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

Hi Emi, what role has risk played in your life or career?
My father is an actuary and my mother a statistician, so I used to generally think about risk in terms of numbers. What percentage of actors make a livable income? What percentage of films make their money back at the box office? Those numbers are intimidating and don’t paint a hopeful picture for aspiring filmmakers. In those terms, filmmaking is incredibly risky.

As I’ve gotten older, though, I’ve realized the importance of conditional probability. What’s the likelihood you’ll make a livable income as an actor GIVEN that you produce your own content, attend networking events, and study your craft tens of hours a week? I’ve found importance in assessing risk based on my personal situation & attributes, as opposed to just the general risk of anybody pursuing the same goal.

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 am an actor and I produce films through my production company, e squared imaginations LLC. A lot of actors and filmmakers get the advice to “just make stuff – go out there and make your own content.” We certainly have more access to resources than ever before, which makes it easier to “just make stuff.” The difficult part is making quality content that stands out, whether that be through the writing, acting, or overall production value. And of course, doing all of that on a budget is the biggest challenge. Founding my own production company and forming relationships with filmmakers I trust and respect has been instrumental in my career. Pulling together those connections to produce content at a high production value, while telling stories that I’m passionate about has given my acting career more direction. I also appreciate how producing my own content has given me a broader perspective of filmmaking than I used to have when I exclusively focused on acting.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love how outdoors of a city LA is. I’d take my friend on a hike up by Topanga, then swing by Malibu and bring a picnic to have on the beach. I also LOVE the sushi in LA! Soregashi is my favorite place for sushi – it’s fresh, delicious, and affordable, so we’d definitely get dinner there one night. One of my favorite spots is the Los Feliz/Silverlake area. We’d get some Tacos Tu Madre and maybe swing by Alfred afterwards, and walk around Silverlake looking at all the pretty houses and admiring the Hollywood sign. My absolute favorite place in LA is Arclight Hollywood – I’m so sad it’s closing and desperately hope someone will save it!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Dan Green, the director of my Masters program at Carnegie Mellon University, has been a wonderful mentor since I met him 5 years ago. He is encouraging and has a great knowledge of the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, but what I appreciate most is his honesty. He won’t say only what you want to hear; he tells me the truth about the competitiveness of the industry and the luck and discipline required to succeed in it.

Website: EmiEllis.com

Instagram: @emi_ellis_

Other: https://vimeo.com/361699199

Image Credits
Johnny Marlow (black and white photo), Haye Yukio (camera photo), Anika Kan Grevstad (Aya photo), Leslie Swan (soccer photo), Aspen Miller (crew photo)

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.