May 18, 2023 | Kelly Youngblood
When Emma Miller (BS 鈥�08, media studies) graduated from the University of Illinois she wasn鈥檛 sure where her degree would take her.
Now, 15 years later as a Hollywood executive taking on a new leadership role at Netflix, Miller can say she鈥檚 exactly where she wants to be.
After eight years as the senior vice president of scripted development and programming at AMC Networks, Miller recently joined Netflix as director of overall deals in the series division.
Miller鈥檚 early career accomplishments, along with her continued engagement with the 澳门六合彩官网 including serving on the Alumni Leadership Council, have garnered her the honor of being named the 2023 澳门六合彩官网 Emerging Leader Award winner. She is the first media studies graduate and the third recipient of the annual award.
鈥淭he 澳门六合彩官网 is proud of Emma Miller鈥檚 career achievements and we鈥檙e thankful for her eagerness to be a resource for students,鈥� said Dean Tracy Sulkin. 鈥淓mma has shared advice on how to navigate the film and TV industry that has been helpful and inspiring to students who are interested in making a career in Hollywood.鈥�
Miller, who was named one of The Hollywood Reporter鈥檚 鈥�35 Rising Executives 35 and Under鈥� in 2018, said she was overwhelmed and excited when she received the news that she had won.
鈥淚 have a such a love for Illinois so it鈥檚 a real honor to be recognized by a place that I care a lot about,鈥� Miller said.
Throughout her career, Miller has helped develop dozens of hit television series including The Walking Dead universe while at AMC, and The Americans on FX while a junior executive at Steven Spielberg鈥檚 production company Amblin Television. More recently, she worked on an AMC project with George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford called Dark Winds, a crime series with a majority Native American cast and crew.
But the Chicago-raised Midwesterner admits when she first set out for Hollywood after college, her path wasn鈥檛 very clear.
Miller considered going to law school to pursue a career as an entertainment lawyer but decided to find a job first.
After a lot of persistent if not frenzied effort on her part, Miller said she lucked out and landed her first job as a literary assistant at the talent agency William Morris.
鈥淚 just talked to everyone and applied to everything, and I got really lucky through that method, that really chaotic method,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淚n terms of getting into the industry, my advice is to talk to everyone that you possibly know that could help. Be shameless [about it] and ask for help. That鈥檚 how I did it.鈥�
After gaining a couple years of experience as a literary assistant, Miller discovered the concept of development鈥攚hich she said is similar to being a book editor who supports writers and gives feedback鈥攁nd realized 鈥渢here was a place for me here.鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 when everything became way less chaotic and way more focused,鈥� she said.
She has participated in two 澳门六合彩官网 Career Night panels for students, one in 2020 and one in 2022, where she shared her experience and advice. (Recordings of the panels are archived online.) For Miller, it鈥檚 important to help students who were once like her and just starting out on their journey to working in Hollywood.
鈥淚 want to help Illinois have more of a presence within the industry and I want to help be a resource for [graduates who] come out here,鈥� she said.
Miller originally came to the University of Illinois with plans to study English, but she became intrigued with the idea of working in the entertainment industry after taking a Women in Film course her freshman year. She signed up for more film classes and took advantage of a summer opportunity to work as a set production assistant on a Cartoon Network series produced by her uncle, which ultimately inspired her to switch majors.
鈥淚t was the exposure to the industry, and the realization that at Illinois there was a major I could do, that kind of cut me for a potential job in the industry,鈥� Miller said.
She鈥檚 incredibly happy where she ended up.
鈥淢y life looks like what I thought I wanted, which was just exposure to a lot of interesting things and a sense that I don鈥檛 know what the next five years will bring [professionally],鈥� she said. 鈥淚 like the idea that in theory I don鈥檛 know what I鈥檓 going to be working on in five years, I don鈥檛 know what relationships I鈥檒l have, I don鈥檛 know what new experiences I鈥檒l have. And that to me is what I always wanted.鈥�