Fredrick Smith, a veteran broadcast TV technician, never thought he’d see the day he’d be working on a show like the one he produced last month. Then he came to Moon Global Studios, a multi-use creative space that is fast becoming the premier creative hub for independent artists and content creators in Inglewood.
And it’s all thanks to Pamela Moon, a 30-year CBS veteran.
“After 50 years in this business, as a Black man, I was able to produce a show hosted by a Black woman and in a space owned by a Black woman,” Smith said. “That was the cherry on top, and I couldn’t have done that 40 or 50 years ago.”
The creative space offers podcast studios, recording spaces, photography facilities, editing suites and event space.
Moon purchased the property in 2018. After renovations, she opened the studio four years later on North La Brea Avenue including a courtyard adorned by a wall mural.
“I wanted to have a space where we as a community and collective, could come together to work on our craft and not have to make that hike to Hollywood,” Moon said.
The studio’s mission is rooted in accessibility and community, Moon said. It was created to give local creators access to professional-grade resources without traveling to other areas like Culver City or the San Fernando Valley. She said the facility is designed to nurture talent, strengthen community connections and expand opportunities in media and the arts.
Before building the studio, Moon built a career in the television industry when few women, especially Black women, held technical leadership roles. Getting her start in the mailroom at CBS in 1981, she went on to work in production scheduling, satellite transmission and technical operations for shows like “The Young and the Restless.”
She retired from CBS in 2019.
“I always say being in the mailroom was the best job I’ve ever had because not only did I get to see what each department did, but I got to see where Black people in the company worked at that time,” Moon said.
In 2006, she also started her own company, With Grace Productions, and began creating videos for organizations like Holman United Methodist, the church she attended.
With the help of her son Everette — who serves as chief operating officer and audio engineer at Moon Global Studios — she’s now channeling that experience into creating opportunities for artists in Inglewood using a neighborhood-centered approach.
“I have a lot of creative friends that come here to do their work,” Moon’s son said, highlighting that he spent some of his childhood in Inglewood. “If we’re coming together in this area, why would we want to drive to another area?”
Moon’s commitment to the arts extends beyond the studio walls
Moon also serves as a commissioner representing Los Angeles County’s 2nd district under Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell.
For more than a decade, she’s advocated for arts access, equity and resources for community-based organizations.
“I saw that funding wasn’t as prominent south of the 10 freeway,” Moon told The LA Local. “I saw that organizations may have one event a year where they have to sustain themselves on this one event and I wanted to make a change.”
According to the LA County Arts and Culture website, much of its arts funding is being spent in downtown Long Beach.
In 2024, Moon helped to implement the Community Impact Arts Grants (CIAG) for community groups and nonprofits who need funding for the arts.
In the meantime, she continues to work on the next chapter for Moon Global Studios.
Moon Global Studios plans to launch an artist residency program that will allow creatives to spend eight weeks developing projects, refining their skills and collaborating with fellow artists in a studio space Moon is currently constructing on the property.
“I’m working on creating a partnership for the residency where they’ll be working with other artists and students in this space,” Moon said. “Then they go out into the world and be great.”
Moon said she plans to have the residency space ready by January of next year.
