Wherever showrunner Carol Barbee is, chances are, Emlyn Crenshaw's there, too.

In the writer’s room, on set, in a post-production suite - as the showrunner's assistant on the Netflix series "Raising Dion," Crenshaw can be found all over the place.

Needless to say, it's been a fast paced - but educational - 18 months. 

“The entire experience of being a showrunner's assistant has made me a stronger and smarter writer,” Crenshaw said.

“My boss is wonderful, so nice, so supportive, I’ve learned a ton from her. The process has not been without stress but it has been very easy to work with and easy to spend time with my boss.”

Crenshaw, 26, moved to Los Angeles from her hometown of Richmond, Virginia, in 2016. Fast-forward three years later, and she's counting down the days until "Raising Dion," a sci-fi/superhero drama about a widow who learns her son has superpowers, will premiere.

“I think it’ll be something both kids and parents will like,” Crenshaw said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

But the journey here was something like Crenshaw had never experienced before. For one, Barbee and Crenshaw spend a lot of time together. That’s what happens when you’re a showrunner’s assistant. But, Crenshaw says, the experience truly depends on the showrunner themselves and the show’s platform, especially as the industry changes with the rise of streaming services like Netflix. 

Crenshaw and the “Raising Dion” crew have been working since August of 2017. First, according to Crenshaw, the entire show was written and prepped for production. Then, production began followed by months of post-production.

“I know Netflix does things differently. They aren’t on a time table,” Crenshaw said. “They take their time. Network shows typically do everything at once.”

For Crenshaw, the segmented nature of creating “Raising Dion,” cultivated an easy-going, supportive and educational environment where she could focus on improving as a writer, her dream job. 

“It’s cool, I’ve had a stable job for two years and it’s allowed me to really focus on each stage of the process,” Crenshaw said. “First, I focused on the writer’s room. I was there, listening to things, taking notes, watching how it works, seeing how someone is successful in a writer’s room.

Then, my focus changed to production, we prepped and shot for six months. And now we are in post-production. It’s been helpful because I’m not overwhelmed with trying to learn everything at once, it’s a very doable pace.” 

On a daily basis, Crenshaw is her showrunner’s lifeline and what she does truly runs the gamut and depends on the stage of production. Crenshaw consistently works on her boss’s schedule as it’s busy and her attention is often vied for. She works on setting up meetings and often takes notes during them. 

“My boss is the head honcho. She makes the final decision about music, visual effects, editing, etc. so on any given day in post-production there are four to six different departments that need her attention at any given time. So it’s my job to make Tetris with the schedule to make everything fit so everyone gets answers they need in proper amount of time.”

But answering emails and calls and back office support is only a small portion of her day-to-day tasks.

“We filmed in Atlanta and we shot overnight, sometimes on set in the middle of a forest,” Crenshaw said. “At 3a.m. I’d be trying to track people down in the middle of the forest. I’d have to make sure my bosses attention was on what it needed to be so everything could get done in a timely manner.”

Crenshaw said the show shot on multiple locations, often overnight from 5-6pm until 7am in the morning. 

“I’m so lucky, I can’t get over how lucky I am to have this job,” Crenshaw said.  

Crenshaw says she got the job by being straightforward and requesting what she wanted. This came after her first gig in 2016 at a reality TV production company. 

“We were hiring a showrunner for something and I was on phone for all phone interviews and I thought ‘that seems like the coolest job—a showrunner.’ I knew I didn’t want to be in reality but I was curious what that looks like on scripted side of things. An old college friend of my mom [Carol Barbee] was show runner out here. I got dinner with her. She and my mom hadn’t talked for 10 or so years but we got dinner and hit it off. I was straight forward. I said, ‘I work in reality, I don’t want to do that, I want to write and do what you do and learn what it’s like to have a hand in creative direction and also be producer and be decision maker.”

When Barbee got the greenlight on “Raising Dion,” she called Crenshaw to be her assistant. 

But Crenshaw also feels lucky because the job is helping her to prepare for her future goal of becoming a comedy writer in Hollywood. From networking and learning various sides of the industry to making friends with people who can push her original content forward: Crenshaw believes her time as a showrunner’s assistant will benefit her in the long run. 

“Lastly, being on set and watching how much sweat goes into this stuff, and being in the office every day, there is always something new,” Crenshaw said. “Some costume causing issues, visual effects being tricky, I think I understand way better what it means to go from a script to something on screen.”

Crenshaw also spent five months taking notes in the writer’s room, and even had the ability to throw out show pitches a few days a week. 

“I don’t know if its common but for me it is something that I got to do,” Crenshaw said. “
As a showrunner’s assistant, I see all phases of the process to getting something made. I’m there when stuff is being shot, in table reads, meetings. I’m meeting important people but I’m meeting people I can see myself being in 20 years. I’m meeting the right people but not because they are in the right position but because of their values.”

When Crenshaw isn’t running around assisting her boss, she gets a lot of free time to write her own material.

“My goal is to create my own comedy series,” Crenshaw said. “I’m really trying to work on my portfolio of work so I have really good samples. It’s helping me prepare samples to hopefully get a manager and eventually get staffed.”

Her advice for anyone looking to break into the business? 

“Whenever you meet people in scripted, whether you want to be a showrunner assistant, line producer, etc. don’t be shy about being clear about what you want,” Crenshaw said. “Most people wouldn’t have their jobs unless someone gave them help at some point.” 

“Raising Dion” is expected to premiere in 2019.