From Script to Screen

By Emily Hung ’23, March 24, 2023

Alex Isbell ’26 wins the 2023 YoungArts award for film.

Alex Isbell ’26 took a gap year after high school to work on her film.

(Photo Submitted)

Alex Isbell ’26 has always loved writing, especially prose and poetry, but it wasn’t until after she graduated from high school that she was introduced to the idea of film as a career. And she’s a quick study.

Currently majoring in writing for film, television, and emerging media, Isbell took a gap year before enrolling at Ithaca College for the 2022–23 school year. That’s when she created a short film that became a finalist—the highest award level—at the 2023 YoungArts competition. “It’s really surreal, and I’m genuinely in awe,” Isbell said.

Isbell’s film, J’accucumber, was shot in Normandy, France, in spring 2022 while she was participating in the Berridge Gap Year Program, led by professional artists.

The film is about three aristocrats living during World War II who bicker over whose job it is to dispose of the body of a soldier who has died on the property line that separates their three estates. The film showcases Isbell’s favorite genres, satire and dark comedy.

Isbell’s film, J’accucumber, was shot in Normandy, France, in spring 2022. (Photo submitted)

Isbell first pitched the idea of her short film to her screenwriting professor, and then, under a tight deadline spent several days writing the script, casting actors, and holding preproduction meetings. The filming itself was completed in one day. “I loved working with my peers, who I respect so much, and learning from them,” Isbell said. “Film is a very collaborative process, and all of us specialize in different things.”

As a finalist, Isbell attended National YoungArts Week in Miami, Florida, this past January. There, she took part in master classes taught by industry professionals, worked with musicians to write film scores, and met some of the most talented dancers in the country.

Isbell says one of the most important lessons she took away from the week was the importance of displaying confidence in her work and thinking of herself as a filmmaker. “To me, it’s not so much about award shows or winning awards, because it’s all subjective, and it’s all art,” Isbell said. “But being at an age with that validation is kind of great because you never really know if what you’re doing is the right thing or if you have merit in this. So, a big part of the award is just telling young filmmakers, ‘Hey, you have a good vision, and you just need to keep pursuing it.’ And I’ve been so changed from it honestly. I’ve been way more passionate to pursue this and to be good at what I do. I really want to be good at my craft.”

“The fact that you can get your hands on equipment [at Ithaca College] really early was a big draw for me because I know the biggest thing for film students is the ability to make your own work. I feel like Ithaca has a really great dombination of academia and practical experience.”

Alex Isbell ’26

Isbell’s favorite part of the week was the cinematography master class, where she learned to write visual language. “As a screenwriter, I’m not a very visual person, and the class showed me how visual I can be with my language, which is like the visual description in the screenplay,” she said. “It was taught by a cinematographer who has stayed in touch with all of us and is really invested in our futures. It’s great to have that support.”

For Isbell, the opportunity to get hands-on experience at IC was a major draw. (Photo submitted)

Making her film and participating in the Berridge program made Isbell realize how much she loved film. “It was an environment where I had master classes with industry professionals, and it was half academic, half hands-on,” she said. “Every part of it made me realize that I just want to be in film school.”

Now, she’s taken her skills to the Roy H. Park School of Communications. Isbell says she applied to Ithaca College because of the hands-on opportunities she would get as a first-year student. “The fact that you can get your hands on equipment really early was a big draw for me because I know the biggest thing for film students is the ability to make your own work,” Isbell said. “I feel like Ithaca has a really great combination of academia and practical experience.”

She’s currently part of the college’s TV station, ICTV, and is also working on her own projects. Isbell credits her screenwriting classes and professors at the college for feeding her curiosity and hunger to learn and improve her craft. “When I visited, I got a great vibe from the people,” she said. “Everyone was great to work with, and I think that’s the biggest part about film school,” she said. “For me, the biggest draw for going to college for film is the environment, the people, the connections, and the projects.”

“[Alex] is truly inspiring and a deeply sensitive, intuitive artist certain to make exciting contributions to our film community in the years ahead.”

Kimberley Browning, panel chair for YoungArts Film

Looking to the future, Isbell says she dreams of being her own showrunner. But for now, she is content with television writing. “I feel like I’m definitely someone who learns a lot from the people I work with, and the more I work with other students at Ithaca, the more I just love film and I want to learn from them,” Isbell said.

Kimberley Browning, panel chair for YoungArts Film, calls Isbell a natural storyteller. “Her sharp wit and observational comedic instincts are wildly mature beyond her age,” Browning said. “She is truly inspiring and a deeply sensitive, intuitive artist certain to make exciting contributions to our film community in the years ahead.”