Meet Izzy Shill | Writer/ Director/ Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Izzy Shill and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Izzy, how do you think about risk?
Being an artist is innately a risk. As an actor, you sacrifice yourself so an audience doesn’t have to. Writers dare to create even through tenacious, haunting thoughts that their ideas may in fact be the most mundane in the world. Directors lead, exposing their creative impulses to a team of people with the blind faith that they will follow. Investors gamble millions while crew members sacrifice time away from their loved ones. We all are taking a chance on each other in the film business. It’s a collective leap in the hopes that we all, together, tell a story that’s worth this enduring effort.

For me personally, I have had to continue to risk committing humiliating blunders in order to move forward. I managed that by surrounding myself with people who I know and love. I am honest with them that this is my first time doing something, whether it be learning an editing software or directing an entire feature.

If I hadn’t risked anything, I would still be where I started. Nowhere. To me, risk is the singular path to a creative life.

But find a decent side gig so you have a bed to sleep in and more than noodles to eat.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I’m a director. My first feature film, GOING NOWHERE, just came out in April. You can find it on Apple/ Google Play/ Amazon or any of the big ones where you can rent/ buy films.

I wanted to write a film that I could actually make instead of write another period epic that would stay safe and cozy
in a folder on my computer. I turned to people like the Duplass Brothers, Joe Swanberg and Lynn Shelton who have made ultra low budget films with their communities.

It almost became a found object art piece, except a film. I looked around me (in the midst of lockdown in 2020) and asked myself what I had access to at that very moment? I had my friends (who I missed terribly and wanted a reason to see). One of them had a farm. I decided to write an absurd mockumentary about us trying to make a film during the pandemic, employing a genre that would intentionally expose the fact that we had almost no resources. It could be messy. That was the point.

I wanted it to be a highly collaborative project so everyone felt invested instead of just viewing it as doing me a favor. Improvisation encouraged everyone to add their flair to the story. I acted in the project as well. There was no time for me to watch playback. Instead I watched the film in my kitchen after I flew back home (from Louisville, KY, where we shot).

It was a pants-on-fire style of filmmaking. A wild ride, to be sure, but I don’t think it’s sustainable.

However, the freeness, the unpredictability, and the chaos has kept our audiences engaged. I’m thrilled to say that in all of our screenings we’ve heard belly-laughs throughout . Bringing joy to world was the whole point of the project, so we’re pretty jazzed! 

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Are we talking about visiting LA?

Well, I live in Koreatown, so I’d start by taking them to my fav spots in that part of town. We’d have to pick between going to The Prince, Dan Sung Sa or Tokki depending on what vibe we were going for.

On a dive bar night, I’d take them to Crawfords to get some yummy fried chicken and baked beans.

We’d do a hike day in the Palisades starting at Temescal Canyon and getting brunch at Cafe Vida afterwards. (They recently had corn pancakes as a special. Good god, I’ve never tasted anything more delicious).

We’d people watch at Laurel Hardware one night and check out some comedy at Bar Lubitsch afterwards.

Another day I’d take them to the beach in Malibu. There’s a secret little door behind a gas station on PCH that a guy took me to on a date once. It looks like it’s private, but it’s not!

Then another night we’d check out some jazz at Sam’s First, a gorgeous but very strangely located bar. It’s right next to LAX. But such a vibe.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My dad! His name is Steve. He’s a director. I grew up visiting him on sets. He taught me that being a leader is giving people on your team the space to succeed. Plus, he’s hilarious.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/izzy_shill/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my8btPZvVOg

Image Credits
Devon Wycoff Souki Mehdahoui Jim Chapa Kelsey Tyler