don’t need to ask permission or wait for someone to deem you worthy of an opportunity. You have the capacity to create what you want right now, you just have to start.

In December 2023, I was floating in the ocean with a friend who owns New Monkey Studio, the late Elliott Smith’s recording studio. He was talking about how hard it is to keep studios open these days, with so many people recording at home. I had the idea to put on a fundraising concert. Nine months later, I was standing side of stage at the Regent Theater in downtown LA, watching some of my indie music heroes perform Elliott Smith covers to a sold-out crowd. That night was a reminder: you can truly build anything.

Also, as a producer who works across industries, I’ve learned that almost all skills are transferable. If you can budget a party, you can budget a concert or a film. Sure, every field has its quirks and nuances, but if you approach things with a mindset that you can figure it out, you usually will. And the next time you try, you’ll be even better at it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I know well that we’re going to die someday, so I won’t waste time making work that takes that for granted.

At the apex of ephemeral and permanent, my work seeks urgency, connection, and making sense of the human experience through media. I am a producer, and to me, the art of the producer is the ability to take something from idea to actualization. It is the moment of magic when an idea creates a burning sensation in your body that won’t cease until the thing is seen through. It’s saying yes to things that scare you, trusting you’ll figure it out- and you always do.

I launched my career in Brooklyn’s DIY scene, building community and founding the genre-defying art collective I Don’t Wanna See That?!!?! I produced drag, comedy and performance art and learned radical creativity and how to create something out of nothing. From there, I shifted fully into commercial theatre. After obtaining my MFA, I served as a resident and assistant director at institutions such as Guildhall School of Music and Drama, The Mercury Theatre and Mischief Theatre Company (The Play That Goes Wrong).

While I loved creating theatre, something nagged in my gut telling me it wasn’t the only space for me. I decided to dive straight into producing, saying yes to unknown experiences. One year later, I myself field producing a documentary for grammy award winning country star, Chris Stapleton.

One night, I was standing side of stage, looking out into the crowd when I became overwhelmed by what I saw. I saw groups of cowboys and men who I had imagined to be reserved and uptight in their day to day lives crying and holding each other, completely overtaken by the music.

I had a realization in that moment: all I wanted to do with my life was make people feel like that. And I became obsessed with how that incredible fleeting moment between art and observer can be captured to ripple through audiences far away and ever lasting.

I am driven by the power of community, the collective vulnerability of experiencing or creating art together, the way all the heartbeats in the room sync up.

These values guided me as I produced All My Rowdy Friends, a concert dedicated to the late Elliott Smith, that raised money for his music studio New Monkey Studio. It brought together artists such as Madison Cunningham, Granddaddy, Kevin Devine and mehro and met the masses via livestream. This ability to say yes and try things has also led me to collaborating with artists such as filmmaker Robert Rodriguez.

As a freelance creative, these skills are my foundation to serve global brands- producing events, campaigns and activations Google, YouTube and Adidas. I have also begin a business as a digital strategist, and have helped artists shape their voice and brand and have already scaled to multiple projects and employees.

Now, I serve as Producer and Director of Distribution at Dangerous Company, an independent film studio redefining the ways in which an audience can experience the media that moves them. This year alone we have raised almost $1m to continue creating films that we believe are meaningful. We’ve completed 2x documentaries from the edges of the earth, in Ukraine and the Arctic Circle. We’ve launched into the narrative fiction film space, producing Sweetwater in West Texas and partnering with outstanding producers and creators in preparation for our next narrative feature while kicking off a genre bending non-scripted series about someone creating a country,

Our work is visceral, intimate and immersive in an attempt to create an emotional record of what it means to be alive today. We understand and value our audience. We design the way they experience our work with just as much care and creativity as the way we design the work.

What I’ve learned is this: do the things that scare you. Respect yourself and your time. Don’t let anyone tell you who you are or devalue what you bring. Anyone can have a polished CV. What sets you apart is your integrity, your values, and your belief in the work.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend were visiting LA, I’d center the week around Silver Lake and Echo Park—two of the most vibrant and creative corners of the city. We’d start mornings with bagels at Maury’s or a nap worthy feast at Millie’s, then walk the Silver Lake Reservoir or explore the hidden stair streets nearby.

Afternoons would be for vintage shopping on Sunset, reading at Stories bookstore, or seeing a show at Vidiots. Evenings we’d grab tacos at Tacos Delta, or splurge on omakase at Sogo, followed by a show at The Echo, Largo or Elysian Theater.

Midweek we’d mix it up with a downtown art day—MOCA, The Last Bookstore, and lunch in Little Tokyo. Another day we’d drive up to Malibu, hang out at Point Dume, and explore Topanga. One night we’d head to Griffith Observatory, or take the drive to Joshua Tree or Yosemite to camp.

The magic of LA is that it contains multitudes—you can have beach mornings and art-house nights, quiet neighborhood hangs and spontaneous adventures. That’s the experience I’d want to give: one that feels like discovering the city’s best-kept secrets

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to recognize the person who inspires so many of my values, Joe Hill. Joe is the CEO and founder of Dangerous Company. He’s a 5x Emmy-Award winning director and producer best known for his work on the VICE News international team. For seven years, he was tasked with reporting from the frontlines of the most unseen and underreported conflicts, and for many has been the first journalist to gain access. He has made films in dozens of countries and published them on platforms such as HBO, Showtime, Hulu and VICE TV. His videos amassed over 36-million views on YouTube alone.

We’ve been friends since we were 6 years old and I’m honored to be able to continue to make work with him.

Website: https://Dangerouscompany.media

Instagram: @Emmybeenyc

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmy-briggs/