Isabel “Izzy” Custodio ’13 might not be using her international relations–political science major in the way she imagined, but her Wellesley experiences have informed and guided her approach to her popular film history YouTube channel, known for its well-crafted histories of women in Hollywood. Like many films, Izzy’s path has included surprising twists and daring risks.
At Wellesley, Izzy envisioned working in Washington, D.C., in diplomacy or a think tank. She quickly realized, however, that a life in politics wasn’t meant for her and she found herself seeking a different career path. “I don’t know why I felt so confident switching paths right after college, but I knew I wanted to do something (anything!) with movies, which led me down the nebulous path to where I am today,” she says.
She began working for the Museum of Modern Art, developing projects for its YouTube channel and online platform, Magazine. At the same time, she started her own Youtube channel as an outlet for the ideas that weren’t quite right for the museum. As her channel, Be Kind Rewind, took off, she began exploring more ambitious projects. She says, “It wasn’t sustainable, so I either had to pull back on the channel or take a leap of faith and see how far I could push myself on my own. I took the leap of faith!”
It worked out. Izzy’s channel has attracted 354,000 subscribers and over 45 million views. Her followers subscribe to her Patreon and come to her for her specific analyses and reviews. Because her voice is so clear and distinct (and also witty and intelligent!), she doesn’t have to rely on the clickbait headlines that many YouTube creators employ. Izzy fell in love with movies watching Turner Classic Movies as a child; now she’s one of TCM’s “New Voices of Film.”
“I firmly believe learning history helps improve media literacy,” she says. “We are better prepared for the present when we understand how, for example, genre tropes, portrayals of women, and methods of propaganda evolved in the past. Film is the perfect medium for this analysis. My role, as I envision it now, is to make that information accessible and hopefully entertaining.”
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