local storiesJune 17, 2025

Meet The Boxie Studio of Fashion District LA

Local Stories

We’re excited to introduce you to the incredible Boxie Studio, and celebrate their (re)launch party on June 21st. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Riley Cole and Atlas Alma below.

Hi Riley Cole, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Atlas and Riley have been working together in the Immersive Theater world since 2022. Riley has been pretty involved in the production and performance of immersive/interactive art since they graduated in 2021, where Atlas then jumped in as a performer and multi-hyphenate creative.
Riley: We both have an interest in the craft of theater, but also in the many disciplines that go into production– stagecraft, costuming, lighting– as well as the more multimedia aspects like sound, projections, augmented reality, filmed content, etc. Combining this with our interest in using underground/underutilized spaces in immersive art made the perfect storm for us to become the new owners of The Boxie Studio.

Atlas: The previous owners of Boxie were planning on demolishing and moving out of this beautiful, sunlit studio in Downtown LA at the end of April 2025. We booked the studio through Peerspace for a promotional photoshoot for an immersive theatre production, but we were just blown away by the space’s potential. While we were at Boxie, we were struck by fate— Riley tripped over a wire and knocked over some lighting equipment in the studio, which instantly shattered all over the place. We had to call the owners to tell them what happened… but then we quickly hit it off! That’s the very conversation where we learned about their plans to shut things down So we had to get the keys. And we’ve been using our production backgrounds to make the vibes even better.

Riley: The Boxie Studio features multiple fully-realized sets, as well as an array of extremely modular furniture pieces and props. From the work we’ve done in producing filmed content as well as our recent background as students, we knew that the space could be used for so much more than its traditional niche as a photo studio. Our goal from the get-go was to create a mix-and-match vibe, where everyone who used our venue could transform it into something that was uniquely their own. Film productions, commercial shoots, documentaries, art installations, theater productions/rehearsals, parties, corporate team mixers, graduation events, album launch parties, comedy shows… we’ve got all the equipment you need, as well as some amazing connections if you need some folks to help make your dreams come true!

Our goal is to really emphasize how spaces can fit the needs of the community that uses it. So we hope that Boxie isn’t only a space for artists and creators, but also for people who need a space to bring their community together.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Riley: We were super lucky to find the space when we did, but that doesn’t mean it was the smoothest road. With the state of arts funding in America, we feel like we’re really taking a risk as young entrepreneurs. We’re not anticipating the kind of assistance we might’ve received even a year ago.

Atlas: Since we’re obtaining Boxie from previous owners, we’re also facing an interesting challenge in contending with the past reputation of the space. Boxie already has an established social media presence and reputation with it’s past clients. And that’s honestly both a blessing and a curse. We want people to see Boxie for what it is– an extremely dynamic space that people can use for just about any purpose, not just a photo studio with quirky props.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Riley: I’ve worked with Last Call Theatre, a local and very prolific immersive art company, since 2021. We’ve produced somewhere around 8 original, full-length shows. Each piece features live performances and heavy face-to-face interaction between the actors and audience, where the audience makes choices that determine the course of the story. Each story often features heavy fantasy elements, puzzles, moral dilemmas, and real time combat and romance. Think Netflix’s “Bandersnatch” meets long-time immersive show “Sleep No More.” I’ve written for, performed in, and produced for various productions. I’ve even done some sound and lighting design work. But as my fellow theater people know, it’s seldom that theater pays rent, so I’m more and more interested in the entrepreneurial side of the business, which is why I started my own multi-media company this year, WUBB Media, which is a part owner of The Boxie Studio.

Atlas: I’ve definitely always considered myself a multi-media artist. And that’s what first drew me to this project— it was a chance to experiment and expand! We both come from schools and universities that have reputations for intensity. While Riley is from the traditional research institution USC, I’m from a more new-age, experimental program at CalArts. It’s been a huge endeavor to add all of the features we had in mind for Boxie, but we haven’t been alone. My mom, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, was always a DIY fanatic. She loved taking on furniture restoration and remodeling projects— basically everything we owned growing up was taken off a street corner and turned into something beautiful. So Boxie has definitely brought us closer in that way.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is:

Bringing people together.
Creating opportunities for your community.
Supporting yourself with work you can be proud of.
Loving the people around you.
Loving what you do.
Loving.

Pricing:

$34/hr for Productions
$89/hr for Events

Contact Info:

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