Today we’d like to introduce you to Anabella Casanova.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Well, I first started working in LA as an actress but soon found that lifestyle didn’t suit me. There was nowhere to really direct a desire to work hard as you are constantly waiting for a permission to perform that is not always merit based. But, I still really loved being on set and, through acting, had been introduced to the myriad other professions essential to film making. I pivoted into production and got a job at Rainn Wilson’s SoulPancake where I received an invaluable education from the brilliant women who ran the company. I began as a production coordinator and left as lead creative producer. I met my husband Sage Price during that time and he convinced me to quit and form our own company Vacation Theory. I felt that I only had so many 16 hour days in me and I wanted to spend the rest of them building my own project. It’s been ten years since then and I can definitively say it’s been wonderful.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It took me a while to find production but after I found it the “hard work” stopped feeling like a struggle and started feeling like a challenge in the best way. Coming up I was very fortunate to land in a female led company (SoulPancake) where my efforts were always valued and then to start my own company (Vacation Theory) where my husband and I had total control over the ethos. The work is difficult sometimes but it should never be painful. There is no tolerance for unkindness on our sets.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Vacation Theory is a Los Angeles based production company that specializes in soup to nuts production from the creative conception phase to delivery. We work with both stills and motion across editorial, commercial, branded and unbranded short form narrative, and feature film.
Aside from an elevated aesthetic, I think the thing that really sets us apart is our company ethos. We believe that the job is challenging in the best way, but that it should never be painful for anyone from the PAs to the Clients/Executives. Our sets are joyful and creative places where everyone is valued. And the work reflects the ethos. People do better work when they are happy and valued.
My husband and I also shoot together under the nom de guerre Felix and Pearl. It has been such a wonderful experience to indulge in our own creative self expression.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love Los Angeles. Each neighborhood feels like its own little town, each with its own energy. I love the cultural diversity and how that hits the art and the food. I love the Los Angeles Music Center and all the incredible talent that comes through town. I love the geography of the city, that you can be in the desert, ocean, or mountains all within a few hours. And I love the people. Everyone comes here with a dream and a hustle and we have been incredibly fortunate to cultivate a community of loving, joyful, talented, hard working friends. If I had to gripe I would love a little less heat in the summer but I’m splitting hairs.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.vacationtheory.com www.felixandpearl.com
- Instagram: @vacationtheory
