Emma Kopkowski ’20 worked as a producer on “Visionaries,” a documentary that highlights the work of creative minds from around the world.
Emma Kopkowski ’20 worked as a producer on a new documentary starring actor Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger that seeks to answer one question: “Where does human creativity come from?”
The series, titled “Visionaries,” which premiered March 7, on the Roku Channel, follows Reeves and Hollinger as they meet up with creatives from around the world.
Reeves and Hollinger own Arch, a custom-production motorcycle manufacturer known for its creativity and innovative approaches. Kopkowski explained that the documentary was created to find individuals excelling in their own fields.
As a producer, Kopkowski was the liaison between the creative and logistical sides of the shoot. She helped cast the “visionaries” who Reeves and Hollinger visited and conducted research and interviews to learn about each of the featured creatives.
“It was a really exciting project for me to get to produce,” Kopkowski said. “I think that kind of stuff is fascinating, as well, and I got to meet so many inspiring people from so many different industries.”
Individuals featured in the documentary include Tim Ellis, who created the first entirely 3-D printed rocket; Kjetil Thorson, who founded Snøhetta, an architecture firm in Oslo; and Mattie Rodrigue, the science program director for Ocean X.
“I think that this docu-series shows some of the most fascinating people alive in this world right now,” Kopkowski said.
Kopkowski said she felt inspired and honored to help Reeves and Hollinger create the project.
“Keanu and Gard were just so excited to learn from other people, and it kind of just felt like I got to go on that journey with them, which was a real privilege,” Kopkowski said.
Kopkowski credited the Elon in Los Angeles program for setting her on a path to collaborate with people like Reeves. She participated in the program the summer before her senior year and interned with the Discovery Channel. Kopkowski said her professors encouraged her to stay in touch with everyone from her internship. As a result, after she graduated and moved to Los Angeles, Kopkowski was able to connect with television producer Brian Skope, the showrunner on “Visionaries.”
“I’ve gotten to work on a ton of Brian’s projects with him all because I kept in touch with people from my internship when I was at Elon,” said Kopowski.