Liz Rizzo grew up in South Florida and took her first production classes at Palm Beach Community College after getting her BA in economics from Florida Atlantic University. At PBCC, she learned about the film program at Florida State University Film School. She was admitted into the intense 2-year, 6-semester graduate film program in 2000 and received her MFA in film production in 2002.
At Florida State, she learned and performed all major functions of production, including directing, producing, camera, lighting, editing, and sound. Student productions at Florida State run with full crews and professional equipment, with the conservatory serving as studio. During her first thesis semester, below-the-line crews formed a union, for which she was a set rep. All Florida State productions are held to strict schedules and budgets. Her time at FSU provided an invaluable education in set dynamics.
At FSU, Liz Rizzo directed four film shorts: “Are You Cereal,” “Add a Dash of Glitter,” “Privates,” and the award-winning 35mm thesis film short, “Every Little Girl’s Dream.” She was selected as one of five students out of her class of 22 to write and direct a thesis film. “Every Little Girl’s Dream” was the only thesis in the cycle to come in on time and within budget. It played at 11 festivals worldwide during its festival circuit, winning a silver award at Philafilm in 2003.
Once in Los Angeles, Liz Rizzo joined Women in Film and their PSA Production Program. After volunteering on other WIF PSA sets, Liz directed a public service announcement in 2004 for Kids Korps USA. Throughout this experience, Liz and her production team worked with the charity and Women in Film to assure both party’s satisfaction with the spot. The PSA received network airtime in 2005.
That year, she was selected for the Women in Film Mentorship Program, and shadowed television director Duane Clark on the television shows “Medium” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” She spent 3 weeks on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” shadowing every day of preproduction and production, attending all meetings and auditions, and studying shot design on the weekends. This experience strengthened Liz’s resolve that television directing was a great fit for her skill set.
Her most recent film short is “Hammer,” shot over two days in 2006 as her submission to the reality television show, “On the Lot.” The short was available on the “On the Lot” website for much of 2007 and was viewed by over 3,000 people. Her favorite viewer comment about “Hammer” was that it “looked like television,” which sounded great to her. Although she was not interviewed for the program, she was invited to visit the production and attend a taping in August 2007 as part of a blogger event sponsored by Ford.
In 2008, Liz directed one episode of “Juanita Saves the World,” a web series currently in post production and scenes for the acting group “The Collective.” Her 2009 project, “Earth Force 5,” written by Matt Vancil and produced by Epic Level Entertainment will be completed in September 2009. She resides in North Hollywood, Calif. and has worked in Hollywood since 2002. She is currently a member of Film Independent and GRIT.
DIRECTING FILMOGRAPHY
Earth Force 5
3 spec webisodes/branded content
SD/16 min/in post
Juanita Saves The World
Episode 7: Eco Monde
RED HD/4 min/in post
In Spite
A scene project
HD/3 min/2008
Hammer
Becca has a plan to get over her cheating ex, but her roommate thinks it’s a bad idea.
HD/5 min/2006
Kids Grow Up So Fast
Women in Film public service announcement for Kids Korps USA
35mm/30 sec/2004
Every Little Girl’s Dream
Breaking up is hard to do… especially on your wedding day.
35mm/16 min/August 2002
Awarded: 2003 Philafilm Silver Award Winner, July 2003
Official Selection: Foyle Film Festival, Northern Ireland, Nov. 2002; Sarasota Film Festival, Florida, Jan. 2003; Sedona Film Festival, Arizona, Feb. 2003; Myhelan Indie Film Festival, New Jersey, March 2003; Brouhaha Film and Video Showcase, Florida, May 2003; Stony Brook Film Festival, New York, July 2003; Tampa’s Independent’s Film Festival, Florida, July 2003; Rhode Island International Film Festival, August 2003; Crested Butte Reel Fest, Colorado, August 2003; L.A. Shorts Fest, Los Angeles, Sept. 2003; Women in Film Independent Film Series, Oct. 2003
Privates
Private Kelly Ibanez knows exactly what equality means to her – coed showers.
S16mm/8 min/Fall 2001
Add a Dash of Glitter
A wannabe witch pursues her dream despite constant failures & a pesky cousin.
S16mm/7 min/Summer 2001
Are You Cereal?
Claire finally meets an interesting guy, and he’s the roommate of her one night stand.
Digital Video/5 min/ Fall 2000
Outside World
He’s a man among men, master of all he surveys. He hasn’t left his room all day.
16mm/Digital Video/5 min/ Fall 1999/music video
EDUCATION
Master of Fine Arts in Film Production
Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla., 8/00 – 8/02
Intense two-year, six-semester program in all aspects of film production. Students perform every possible preproduction, production, and postproduction position at least once while simultaneously producing and directing at least three individual projects.
• Selected as one of five students to write and direct a 35mm graduate thesis film, “Every Little Girl’s Dream,” which premiered Aug. 2002
• With the entire production team, brought “Every Little Girl’s Dream” in on schedule and within budget
• Sound designed “Every Little Girl’s Dream” while completing a screenplay and working on first-year projects in support positions in summer 2002
• Wrote and directed one digital and two super 16mm shorts
• Prepared business plans and pitched two MFA thesis films to faculty
• Worked closely with ever-changing groups of different personalities and working styles to produce numerous films every semester
Bachelor of Arts with honors
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Fla., 8/90 – 4/94
Economics Major, Minor in Geography
EMPLOYMENT
2/07 – 6/09 Executive Assistant
The Post Group, Hollywood, Calif.
9/02 – 12/06 Sales Coordinator / Executive Assistant
Ascent Media/Soundelux/Todd-AO, Hollywood, Calif.
3/97 – 8/00 Production/Editorial Coordinator
NACORE International (now CoreNet Global), West Palm Beach, Fla.
6/95 – 2/97 Editor/Writer/Researcher
Medricon Ophthalmology Consulting, Boca Raton, Fla.
7/94 – 6/95 Accounts Payable Clerk
The Boca Raton News, Boca Raton, Fla.
5/91 – 9/93 Student Government Controller and Assistant Controller
Student Government, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Fla.
MEMBERSHIPS
Film Independent
GRIT
