Newland Pictures is uplifting student voices in a brand new way.

Founded in 2023, the student-run production company provides opportunities and guidance to those wanting to break into the film industry. Third-year theater student Emily Newland said she created Newland Pictures with the intent of circulating underrepresented stories on screen. Newland said there was no centralized way for students at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television to connect when the company was first developed.

“We’ve been collaborating with a bunch of students so that we can create our own opportunities in the film and acting world,” Newland said. “We (shouldn’t) have to wait for other people to give us an opportunity to do anything that we feel passionate about.”

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Inspired by Academy Award-winning actress Taraji P. Henson’s performances, Newland said she wanted to start her own production company to emulate the personalized representation she saw in her projects as a young girl. She added that she knew she wanted to help people through her career and believed she could do so by bringing them joy through entertainment.

In the hopes of making their big community smaller, Newland said she created “TFT Connect,” a resource page to help students in the department build better networks across all specializations, this year. The platform also serves as the primary way for people to learn more about Newland Pictures, she said. Although around 75% of its members are UCLA students, Newland added that all prospective filmmakers and actors are welcome to get involved.

Edwin Zha, a third-year theater student, said his projects with Newland Pictures serve as a practical application of his academic coursework. He said most of his theater classes consist of monologue scenes and script work. However, they do not culminate in any big project. Taking the skills he has acquired in the classroom and turning them into content with the production company has taught him how to properly navigate all sides of filmmaking, he added.

“I think there’s so much value in learning both sides behind the camera and in front of the camera when it comes to action because you have an understanding concept of what’s going on,” Zha said. “It makes you much more well rounded as an artist.”

Highlighting the importance of exploring opportunities beyond the traditional classroom setting, Newland Pictures gives students the resources to explore niches outside of their comfort zone, said Keara Hedican, a third-year theater student. Having starred in the organization’s first film, “Call of the Siren,” Hedican said the production company gave her the chance to experiment with positions outside of acting, leading her toward costume design. She added that her personal goal is to navigate other avenues of the filmmaking process, such as directing, going forward.

In addition to facilitating creative expression, Newland Pictures serves as a networking tool to foster communication between the UCLA community and the professional world, Newland said. Given that there is no guaranteed job security out of college, she said it is important to have a designated space to build those relationships now. Students should get the opportunity to explore what makes them happy without feeling like they are constantly struggling to find those connections, she added.

“It’s a creative field where a lot of it does come from networking,” Newland said. “With so many conflicting variables that we have no control over, I thought it was so important that while we’re in this safety net of school, … we have each other to help lift each other up into higher positions and get us to where our collective goals are.”

Beverly D’Andrea, a third-year theater student, said she has learned how to direct, navigate a film set and expand her acting experience since working with the production company. As director of Newland Pictures’ second film, “Swimming in Shallow Water,” D’Andrea said she will have a product to include in her portfolio and can submit her work to film festivals in the future.

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Heavily relying on fundraising to produce its projects, the company sources everything on its own, D’Andrea said. She said the team covers all filming permits, sound equipment, insurance and transportation to sets. Overcoming these financial hurdles has been its biggest challenge. Furthermore, Newland said members of the production company are volunteering their own time to come together, so generating a steady stream of revenue would make the process a lot smoother.

Looking forward, Newland said she hopes Newland Pictures becomes as established stylistically as Tyler Perry Studios, so that when people hear the studio’s name, they know exactly what type of film they are getting. The goal of the company is for people to feel inspired that they can create something whether they have the resources or not, she added. No matter how big it grows, she said Newland Pictures will always be a production company that aims to share untold stories.

“Ideally, we create amazing, heartfelt real stories that other people … feel connected to, and with that exposure, … it will create a loop of lifting up more of our stories, other people will see it, and it’ll build reputability for the production company, and then that cycle will continue.” Newland said.