Meet Emily Robinett | Writer & Producer

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

Hi Emily, why did you pursue a creative career?
For most of my life, until just a few years ago, I was living like a “closeted creative.” I’m the daughter of a lawyer and an educator, and my parents always urged me to use my brain to make the world better. For a young and inexperienced me, there was one obvious “right” path: become a doctor. (Duh.) So, I chased that goal for years. I truly believe that I would have been in medical school right now… if it weren’t for the simple decision my mother made, which forever altered the timeline. (Love you, Mom!)

When my mom found the flyer for school musical auditions, which I (an incredibly shy eleven-year-old) had been hiding, she forced me to try out. I cried and protested as she rehearsed with me, but looking back, I can see that she was onto something. As soon as I started doing theatre, I was ignited. I trained in acting/dancing/singing, I wrote stories, I directed one-acts, and I worked for a local theatre company. I unlocked a hidden personability that made me want to connect with EVERYONE; so, I became an effective community leader, too. Still, I maintained that I was going to give my life to studying so that I could become a doctor. Only now, there was discord between my love for working immediately with people versus my plan to seclusively study them.

I ended up getting a full ride to Tulane University to get a degree in neuroscience… and a SEPARATE degree in theatre. I planned to do theatre for as long as I could until I had to give everything to the “more important calling;” but then, I unexpectedly developed the great conviction that storytelling is one of the most important things about humanity. By studying the history of performance, the politics of art, and the psychology of media, I finally started to see art for the world-changing tool that it is.

I wholeheartedly believe that society’s messengers are responsible for where the cultural paradigm shifts. The things we continually see – the things conditioning us – are so critical in deciding who we become. So, it is vital that storytellers talk to audiences with incredible purpose and incredible responsibility. I find fulfilment in working to do that, always using the creative talents I’ve developed over the years. I especially love television because of its accessibility and its immediacy, so I became the General Manager of the Student Broadcast Group at Tulane, and I started searching for an MFA program in TV. I found the perfect fit in the Showrunning Program at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University. This cohort of twelve studies great storytelling AND leadership, which are the personal affinities I want to use most to do important things. I hope to someday create the reason that someone is moved to live a happier, healthier, and more empathetic life. I absolutely love where I’ve ended up, and I’m excited for everything else that is to come!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I believe that when we hear stories, we add them into a library that we regularly use as reference point as we go about life. These stories build a framework by which we evaluate what is important and what is right. So, as a storyteller, I absolutely need to have a purpose when I say something, and I need to be responsible with what I say.

A lot of my work is theme-driven and says something about the current time in which it exists. I am a queer woman from the south, and I care a lot about the current attacks on drag performers and transgender people. My most recent pilot script is a 1900s Revisionist Western that follows “Thelma-and-Louise-esque” dual protagonists: one dealing with religious repression, and one dealing with a gender identity crisis that leads her into donning drag to rob trains.

I come from the world of plays, and I love messing with style when I write, but a lot of times, people in television feel like what I do is a little experimental or high concept. That frustrated me a lot when I started out, but a mentor gave me great advice: messaging involves sending AND receiving. People are used to receiving things that follow certain patterns, so making things familiar is a valuable tool. I’ve learned to get good at diluting my concepts – DILUTING, not DELETING. I’ll hold onto the core of my convictions, but I’ll take notes and strip back layers so that the message becomes more accessible and effective. That’s worked out really well for me! I get to push boundaries a little bit, but people still understand what I’m saying, and they walk away remembering the work as pretty cool and unique.

I want to see digital media continue to mature! Performance existed for MILLENIA before film and television, so there are thousands of styles of performance that we have yet to even try in the digital mainstream. Until then, I’m happy with baby steps. I’m working on a pilot right now that’s a little “Brechtian,” but to make it feel more like the TV we know and love, I’m following a “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” style… with an Alternate Reality concept. I’m having a lot of fun writing it, and of course, it tackles a big theme: the way media discounts regular life and urges people to change into something “better.” (Mwahaha.)

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Gosh, California is BEAUTIFUL! I love setting aside time to drive south towards San Diego – especially if you go inland! Take the 60 to the 15, go to at least Temecula (drink some wine while you’re out there), and you’ll see the most gorgeous hills, valleys, and everything. If the coast is more your style, of course hopping on PCH is a blast, and if you’re going North towards Malibu, make your way to the 405 coming back South, and detour to take Mulholland Drive. Just do it. It’s breathtaking.

If you want to get out of the car at some point, I think it’s worth checking out the Academy Museum, visiting Griffith Observatory, or doing a movie studio tour. If you’re lucky, see if you can catch the monthly free movie at Ovation Hollywood, or get tickets to see a movie in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery with Cinespia, catch a concert at The Greek Theater, or if there’s something going on at the Hollywood Bowl, bring food and picnic while listening to some music! Angel City FC games are a BLAST (yay women’s soccer), and I also really like going to Clippers games (although I have yet to check out the new arena).

For food, Met Him at a Bar has some of the best pasta. Its sister brunch place, Met Her at a Bar, is seriously good, too. Ggiata is an Italian deli with a few locations, and the Spicy P sandwich is incredible. Cassell’s Burgers in the Hotel Normandie has one of the juiciest burgers I’ve ever eaten. Citizen Public Market in Culver City is a cute little food hall with a ton of good options. If you’re in Koreatown, you HAVE to go to DwitGolMok Soju Bar – the inside is built to look like an outdoor street market, and the pot stickers are delicious.

For bars, I’m a Star Wars fan, so I do love popping into Scum and Villainy Cantina on Hollywood Boulevard, which is built like the inside of the Mos Eisley Cantina. First Draft Taproom in Downtown LA is really cool because you can tap a card and sample as many beers as you want. A film student favorite is 4100 in Silver Lake, and you might as well walk down the street to El Cid and Akbar, too. Tramp Stamp Granny’s is a retro piano bar, and they do queer open mics and various themed nights every month. Club Bahia also has queer line dancing every Monday with Stud Country!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am so grateful for and indebted to the educators in my life. I am proudest to be me when I know that I can continue to expand my mind, and it is thanks to the people who give back that I get to keep learning. I especially want to thank Jill Condon and Todd Slavkin for giving their all to mentor me in television writing.

Thank you to all of my Chapman professors: Ray Richmond, Nanci Carol Ruby, Jacob Moncrief, Allan Brocka, Marya Mazor, Kelly Fullerton, James Dutcher and Dave Krinsky. Thank you to Pat Quinn for giving me my start in an entertainment career. Thanks to my Tulane theatre professors: Ray Proctor, Amy Chaffee, Jenny Mercein, Victor Holtcamp, Marty Sachs, Jess Podewell, Jeffrey Gunshol, Michelle Hathaway, Diana Cupsa, Vlad Ghinea, Natsumi Sugiyama, and Beverly Trask. Thank you to my music professors for helping me find my voice: Michael McKelvey and Amy Pfrimmer. Thank you to Tel Baillet for getting me into broadcast entertainment. And going ALL THE WAY BACK, thank you to my Austin theatre community for starting it all, especially Marco Bazan, Tara White Gillespie, the entire Summer Theatre Series team, Laurie Pena Brooks, and Sarah Waggoner.

There are so many others I wish I could list. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who has given their time and talent to nurture me.

Finally, the ones who have given the most to help me grow are my family. Thank you to Grannie, Grandma, all the McGoverns and Robinetts, and especially, thank you to Mom, Dad, and Grant!

Website: https://www.emilyrobinett.com

Instagram: @em_robinett

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-robinett/

Image Credits
Linda Lin
Bingcheng Pan
Viktor Tucek