How Director Alex Ullom Went from Childhood Movies Starring His Action Figures to His SXSW Feature Film Debut

This post was written by Michelle Gallina and originally appeared on the Adobe blog on March 6, 2025.

The film follows a group of recent grads heading out on a late-night drive and hoping to enjoy one final hangout before their paths diverge. Instead, they accidentally turn onto a never-ending, two-lane hellscape surrounded by untold horrors and cosmic forces beyond their understanding. Cramped together inside a Jeep Cherokee with the miles stretching infinitely ahead, they face a choice: embrace their new existence or fight to escape it.

We sat down with Ullom to get an inside look at his creative process and filmmaker origin story, going all the way back to his time making Hi-8 videos with his action figures and comedy sketches for his high school’s morning show. A Premiere Pro user since the beginning, Ullom used the software to cut It Ends, and mastered the art of custom keyboard shortcuts in the process. While he no doubt experienced the highs and lows of production, post-production, pickups, and everything in between, Ullom is grateful for the lessons he learned along the way.

Check out our full conversation with Ullom below, and don’t forget to catch It Ends at SXSW.

How and where did you get into directing, writing, and editing?

Probably somewhere between forcing my family to sit through unwatchable Sony Hi-8 action figure battle videos as a child or subjecting my high school to comedy sketches on the morning show. I remember I failed an AP exam once because I spent the whole week prior trying to VFX in muzzle flares for a terrible action short (rite of passage) and realized this is probably the thing I should suffer for in adulthood if I wasn’t going to be a scholar.

Where were you when you found out you got into SXSW? How did you feel?

This is gonna sound insane, but I was out for a walk in Los Feliz yelling to my mom on the phone, “We got into South By!” when I suddenly hear a voice behind me say “Hey. Congrats!” I turn around and it's f*ing Jason Sudeikis wearing a very large backpack. I was taken aback and said “Wha–Jason Sudeikis?” He said, “You said South By, congrats.”

For whatever reason at this point, my first thought was that I spoiled the embargo and ruined our acceptance (you’re supposed to not let anyone know before the program announcement), so my first response was, “Eh, don’t tell anyone please.” He looked at me, clearly not knowing who I was at all and smiled and said, “Okay?” He then turned to walk off, and I said to his backside, “See you in two years?” to which he didn’t hear or chose not to respond — both being completely valid.

How do you begin a project/set up your workspace?

Dragging myself through sync and clip organization like a good editor is supposed to.

Tell us about a favorite scene or moment from this project and why it stands out to you.

Without spoiling too much, there’s a scene where the characters talk and laugh about the horrifying sh*t they went through that literally happens earlier in the film. I always loved the idea of the “Hereditary” family doing a post-game interview and being like, “Yeah, that was terrifying. Whew. Damn.” That’s the best part of It Ends to me.

What were some specific post-production challenges you faced that were unique to your project? How did you go about solving them?

Probably trying to financially support yourself while balancing time to work on your own unpaid edit. The solution, as it turns out, was to move into a 1-bedroom apartment with two other friends and cut your living costs in thirds.

What Adobe tools did you use on this project and why did you originally choose them?

Premiere Pro because I grew up with it, and After Effects for some fake camera shake because I grew up with it.

If you could share one tip about Premiere Pro, what would it be?

I was a die-hard point-and-clicker until my friend showed me all his custom keyboard shortcuts, and now I fly through Premiere Pro like the Kwisatz Haderach.

Who is your creative inspiration and why?

[Richard] Linklater comes to mind right now. I’ve got a picture of him cutting film reels next to my desk from the Slacker Criterion. Also, the Safdie brothers and Barry Jenkins for their independent stories, spirit, and for being my heroes on the off-chance they see this.

What’s the toughest thing you’ve had to face in your career and how did you overcome it? What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers or content creators?

This is a gross oversimplification, but after our first round of production, I kind of had to realize that I… sucked? That my delusional image of the film in my head was different from my actual tangible, technical skill. That there was work to be done. After we wrapped, I felt like an absolute failure and that I had somehow blown my one shot at a feature. But, what I needed was to actually see the limits of my skill and where it didn’t line up with my tastes — that filmmaking was way more batting practice than this ethereal-magic-in-a-bottle thing.

My biggest advice? PICKUPS. You’re telling me that I get infinite drafts of the script and infinite edits in post, but if it rains during production for an hour, I’m cooked? Being able to go back after watching a full version of the film and being able to say, “Yeah, damn, wish there was a scene that actually motivated that decision,” and actually get it is quintessential. It’s the only reason It Ends grew to be the film it is now.

What’s your favorite thing about your workspace and why?

My favorite thing about my workspace is if I press my face against the window hard enough I can get the illusion of being outside.