51ÉçÇø

Staff & Faculty

• Kevin Cooper - Director of SiLA

  Kevin Cooper is the Director of Semester in L.A. at 51ÉçÇø, where he helps students bridge the gap between creative education and the realities of the entertainment industry. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and UCLA’s MFA program in Creative Producing, Kevin began his career at CAA before joining Michael Bay’s team, later serving as a studio executive at Fox 2000 under Laura Ziskin, and leading development for Digital Domain, where he produced Secondhand Lions for New Line Cinema. He remains an active filmmaker, having produced Good Guy with a Gun (2024) and currently developing American Remains, a feature thriller he plans to direct in 2026. Kevin believes that in a rapidly changing creative landscape, success comes not from chasing trends but from knowing who you are and what you stand for. “Authenticity is the one thing no one can teach you,” he says. “Your individuality, your humor, your empathy, your way of seeing—is your power. The people who last in this business are the ones who lead with their humanity.” To him, Semester in L.A. isn’t just a program, it’s a proving ground for the next generation of creators to find their voice, take risks, and step into the world as themselves.

• Michelle West - Assistant Director, Internships & Housing

  A Minnesota native, Michelle is an active director whose films have won numerous awards on the festival circuit. Starting out as an assistant director, producer, and actor, she brings over 15 years of production experience in the entertainment industry working for studios and independent companies alike, including Disney, NBCUniversal, Fox, Plan B, Lifetime, and the Duplass Brothers. She's an engaged member of the Director’s Guild of America and a graduate of the UCLA TFT Program for Acting. Michelle is honored to offer her expertise to 51ÉçÇø students as both an Adjunct Professor and the Assistant Director of Semester in LA, focused on pulling back the curtain on Hollywood to reveal how students can proactively forge their creative career path.

• Dirk Blackman

   

  DIRK BLACKMAN received his BA from 51ÉçÇø University and his MFA from AFI. He made his start as an assistant at the William Morris Agency before co-producing the indie feature Friends and Enemies. As a solo writer, Blackman has optioned over 25 screenplays and pilots sold to major studios and independent films produced by indies and mini majors. His most recent screenplay was the 2020 release Deep Blue Sea 3. In addition, he has helped build internal and external communications strategies for global brands including Nike, Sunglass Hut, RED Digital Cinema and Kodak. Since 2017, Blackman has been teaching Pitching Hollywood classes as an Adjunct Professor for 51ÉçÇø.

   

• Rona Edwards

  Rona Edwards was Vice President of Creative Affairs for John Larroquette, Academy Award-winner Michael Phillips, and Emmy-winning Producer Fern Field before becoming an independent producer. Her producing credits include: Killer Hair, Hostile Makeover, Blind Trust (Lifetime), One Special Victory (NBC), The Companion (USA/SyFi), I Know What You Did (ABC), Out Of Sync (VH1), and Der Morder Meiner Mutter (Sat.1). Documentaries include: Selling Sex in Heaven (CBC), Selling Sex (Ralston Ltd) and Unforgettable (PBS). She has had projects made or in development with CBS, ABC, NBC, HBO, Phoenix, Edward R. Pressman, USA Network, SyFi Channel, Warner Bros., and David Wolper. When she isn’t developing projects in television, feature film, and transmedia, Rona writes for various publications/newspapers including Produced By and Script magazine, and co-wrote the bestselling books, I Liked It, Didn’t Love It: Screenplay Development From The Inside Out!, and The Complete Filmmakers Guide to Film Festivals.

   

   

• Trischa Gamus

  Trischa is a creative marketer, storyteller, and vision-driven leader with 15 years of professional experience spanning Streaming, Film, Television, and Music. Trischa currently works in Social Media Marketing at Spotify and previously held positions at Universal, Amazon 20th Century Studios, Fox Broadcasting, Live Nation, and The Walt Disney Company. She served as a lead change-maker in entertainment leading the development and execution of digital campaigns for award-winning television and film titles including Sing 2, Bohemian Rhapsody, Love Simon, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Bones, The Wilds and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan.

   

• Troy Takaki

  Troy Takaki moved to Los Angeles in 1990 to pursue his filmmaking career after graduating with a degree in cinema from San Francisco State University. Starting in television, he worked on such hit series as “Desperate Housewives,” “Ally McBeal,” and “Tales from the Crypt” Troy Takaki has cut such box office hits as “Sweet Home Alabama,” “The Bounty Hunter,” “Fool’s Gold,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” and “Hitch.” Takaki is one of the few picture editors that splits his time between features and television. He recently edited shows such as “YOU” and “Mr. Mercedes”, and the movie “Cheaper by the Dozen.” He is currently working on the series “Dead Boy Detectives” for HBO MAX. In addition to editing, Takaki has also been active in the ACE internship program since 2003. He founded the ACE Diversity Mentorship Program in 2015, its mission statement being, “To help mentor young editors with the goal of them being ACE members one day and to create a more diverse editing community that includes members of traditionally underrepresented groups.” Takaki is also an Adjunct Professor at 51ÉçÇø where he teaches the class “Career Planning Post-Production”

   

   

• Rachel Raimist

   

  Dr. Rachel A. Raimist is a working television director, filmmaker, and educator whose career bridges Hollywood and higher education in a way few others can. A Directors Guild of America leader and advocate for inclusion, she has directed some of the most celebrated series on television — including Bel-Air (Peacock), CSI: Vegas (CBS), Elsbeth (CBS), Queen Sugar (OWN, created by Ava DuVernay), Wu-Tang: An American Saga (Hulu), The Sex Lives of College Girls (Max), Roswell, New Mexico (CW), and Nancy Drew (CW). A UCLA-trained filmmaker with a Ph.D. in Feminist Studies, Dr. Raimist brings both creative rigor and cultural insight to everything she does. In her national leadership roles at the DGA, she develops programs that expand opportunities for women, Latine, and disabled directors—translating her on-set expertise into real-world impact. What makes her extraordinary is that she’s often teaching one day and directing network television the next, giving her students an inside view of how professionals prepare, communicate, and thrive in high-stakes creative environments.

   

• Andrew Gurland

   

  Andrew Gurland is the showrunner and executive producer of Platonic on Apple TV+, the hit comedy starring Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, recently renewed for a second season. A veteran of high-profile television and feature filmmaking, Gurland also served as showrunner for Netflix’s Unstable starring Rob Lowe, consulting producer on Hulu’s Reboot, and creator of the acclaimed FX series Married. His feature film work includes writing and producing The Last Exorcism for Lionsgate, writing and directing The Virginity Hit for Sony Pictures, and co-directing the Sundance Grand Jury Prize–winning HBO documentary Frat House with Todd Phillips (The Hangover). Across Apple, Netflix, FX, Hulu, Lionsgate, and HBO, Gurland has built a reputation for sharp, character-driven storytelling that blends comedy and authenticity—making him an exceptional mentor for students eager to break into today’s television and streaming landscape.

   

• Andrew Orenstein

  Andrew Orenstein is a rare industry-insider turned top-tier educator whose credits span sketch, half-hour comedy, multi-camera sitcoms and one-hour drama. His career began as one of the original writers on 3rd Rock from the Sun (NBC) starring John Lithgow, and he went on to co-executive produce the groundbreaking single-camera sitcom Malcolm in the Middle starring Frankie Muniz and Bryan Cranston—earning a Peabody Award along the way. Recently, he has overseen children’s and family programming at Apple TV+ (Ghostwriter – Emmy winner), Amazon (Just Add Magic), and Apple TV+’s new series Circuit Breakers. As a UCLA and Loyola Marymount lecturer, he teaches “Running the TV Comedy Writers Room” and “Writing the Original Half-Hour Comedy Pilot.” For students who want real access to the studio machine—from pitch to pilot to production—his mentorship is simply unmissable.

   

   

• Robert Atwood

   

  Robert Atwood was recently named Head of Television at 21 Laps Entertainment—the powerhouse studio behind Stranger Things, Arrival, Free Guy, and The Adam Project (read the Deadline announcement here). Before joining 21 Laps, Robert served as Executive Vice President of Scripted Series & Digital Media at Legendary Television, where he oversaw prestige projects including the Monsterverse franchise (Godzilla and Kong for Apple TV+), Dune: Prophecy (HBO), Carnival Row, Paper Girls, and Night Sky. A 51ÉçÇø Film alumnus and proud Semester in LA graduate (Class of 2004), Robert returned to SiLA as faculty in 2022, quickly becoming a cornerstone of the LA Speaker Series and a mentor to students navigating the television industry. Robert’s recent promotion is both a personal milestone and a reminder of what 51ÉçÇø alumni can achieve. He’ll be in Canada this spring producing a new 21 Laps series, but we’re already looking forward to welcoming him back soon.