Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Isabelle Leonard. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Isabelle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

In the Fall of 2020, I was finally able to attend USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in person. Having graduated from high school in 2020, my first year of film school was online, and as you can imagine, it was tough. I had worked so hard to get into this prestigious school and had been looking forward to leaving sleepy Tennessee for almost all of my adolescent life, and here it finally was—laying out right in front of me, but I couldn’t have it yet.

I finally get to school at the beginning of my sophomore year for my third semester. For a short film project for class, I cast an actress (and fellow USC student) named Shaina Franks, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in my entire creative career. Fast-forward to December, and I get a text from Shaina asking me to direct a script she had written. Interested (obviously), I opened up the script, called Bigger Problems, and quickly realized it was over sixty pages.

I can’t remember if I gasped or laughed, or both. I mean, most people would tell you that making a good feature film requires an amount of money, time, and talent that is simply unattainable for most students and young people in general. And this script was definitely a feature, even if Shaina hadn’t admitted it to herself yet.

I sat down by the window in my dorm and read it. I followed Carissa, our protagonist, a teenage girl in high school, as she struggles with societal expectations, uneasy friendships, unfortunate crushes, and self-love.

I laughed, I cringed, I cried. It made me feel so seen, so understood, so represented. I remember thinking to myself, This could be so good. I have to make sure this is done right. The story was important enough that I felt I had to make sure it was left in the right hands, even if those hands weren’t mine.

I met with Shaina, and from the fact that she already had a partial schedule and budget broken down, I knew this movie was getting made with or without me.

How could I say no? I would have been an idiot to say no to such an opportunity, even if I didn’t feel ready, even if I wasn’t qualified, even if I was a full time student in school, even if it sounded outright insane. I mean, does anyone ever really feel ready to direct a feature?

I took the leap, knowing that at the very least, I would learn so much and become a better artist, collaborator, and filmmaker. And boy, am I glad I did.

One of the most beautiful things about Bigger Problems is that I was surrounded by a team of so many talented women—a completely new experience for me. Almost all of our department heads were and are women. Simply put. Bigger Problems is a film that is by women, for women.

82 pages. 13 days. 15k. We did it.

This project means so much to me, not only because of the story itself and the people involved, but because I believe so much more in myself now. I only cried twice! Considering our insane schedule, budget, and timeline, that’s a huge win in my book. The fact that we even shot the damn thing is an accomplishment in and of itself. Sometimes I can’t believe it really even happened.

Being an artist is hard. You’re always comparing yourself to others. Being an artist at an institution like USC is even harder. Everyone is talented, and everyone is always working or winning. Bigger Problems was my win. It was my crew’s win. It was anyone who ever helped me get to where I am today’s win.

Furthermore, it will always have a special place in my heart. Years from now, even as I grow in my craft and look back on it with an ever-increasing critical glare, I will always remember the experience as a blessing, and I will always know that we did it, against all odds.

Isabelle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

While some people are able to identify a specific moment or project as the catalyst for their creative aspirations, I would say I discovered my love for filmmaking through a series of stepping stones throughout my childhood and early adulthood. I got into filmmaking first and foremost because I liked to write; I started writing my first novel in fifth grade. Eventually, I took a class at Duke University about writing screenplays, and I loved it. That next year in school, I decided to take an Audio-Visual Production class at my public high school, and the rest is history. But it all started with stories.

I’m also a leader—always have been, always will be. Combining this, my love for stories, and my interpersonal skills, directing movies seems like the thing I was made to do, and I love doing it. When I’m not directing my own passion projects, I’m helping my friends with theirs, whether it be as a producer, editor, cinematographer, or general on-set hand.

I’m proud of where my career is right now. I never thought I would be able to say that I directed a feature film at 21 years old, but I still have doubts (like all creatives). Even after directing Bigger Problems, I still worry that I’m behind my peers, that I have no chance of becoming a director, or that I don’t work hard enough. So, if you ever find yourself feeling that way, know that you aren’t alone.
All in all, I’d say the biggest thing I want people to know is that I want to direct film and television more than anything in the world. Sometimes the passion can be downright painful. The first time I saw Fast Times at Ridgemont High, I actually cried and felt this immense, heavy, deep pain in my chest because of how much I loved the movie and in turn, how much I wanted to do what the director Amy Heckerling was doing. I really can’t put into words how I feel about movies, honestly. And that’s probably my biggest strength.

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Some days I feel like I’m still figuring out WHY I want to direct films. I remember writing all about it in my film application essays, but that seems so distant. Even if I could remember what I wrote, it’s probably changed since then.

Right now, I believe I’m driven to make films that have the potential to become a part of the audience’s identity. I rewatched Stand By Me (directed by Rob Reiner) for the first time in years a few months ago and realized I had forgotten how important this film was in developing my artistic identity. The way the characters talk about destiny and creativity shaped the way I saw my own future, as the film presents the idea that you can just tell some people are made and put on this earth to do specific things, like tell stories. Ever since I was old enough to understand this, I applied this philosophy to my own life, which helped me believe in myself. I thought, “Hey, maybe I’m one of those people. Maybe I was made to tell stories.”

That’s the kind of thing I want my films to do. I am constantly chasing that kind of powerful catharsis in everything I make.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

This is a lesson I’m still unlearning, but I’m going to talk about it anyway because I think it is important:
In our society, we are constantly told that our value as a person depends on our productivity, but that is simply incorrect. You are inherently important and deserving of love, with or without your accomplishments. No human has the right or the jurisdiction to decide your worthiness, including yourself. You have just got to tell that little voice in your head to stop. It’s not conducive to your happiness, and it’s not conducive to your creativity.

I know that we live in a world where it is now easier than ever to take a sneak peek into others’ lives, providing more opportunities for us to compare ourselves to others. This makes it especially hard to see yourself as valuable without your career. But ultimately, life is about living and not about legacy. I have to remind myself every day that I am a human being, NOT a “human do-ing.”

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iconicizzy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelleleonard/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCneYAazzvPKC_BWgHrU5Xqg/featured
• Other: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/isabelleleonard

Image Credits
Kai Hashimoto Lane Stanley Isabelle Leonard