One of the brightest names emerging in the indie scene, multi-talented Izzy Lee is starting off her career on an impressive note with several acclaimed shorts to her name before moving to feature-length productions. Now, in honor of the release of her new film, "House of Ashes," I talk with her about her early interest in filmmaking, making the film, and upcoming projects.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, when did you get into horror in general? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
Izzy Lee: I was pre-school age, honestly. I watched Creature Double Feature on Saturday mornings and anything I could on cable. My earliest influences are the Edgar Allan Poe adaptations by Roger Corman and AIP. So lush and lovely. And Vincent Price! I was spellbound at a very early age.
Me: When did you first discover a passion for filmmaking? Were you always interested in the creative arts growing up?
IL: Yes, immediately. I wrote, drew, and acted. Then it was playing music and singing, and painting. I made a few shorts in middle school, high school, and college, but it wasn’t until 2012 that I got serious about making films regularly.
Me: Having worked on various aspects of film production, do you have any particular preference for working on any?
IL: Directing is absolutely my calling. I was able to shadow my friend, director Adam Egypt Mortimer, on the SpectreVision film Archenemy. That was wild. RIP Halyna Hutchins, the director of photography on that film, to which House of Ashes is dedicated.
Me: With plenty of short films and anthology segments early in your career, what tools and skills do you acquire working on those that transfer to feature-film projects? How did moving from short stories to full-length novels challenge your writing skills?
IL: It’s the exact same thing, working on shorts, as it is on features, except for much, much longer. It’s far more exhausting. Working on longer projects is always a challenge. It’s a lot to get used to, and really rewarding. It’s the same, but different.
Me: That brings us to your latest film, “House of Ashes.” What can you tell us about the project?
IL: It’s about Mia, who’s harassed, stalked, and messed with by everyone in the vicinity, both alive and via the supernatural. She can’t leave home because she’s under house arrest. In the meantime, she’s got to navigate all these dangers. Sometimes, she doesn’t know what’s real. The film can be grim and full of dread, but it’s also darkly comedic in places.
Me: Where did the inspiration for the film come from? Were there any unique stories about its conception?
IL: We needed to have a contained story because we couldn’t afford a ton of locations. My other half, the other main producer-writer on this film, in addition to myself, is Steve Johanson. He came up with the concept of house arrest. The politics in the U.S. are awful, as I’m sure you’ve seen. When we were writing the script, women weren’t being arrested for miscarriage, which is very common, and an absolutely insane thing to do. It’s barbaric and it’s not pro-life; it’s pro-control and anti-female. This film was meant to be an alternative, near-future version of America. Sadly, this actually started happening right before we shot, and it kept going. Every day here, I’m more and more horrified.
Me: How much involvement did you have with the rest of the production team in bringing it to life? What was the early life of the film like?
IL: As the main producer, 100%. Finding the money took a long time. We had a chunk of money from Insurgence, which was V Channels back then. Then I raised more on Kickstarter while still casting and heading into preproduction. It was a LOT. But most indie filmmakers will say the same.
Me: With a cast of experienced and talented indie actors, how'd you settle on the cast getting involved in the film? What characteristics did you look for with each performer that they brought to the table that helped bring the production to light?
IL: I wanted to find good people who were also good actors and good listeners, particularly for the main role of Mia. Whoever that was going to be was essentially carrying the film on their back, at least onscreen. I was thrilled to find the wonderful and crazy talented Fayna Sanchez through a friend. Every other role was easy, but such a big role in Mia meant I had to take my time, and I did. I cast as many traditionally trained theatre actors as I could, and found them in Fayna, male lead Vincent Stalba (Marc), and Mason Conrad, who plays a big supporting role in Adam, Mia’s dead husband.
Me: What was the set like while shooting the film? How did the cast and crew react to the type of film being made?
IL: We’re all weirdos and know each other, so we had fun. We had to shoot in tight quarters, so that was challenging, but all good. Steve and I rented the house from a friend who was shooting in New York, and we slept “on set.” One of the rooms was used to hold all the camera, sound, and lighting gear. That saved a lot of time every day, as the crew didn’t have to load in and out.
Me: Do you recall any odd or funny on-set stories about yourself or any of the other cast/crew?
IL: It was hilarious to see my bud Joe Lynch pull up in his jogging/camp counselor outfit. He’s got a cameo at the beginning of the film. I called my director of photography, Sophia Cacciola, “Chuckles” during production because that’s what she was always doing, in addition to shooting the hell out of the film.
We had fun having supporting actor Laura Dromerick inchworm-ing around on the floor in a body bag. And there’s a scene I won’t spoil in which an urn of ashes is smashed on someone’s head. I’m a really good shot, so I threw the urn offscreen and nailed the target. One take!
Me: What are you most looking forward to with its upcoming release?
IL: It feels amazing to get to the finish line after such a long process. Feature films, on average, take 2-3 years of your life; from writing to trying to find the money (if you’re lucky), to preproduction and casting, to production, post, the festival circuit, and finally, the film’s actual release. I hear we might get a Blu-ray, and that’s super exciting. I love love love physical media. Holding something that you made is an awesome, humbling experience.
And we’re in Fangoria right now, featured in-between Black Phone 2 and Frankenstein. Not only are those two huge horror movies, but one of my co-producers, C. Robert Cargill, was a writer/producer on Black Phone 2. As any kid growing up in the last few decades can tell you, Fangoria is HUGE. It was full of rockstar directors and FX artists. Everyone in horror wants to be in Fangoria. It’s so surreal to actually achieve that after decades of loving and making horror.
Me: What do you do to keep your creative energy flowing?
IL: Read a ton and watch films. I love film festivals, because you can find like-minded creatives who often become friends and sometimes future collaborators. I love seeing what everyone else is up to; it’s inspiring, the indie scene.
Me: Lastly, what else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers? Thank you again for your time!
IL: Thanks for having us! My novella, I Can See Your Lies, is about a woman with the power to do exactly that, and it’s a double-edged sword. She leaves L.A. for coastal Oregon to into the cold case of her mother, a Hollywood actress who disappeared decades ago, while also escaping a bad marriage and raising her daughter Marnie, who displays even more terrifying abilities. It’s published by Dark Matter Ink. I’ve got a story in the all-filmmaker anthology Haunted Reels, as well, same publisher.
I’m still writing and currently shopping around a new book and writing scripts. Lots, lots more to come! You can find out what we’re up to at nihilnoctem.com
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