The eyes of a film producer are rare ones. The ability to take life and transform it into a heightened state of reality on film is one of many tasks a producer carries out. Sophomore Daniel Isaacs confirmed the existence of this talent within himself through his recently released short film, Reckoning.                                                  

Isaacs seemed to be born with a passion for film, just like
almost all other forms of art. “I’ve always been interested in film,” Isaacs said. “I grew up being one of those kids who would sit and watch the same movie over and over again until I would find a new movie to ruin for myself.”
Although passion may seem innate, inspiration is normally discovered or born afterwards, and seems as though it doesn’t have to come from something complex.
“For Reckoning, I watched an award-winning short film called Blinky and I loved how the director endeared the viewer to the character and tapped so many emotions throughout the film,” Isaacs said. “I wanted to recreate that.”
Sophomore and theater student Benjamin Elliot was one of several participants in Isaacs’ film that aided Isaacs in his recreation.
“Overall, I think Daniel is the epitome of a director looking toward a bright future in the film industry,” Elliot said. “His use of cinematography, lighting, and camera work to highlight points of interest is far beyond the expectations of his age. He directs his actors to a certain extent and then gives them leeway to do what they please with certain lines.”
According to Elliot, the importance of a cooperative director seems highly underrated. Another actor that portrayed a role in Reckoning is sophomore Emily Greer who agrees
with Elliot in terms of Isaacs’s ability to help his actors feel comfortable.
“He is open to suggestions, and I can be myself and feel like I am a person who is helping to create a story even though it has already been written down,” Greer said. “To create a story, I think you need more than just [the words].”
On top of being the director and writer, Isaacs is also an actor in his own films.
“Acting is one {of my favorite things,” Isaacs said. “When I write my stories, I’ve gotten to know the character by the time I have finished writing. And to take what I’ve written, the
character I have created and bonded with, and to personify it is an awesome feeling. The second [favorite part] is after I’ve edited a sequence, made the music for it, and drop the music into the sequence.”
Isaacs is not the only one with the opinion that his thorough development of characters is one of his strong suits.
“He is a very good writer,” Greer said. “He doesn’t just go with the status quo. He adds his own twists and thinks of things no one else has thought of before. His writing sounds real. He
really does have talent.”
In addition to the acknowledgement of Isaac’s’ friends,
professionals in the film industry recognized his talent.
“I won Best in Show with a short film I created in two days titled Hold On,” Isaacs said. “It was then I began to consider making short films and enter[ing] into local film festivals.”
It is commonly thought that in order to be successful, one must be somehow set apart from the rest of their crowd.
According to his peers, Isaacs tackled this feat with ease.
“Being an amateur filmmaker, Daniel has to do so much by himself, from editing to making music, but what sets him apart is how he does it all so well,” Elliot said. “There is a saying that goes, ‘You can either be a jack of all trades or the master of one.’ Daniel is the master of all.”