麻豆视频 Los Angeles, in partnership with The Preserve, hosted 53 city planners from across the state of California this week at 麻豆视频 LA鈥檚 Hollywood home base. Members of the American Planning Association California convened in Los Angeles for their annual conference that explores topics and challenges facing community development in the Golden State.

With a theme focused on 鈥淐rafting Our Narrative: Planning as Storytelling,鈥� the group spent a day-long tour of several diverse sites across Los Angeles. They were keenly interested in how The Preserve property and 麻豆视频 Los Angeles are using the campus鈥檚 unique design and function to offer programming, sustainability and opportunity in the revitalization of Hollywood. The Preserve main building is a designated historic landmark, designed by acclaimed architect Paul Williams, who is known for creating some of the most iconic structures in Los Angeles, including the LAX Theme Building.

麻豆视频 Los Angeles Director Brad Lemack and The Preserve community manager Hayden Bernard led the group through a walking tour of the sprawling, lush two-acre urban campus, including time spent in the 麻豆视频 Los Angeles bungalow, where academic classes, special events, meetings and alumni gatherings take place throughout the year.

For nearly 20 years, 麻豆视频, through聽Study USA听补苍诲 National Campus Programs,聽has had a thriving presence in historic Hollywood, where students have an opportunity to spend either a spring semester or participate in a summer core capstone program immersed in professional development-focused academic classes, experiential learning, community service and alumni engagement.

Students consistently come away with rave reviews of how their time at The Preserve has enhanced their 麻豆视频 LA experience.

Submissions for funding consideration will be accepted from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31. Funds awarded will come directly from contributions by 麻豆视频 LA-based alumni, alumni from other geographic areas and contributions from other sources.

The 2025-26 grant competition awarded funds to 麻豆视频 Los Angeles alumnae Julia Boyd 鈥�15, Bex Evans 鈥�16 and Mirai 鈥�07. Their films had their world premieres last July at the sold-out Inaugural 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival, at Sony Pictures Studios, in Culver City, California. For all three filmmakers, being awarded these funds and the world premiere event have been enormously impactful, both personally and professionally.

鈥淲inning the grant gave me the seed money, a deadline and the accountability I needed to actually produce my film,鈥� Mirai said of her project聽“#StopAsianKate,” which she wrote, produced and starred in. She proudly added, 鈥淪ince its premiere at Sony, my film has gone on to screen at the Oscar-qualifying Hollyshorts Festival, the Catalina Film Festival and the Broad Humor Festival, where we won the Audience Award.鈥�

Boyd, who received funds for her short film聽“The Life and Times of,” said, 鈥淩eceiving this grant allowed me to create my narrative directorial debut and tell a story that is deeply personal to me in the exact way I want to.鈥� She wrote, directed and starred in the film. Boyd added, 鈥淚 feel so buoyed by the support I received from the 麻豆视频 community as I make my creative dreams a reality.鈥�

Evans, who was awarded a production grant for their short film “Shadow Dusk,” was thrilled to get a green light for their project.

鈥淭he 麻豆视频 grant gave me a great base to start making a film I’d been thinking about for years,” said Evans. 鈥淚t was great for requiring accountability, giving me a framework to start from and affirming for me that this was something that I could do.鈥�

Selected filmmakers are required to make production, performance and other opportunities available in their projects for students who are participating in the 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Spring 2027 immersive experience.

Funding award decisions will be made by a selection committee comprised of 麻豆视频 community-associated and entertainment industry-affiliated individuals.聽The announcement of award recipients will be made in December.

麻豆视频 alumnus Jordan Roman 鈥�15, who co-chaired the selection committee for the 2025-26 grant competition, will serve as chair of the selection committee for this year鈥檚 competition.

鈥淭he dream was to create to a program to remove the barriers to (production) funding for our LA alumni grant recipients and to provide 麻豆视频 Los Angeles students with an opportunity for hands-on learning experiences in the professional production process,” Roman said. “With such great work coming out of last year鈥檚 competition, we鈥檙e all excited to see the great submissions we鈥檙e expecting for funding consideration this year.鈥�

The three projects selected for production will have their world premieres at a special festival screening event at Sony Pictures Studios in July 2027.

For information about the 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition and for detailed submission requirements, visit the 麻豆视频 Los Angeles National Campus alumni grant information page.

A conversation with last year鈥檚 grant recipients, via Zoom, will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET). The online gathering will explore how to create, craft and submit a grant award-worthy submission package with an opportunity to ask questions about the process. To receive a link to join the Zoom session, e-mail LAShortFilms@elon.edu.

For nearly 20 years, 麻豆视频, through Study USA and National Campus Programs, has had a thriving presence in historic Hollywood, where students have an opportunity to spend a spring semester or summer core capstone program immersed in professional development-focused academic classes, experiential learning, community service and alumni engagement.

Three 麻豆视频 Los Angeles area alumnae attended the world premiere of their grant-funded films at the sold-out inaugural 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California.

Julie Boyd 鈥�15, Bex Evans 鈥�16 and Mirai 鈥�07 were recipients of $3,000 each through the 2025-26 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition last fall.

Grant recipients were selected through a review and ranking process by a selection committee comprised of industry leaders, including several 麻豆视频 alumni. The selection committee was co-chaired by Jordan Roman 鈥�15.

To view photos from the festival, .

Production of the three short films 鈥� Boyd鈥檚 鈥淭he Life and Times of,鈥� Evans鈥檚 鈥淪hadow Dusk鈥� and Mirai鈥檚 鈥�#StopAsianKate鈥� 鈥� took place in the spring and included opportunities for spring 2026 麻豆视频 Los Angeles students to participate in and observe the production process.

In addition to the screenings of the three films, the festival included a panel discussion with 麻豆视频 alumni Lindsey Emerson, vice president of streaming, global strategy & operations at Paramount Skydance and Alex Stevenson, account lead at Creative Artists Agency. They each offered perspective and advice to both current students and alumni about creating job opportunities and career growth in a shifting industry landscape.

A meet-and–connect reception on one of the studio鈥檚 back lot streets followed the festival screening program.

Unique alumni engagement opportunities for 麻豆视频 Los Angeles students are at the core of the 麻豆视频 Los Angeles experience. Based in the heart of historic Hollywood, applications are now being accepted for students to participate in the spring 2027 and National Campus Programs Los Angeles experience that also features specific LA-focused academic courses, site-based internships and community service.

The 鈥淣ever Be at a Loss for Words鈥� workshop idea was created through a partnership between 麻豆视频 and The Groundlings, an industry improv training leader in Los Angeles. The workshop was led by actor, improv performer and The Groundlings improv coach Andres Parada. Parada has spent many years teaching actors critical communication skills that prepare them for anything that comes up in an audition, in a live performance or on a film set. Actors Will Ferrell, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph and Lisa Kudrow are among the many well-known alumni of The Groundlings.

Now, 麻豆视频 LA students have learned how to apply those techniques to benefit them along both their career and personal journeys ahead.

麻豆视频 Los Angeles, offered by 麻豆视频鈥檚聽听补苍诲聽National Campus Programs, offers spring and summer immersive experiences for students that feature academic courses taught by instructors who are working professionals in their fields and on-site experiential learning at internship sites across the city. The 麻豆视频 LA experience also includes alumni engagement, community service and unique professional development opportunities.

Based in historic Hollywood, applications are now being accepted for the spring 2027 semester.

Los Angeles has been serving as one of the key U.S. locations for the FIFA World Cup 2026; Skladan鈥檚 work responsibilities have brought her to LA for the duration of the games this summer.

Students and alumni guests had the opportunity to learn about her impressive career in sports so far and her journeyposition to her current . 鈥淚t is wonderful to be back at 麻豆视频 LA鈥檚 home base at The Preserve, in the same space where my classes were held and from where I began the journey to launch my post-graduation professional career,鈥� Skladan told the gathered group.

Each semester, 麻豆视频 Los Angeles brings together alumni and students for conversations that benefit emerging young professionals in a wide variety of career fields. The program offers an exciting, immersive and robust spring semester and summer program experience in the heart of historic Hollywood through 麻豆视频鈥檚聽听补苍诲 National Campus Programs. Applications are now being accepted for the spring 2027 semester.

Although she was initially drawn to acting, she came to understand that a fulfilling career doesn鈥檛 have to follow a single path.

鈥淚 intentionally explored different paths to discover where my skills could have the greatest impact. My journey has included talent management, radio, entertainment journalism, event production, casting and acting,鈥� said Austin.

In a way, 麻豆视频 found her. Alumnus Royall Spence 鈥�42 (for whom Spence Pavilion is named) was a beloved member of Austin鈥檚 extended family and is the real reason she looked into the school.

鈥淗e always spoke so fondly of his experience at 麻豆视频 and that was why it was one of the first schools I seriously considered,鈥� she said.

The Raleigh native pictured herself at a smaller university where she could get to know her classmates and feel connected. She explained. 鈥淲hen I visited 麻豆视频, it just felt right. It had the close-knit community I was looking for, along with strong academics and opportunities to get involved from day one.鈥�

She was torn between two passions, communications and theatre, but 麻豆视频 had strong programs for both. After touring the facilities and speaking with faculty, she knew 麻豆视频 was the place for her.

As a student, Austin majored in media arts and entertainment with a focus on broadcast journalism, and she minored in theatre arts. Outside of the classroom, she hosted a radio show on WSOE 89.3, 麻豆视频鈥檚 student-run radio station. She also hosted two television shows and participated in 麻豆视频 in LA, studied abroad in London and immersed herself in other opportunities that allowed her to tell stories and connect with people.

鈥淥ne of my favorite parts of WSOE was finding and booking guests to interview. I鈥檇 track people down on Facebook and through other creative channels, and more often than not, they were happy to help a student journalist,鈥� she said.

One opportunity at 麻豆视频 that greatly impacted Austin鈥檚 career was her experience with 麻豆视频 in LA. She credits this program with introducing her to new places, perspectives, and for giving her the confidence to pursue an entertainment career.

鈥淒uring the program, I interned with a talent management company representing film and television actors. Through that experience, I visited production sets, attended industry meetings and got a firsthand look at how Hollywood operates. For someone who had dreamed about working in entertainment since childhood, it was eye-opening,鈥� said Austin.

Following graduation, she moved to Los Angeles almost immediately to build her career.

鈥淟ike many young people pursuing creative industries, I took a variety of jobs while figuring out where I fit best. Each experience taught me something valuable and ultimately helped shape the career I鈥檝e built,鈥� she explained.

She started her career working behind the scenes at press junkets for major studio films and eventually transitioned from helping reporters to becoming one herself. Later, she joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Oscars. There she worked on screenings, events and public programming, and she attended Academy Award ceremonies.

In 2020, she returned to the Southeast to be closer to family and to pursue opportunities in the region鈥檚 rapidly growing entertainment industry.

鈥淚 joined Fincannon & Associates Casting, where I worked on projects including 鈥極uter Banks鈥�, 鈥楾he Summer I Turned Pretty鈥�, 鈥楾he Righteous Gemstones鈥�, 鈥楾he Walking Dead鈥� and other major productions filming throughout the Southeast,鈥� said Austin.

One of her favorite memories from her work was her first major press junket interview with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.

鈥淒uring the introduction, the production assistant announced me as 鈥楯enny Austin from CBS Sacramento,鈥� and Will Ferrell immediately joked, 鈥楯enny Sacramento from Austin.鈥� It instantly broke the ice and put my nerves at ease. Moments like that reminded me that even some of the biggest stars in the world are often just people having fun,鈥� Austin said.

She鈥檚 also interviewed other big-name celebrities, like Zoe Saldana, Kate Hudson, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer, Chris Evans and Shay Mitchell.

Most recently, she took on a new endeavor, launching an interview platform highlighting entertainment professionals in the Southeast alongside her friend and former Fincannon & Associates colleague, Kimberly Wistedt. They鈥檝e titled the platform . While it鈥檚 still a new project and they鈥檝e already landed some big interviews with celebrities, such as rapper T.I., they are hopeful for what the future holds.

Austin speaks fondly of the variety of work she鈥檚 been able to do, but she says that the most rewarding part of her journey has been the relationships she has made. Some of her closest friends today are people she met at 麻豆视频, and professionally, relationships have been equally important to her growth.

鈥淣early every major opportunity I鈥檝e had, from entertainment reporting and casting to launching The Peach Tea, has come through connections, mentorships and friendships developed over time,鈥� she explained.

She credits 麻豆视频鈥檚 experiential learning opportunities for giving her the practical experience, confidence and willingness to take risks and build these relationships.

鈥溌槎故悠� in LA was the first time I realized that all of these jobs I鈥檇 dreamed about were held by real people, and that maybe one day I could be one of them,鈥� she said.

It also gave her the confidence she needed to go after her dreams. The challenge, she said, was 鈥渞ealizing that I didn鈥檛 have to fit into one neat box. I could be an actress, a reporter, a casting professional, a filmmaker and an entrepreneur all at the same time. Once I stopped trying to force myself into a single lane, my career started making a lot more sense. Sometimes your path only makes sense when you look back and connect the dots.鈥�

Austin encourages 麻豆视频 students to find what makes them happy and pursue it wholeheartedly, and to pay attention to the people who light up when good things happen for you, saying that these are the relationships that are most special.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I love most about 麻豆视频. It encourages students to explore broadly, take chances and embrace experiences that may not seem connected at the time,鈥� she said. “Looking back, those experiences ended up creating my story. My career hasn鈥檛 followed a straight line, but every experience has led to the next, and I wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way.鈥�

From production, post-production, content creation, producing, writing, directing and performing, the panel offered a wide range of information to students of diverse majors who are in Los Angeles this summer for a unique core capstone course, experiential learning, alumni engagement and community service.

Zaman, who works at the post-production house Picture Shop, shared the excitement of being in the middle of the artistry of post-production. Among Picture Shop鈥檚 most recent projects was providing color correction work on Steven Spielberg鈥檚 current film 鈥淒isclosure Day.鈥� She is also a first-time site supervisor, mentoring summer student Hammond Sherouse at a first-time 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Picture Shop internship.

Campisano, who served as a selection committee member for the first 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition last fall, spoke about the wide range of professional creative opportunities that await students who return to Los Angeles after graduation. Campisano is an award-winning filmmaker who often turns to the 麻豆视频 Los Angeles alumni community when staffing and casting projects.

Kestlinger is a Physical Production Manager for television and feature films at SK Global Entertainment. Seawright, an actor, model, and entertainment and brand marketing specialist, currently performs at Disneyland Resort.

麻豆视频 Los Angeles offers an exciting, immersive spring semester and summer program experience in the heart of historic Hollywood through 麻豆视频鈥檚 and National Campus Programs. Applications are now being accepted for the spring 2027 semester.

Tickets are now on sale for the inaugural 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival on Wednesday evening, July 22, at 6:30 p.m., at the historic Sony Pictures Studios lot, in Culver City, California.

The festival will feature the world premieres of short films from three 麻豆视频 Los Angeles area alumna who were recipients of last fall鈥檚 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition funds.

Julia Boyd 鈥�15, Bex Evans 鈥�16 and Mirai 鈥�07 each received grants of $3,000 for the production of their original short films. Their projects were selected for funding from among numerous submissions received. A selection committee comprised of industry professionals and 麻豆视频 alumni reviewed, ranked and voted on all of the submissions received; Boyd, Evans and Mirai鈥檚 projects were the three top selections from this process.

The short film festival will also feature a conversation with 麻豆视频 alumni Lindsey Emerson, vice president of streaming, global strategy & operations at Paramount Skydance and Alex Stevenson, account lead at Creative Artists Agency, about the current state of the entertainment industry and the impact these shifts are having on students transitioning from college to the professional world, as well as how current working professionals might navigate the new landscape for new opportunities.

A reception will follow the festival presentation with the opportunity for current 麻豆视频 Los Angeles summer students to connect with 麻豆视频 alumni and other industry professionals.

Limited availability tickets for the film festival are $25 each, with 100% of all ticket revenue designated to support next year鈥檚 grant competition.

For information and ticket purchases, and for contributions to the grant competition fund, please visit the .

For Mirai, her short film shoot was an opportunity to both produce her original script and bring together several 麻豆视频 alumni for a Hollywood reunion. Serving in various production capacities on her 鈥�#StopAsianKate鈥� were Lauren Gadd 鈥�06, who worked camera, Katie Laurence 鈥�24, who worked as assistant camera, Alicia Reynolds 鈥�07, who acted in the film, Stevie Kloeber 鈥�07, who traveled to Los Angeles from Minnesota to serve as script supervisor, and Dean Karasinski 鈥�06, who worked in production design, art department, craft services and as producer.

All three short films, Boyd鈥檚 鈥淭he Life and Time of …,鈥� Evans鈥檚 鈥淪hadow Dusk鈥� and Mirai鈥檚 鈥�#StopAsianKate,鈥� will have their world premieres at the first 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival, in late July.

Hollyhock House at Barnsdall Art Park
Perched atop Olive Hill, the Hollyhock House stands as one of Frank Lloyd Wright鈥檚 most significant West Coast works and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in the early 1920s for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall, the home represents Wright鈥檚 experimentation with blending architecture and environment, what he called 鈥渙rganic architecture.鈥�

Students explored the house鈥檚 Mayan Revival influences, geometric motifs and the iconic hollyhock flower design woven throughout the structure. The site offered a powerful introduction to how Los Angeles became a testing ground for architectural innovation, especially during a time when the city was rapidly expanding and redefining itself culturally.

Downtown Los Angeles: Layers of History and Movement
Traveling via the Los Angeles Metro, students experienced the city as Angelenos do, through its evolving public transit system,聽before diving into the heart of downtown.

Union Station –聽Opened in 1939, Union Station is often called the 鈥淟ast of the Great Railway Stations.鈥� Its architecture blends Spanish Colonial Revival, Mission Revival, and Art聽Deco styles, reflecting Los Angeles鈥檚聽layered cultural identity. Inside, students observed the grandeur of its waiting rooms, tiled聽floors, and wooden beam ceilings, symbols of a bygone era when rail travel defined urban movement.

Angels Flight – Just a short walk away, Angels Flight, the world鈥檚 shortest railway, offered insight into the city鈥檚 early 20th-century infrastructure. Originally built in 1901, the funicular once transported residents up Bunker Hill, a neighborhood that has since undergone dramatic redevelopment. Its preservation speaks to ongoing efforts to maintain pieces of Los Angeles鈥� historic fabric amid modernization.

Los Angeles City Hall & Chinatown
At City Hall, students discussed civic architecture and governance, noting the building鈥檚 Art Deco style and symbolic prominence in the LA skyline. Nearby Chinatown provided a contrasting cultural lens, highlighting immigrant histories, urban displacement and the evolution of ethnic enclaves in Los Angeles.

Olvera Street
Often referred to as the birthplace of Los Angeles, Olvera Street immerses visitors in Mexican-American heritage. Students explored its marketplace, murals and historic buildings while discussing the complexities of cultural preservation versus commercialization. The site reflects both celebration and simplification of heritage, an important conversation in art and public history.

Angelus Temple & Echo Park
In Echo Park, students visited Angelus Temple, a striking example of early 20th-century religious architecture and a cornerstone of the Foursquare Church movement founded by evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson. Built in 1923, the temple reflects a blend of revivalist architecture and emerging media-savvy religious practices, as McPherson was one of the first to use radio to reach a national audience.

The surrounding Echo Park neighborhood added another layer to the visit, offering insight into how communities evolve over time. Once a streetcar suburb, Echo Park has transformed into a culturally vibrant area shaped by waves of immigration, artistic communities, and, more recently, gentrification. Together, the site and neighborhood sparked discussion on the intersection of faith, media and urban change.

The Gamble House
In Pasadena, students visited the Gamble House, a masterpiece of the American Arts and Crafts movement designed by architects Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Greene in 1908. Commissioned by the Procter & Gamble family, the home emphasizes craftsmanship, natural materials, and harmony with its surroundings.

Students examined intricate woodwork, custom furnishings, and the intentional use of light and space鈥攈allmarks of the Arts and Crafts philosophy, which emerged as a reaction against industrialization. The visit provided a striking contrast to Wright鈥檚 modernism, allowing students to compare different architectural responses to similar cultural shifts.

Looking ahead: Final excursions
As the semester continues, students will expand their exploration of聽the city鈥檚聽artistic and architectural landscape with one final site visit.
The course will conclude with a visit to the Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. Celebrated for its sweeping stainless-steel forms and innovative acoustics, the building stands as a defining example of contemporary architecture in Los Angeles. Here, students will consider how modern design continues to push artistic and structural boundaries while shaping the city鈥檚 global cultural identity.

These excursions bring course themes to life, allowing students to critically engage with Los Angeles as a living museum. From early 20th-century architectural movements to the layered cultural histories embedded in downtown neighborhoods and beyond, each site offers a unique perspective on how art and environment shape one another.

By navigating the city firsthand, students not only deepen their understanding of art history but also develop a stronger connection to LA itself鈥攊ts stories, its communities and its ever-evolving identity.

The immersive Study USA Los Angeles semester and summer experiences offer students opportunities for alumni engagement, community service, unique academic classes with industry professionals and site-based experiential learning. .