About
Erin Coleman’s creative tastes were rooted in riot grrl, punk rock, and indie music scenes, which led her to Chicago where she originally studied Journalism at Columbia College Chicago and fell in love with storytelling. Encouraged by a DIY aesthetic, her feminist ideals, and growing digital platforms, she explored her storytelling and media skills through her blog, Dynamite in a Dixie Cup, where she interviewed and highlighted women in every area of art and culture. Interviews and essays included Alice Bag, frontwoman of the legendary 1970’s LA punk band, The Bags, historian Erin Dorbin, art director and designer Kara Haupt, podcasts by filmmakers Elaine McMillion Sheldon and Sarah Ginsburg, and more. Researching, art directing, and creating this work would eventually lead Erin to directing, and her work would never lose the rebellious edge these female creators instilled within her.
Erin briefly left school to explore career opportunities in the beauty industry before entering the nonprofit world. Her commitment to sharing women’s stories and amplifying the work of underrepresented communities strengthened, and she sought to combine these passions when she moved to Los Angeles and complete the Film and Media program at Mount Saint Mary’s University. In addition to a passion for social change, she brought along influences from filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro, Céline Sciamma, and Penelope Spheeris, as well as musical and visual references ranging from Angel Olsen to Beyonce’s visual albums, William Eggleston, skate videos, and more.
Erin’s skills and perspective have expanded, but her directorial work continues to focus on women and their communities in Los Angeles. Through her classes and service as the Public Relations Chair for the Women in Film and Media Club at MSMU, Erin has produced, directed, and interviewed subjects about the female perspective in a variety of industries and areas. Her subjects have included Kay Hanley, lead singer of Letters to Cleo and co-founder of Songwriters of North America (SONA), Amy Cassandra Martinez, an independent Latinx creator in the pop culture space, as well as creating music video class projects for female artists like Princess Nokia and Angel Olsen. She has also PA’ed and interned for Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Sarah Moshman in addition to interning with Paramount Pictures, NBCUniversal, and HBO Max.
Her final class project will be a documentary short focusing on Quarantine Boxing Club, a community club formed by boxer Michelle Muñoz during the COVID-19 pandemic that provides free boxing lessons, with all donations supporting community organizations. She hopes to continue sharing women’s diverse experiences, backgrounds, and goals with the aim of uplifting and uniting women around the world.