Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabella Mastrodicasa.
Isabella, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Born and raised in a little medieval town between Rome and Tuscany, I was lucky enough to do a coast-to-coast trip across the States with my family at the tender age of nine. I felt like in wonderland, lost in the beauty and charm of the skyscrapers of Manhattan, the Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon and the Walk of Fame. Since I saw those horizons, I have never been the same, and my dream became clear: making movies in Hollywood, giving voice to those stories that inspired me and that shaped my mind, my heart, and my personality growing up.
At the age of 18, trying to find what my parents called ‘a real job,’ I said goodbye to my conservative and loud Italian family to embrace the fun and the fashionable lifestyle of Milan. After earning a bachelor and master’s degree at the prestigious Bocconi University School of Law and studying abroad at the University of Strasbourg and at Harvard, I realized that I could no longer pretend to be doing something I loved, and I had to stop feeling like I was living someone else’s life. So I packed my colorful suitcase to move to Los Angeles with nothing but a dream and no idea of how to make it in Hollywood, and I enrolled in a Business & Management of Entertainment program at UCLA.
After a few internships and a lot of hard work, I got my first job as an assistant at Verve – Talent & Literary Agency in the motion picture literary department, company that represents artists such as Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World, Star Wars), Meg LaFeuve (Inside Out), Michael Arndt (Toy Story, Star Wars, Little Miss Sunshine). I then transitioned to The Kennedy/Marshall Company after meeting with producer Frank Marshall, where I had the luck of working on award-winning documentary FINDING OSCAR, executive produced by Steven Spielberg, about the civil war in Guatemala.
Two years ago, I finally landed at Heroes and Villains Entertainment, a management and production company where I am now focusing on finding International formats, producing for film and TV, and also representing European writers and directors. Among our clients there are writers working on the hottest TV shows from Handmade’s Tale to 13 Reason Why, Jessica Jones, Cloak & Dagger, The Expanse, Dear White People, but also on projects for Fox, Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers, Netflix, and Amazon.
I hope my story inspires other young people to realize that with our inner strength and determination, there is literally nothing we can’t achieve. The only thing that stands between us and our goals is us.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Struggles have included language and cultural barriers, but also the psychological feeling of being lonely in such a huge and intense city. I spent months feeling like on Mars and trying my best to integrate myself in the US culture while learning a completely different job for which I had no previous experience.
Heroes and Villains Entertainment – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We specialize in content creation, and in representing storytellers. We believe that even though the way stories are told might change with new technologies and new media, the content of those stories will always be consumed by the audience.
This adaptability and flexibility is what sets us apart from others, and I am very proud of how much us as a company have grown through the last couple of years, having our clients worked on major TV shows and Studio projects.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I think success means achieving the goals you set for yourself. It can be a small step or a huge milestone, but putting your best work and best effort into overcoming the challenges and accomplishing what you prospected is what I define success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.heroesandvillains-ent.com
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