From classroom to silver screen: Alexandra LoCascio

Plenty of great things in this world are accidents. Chocolate chip cookies. Penicillin.

The directing career of 21-year-old Alexandra LoCascio is another one of these happy accidents.

After she was accidentally assigned to her high school’s video production elective, LoCascio stuck with the class, driven by her love for making art.

“I loved making stuff. And I got recognition for it,” LoCascio said. “I was like, ‘okay, maybe I’m kind of good at this.’”

Driven by that love and recognition from her field, LoCascio decided that she wanted to study filmmaking in college. Alongside her studies, LoCascio pursued writing.

On top of writing, LoCascio directs and even considers herself a producer. For her film “If We Make It Through December,” which is currently shooting, she wears the hats of writer, director, and producer. LoCascio said she also enjoys testing out the waters in other production positions.

Her biggest experience so far comes from “Sonder,” which served as her debut film. The movie is co-written and directed by LoCascio, according to its IMDb page.

“The films that I have been making are under the umbrella of thriller,” LoCascio said, which is reflected in the psychological thriller genre of “Sonder.” The movie follows the downward spiral of a female therapist after her patient’s death, which explores an interesting angle of a therapist going crazy rather than her patient going crazy.

CSUF Cinema and Television Arts professor Tim Maloney, who was the faculty member overseeing “Sonder,” credits LoCascio’s success to her drive.

“What Alex does have that’s less usual is that she is persistent, and she works hard to get results,” Maloney said. “If it’s wrong, she’ll go back and rework it. If it sucks, she’ll reshoot.”

LoCascio’s ability to have an abstract concept, such as a film idea, and make it into a coherent, tangible film is one of her skills that helps the success of her films, such as “Sonder.” Where most people would give up on their ideas, LoCascio strives for perfection, Maloney said.

On top of LoCascio’s perfectionism and clear goals, her collaborative skills with Rebecca Rutledge are another driving force in her filmmaking success. Rutledge, a 21-year-old student filmmaker, worked closely with LoCascio and her team.

“They worked on the script together and Rebecca was a good producer for Alex’s film,” Maloney said. “A good working relationship is one in which the partners will each take on roles and responsibilities that are separate but overlapping. Each knows what she is doing, and each knows how it is contributing [to] the project overall.”

This strong bond helped LoCascio and Rutledge achieve a goal that few amateur, let alone student, filmmakers can accomplish. Premiering at a major film festival.

“Sonder,” with the help of LoCascio’s crew as well as CSUF Cinema and Television Arts professors, ended up debuting at the Newport Beach Film Festival, one of the largest film festivals in Orange County.

“We had our premiere there and got to walk on a red carpet,” LoCascio said. “It was fun. We got to invite our family and friends into this huge theater to see it on a big screen.”

Rutledge and LoCascio have worked together for a long time, with Rutledge co-writing “Sonder” with LoCascio. They are co-directing “If We Make It Through December.”

“We definitely complement each other because I think when she's thinking black and white on something, then I can be a little bit more gray, or vice versa,” Rutledge said.

The two filmmakers have a strong chemistry that is largely due to their long friendship. Working together has not been too difficult. LoCascio and Rutledge have bounced concepts and ideas off of each other while lifting each other up, Rutledge said. Even when disagreements arise, the two prioritize their art and come together to write or direct the best product possible.