Today we’d like to introduce you to Fabio Del Percio.
Hi fabio, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Born and raised in Italy, I’ve spent my entire life immersed in the world of design. In the early years, my work focused on home interiors and luxury boats, projects that allowed me to explore the relationship between function, and aesthetic.
In 2011, I moved to Reykjavik, Iceland, where a new creative chapter began. There, I collaborated with a film company as a set designer and production designer, a turning point that blended my design sensibilities with my growing passion for storytelling. At the same time, I decided to deepen my understanding of cinema and enrolled at the Iceland Film School, where I earned a BA in Screenwriting and Directing.
After several years in Iceland, I was eager to see how the industry operated on a larger scale. In 2019, I moved to Los Angeles and joined the Directing program at UCLA. Since then, LA has become my creative home. Today, production design is my primary focus, but I also write, produce, and direct. I am always seeking new ways to bring visual worlds and stories to life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve always been passionate about film, though my path into working in the industry grew progressively over time. When I arrived in Iceland, I made what was probably my first big leap forward. Alongside collaborating with a film company, I began working with music artists such as Sigur Rós and Markéta Irglová. Those experiences allowed me to expand my creative field and build meaningful connections in a foreign country.
Moving to the U.S. felt like a natural next step. By then, I had already learned so much in Iceland about both filmmaking and adapting to new environments, that the transition was quite smooth. I found Los Angeles to be a very open and inspiring place to work, and it quickly became another home for my creative journey.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
A couple of years ago, my wife, Anna Giudice, an architect and neuroaesthetic designer, and I began exploring the intersection between neuroscience and film. Our research focuses on how visual elements such as color, space, light, and composition influence the viewer’s brain and emotions.
I apply this knowledge in my production design work to craft environments that evoke specific feelings, guide the viewer’s attention, and reinforce a story’s themes. We’re currently testing these ideas on set through practical applications, and I have to say, the results have been truly remarkable. Of course, these studies are not always applicable, as each set comes with its own specific requirements. At times, the pre-production schedule and production demands do not allow for their implementation. In such cases, I follow a more traditional approach. This flexibility enables me to diversify my methods and to approach each project in a unique way.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I have always been curious and creative. Even while growing up in a small Italian town, I constantly sought to break through local boundaries and explore my interests with a global perspective.
In Iceland — though it’s a small island in the middle of the ocean, close to the Arctic — I had the chance to engage with truly international realities. Reykjavik, despite its size, is a remarkable crossroads of cultures.
But the real turning point for me came in California. Landing in Los Angeles has greatly expanded my knowledge and deepened my search for creative inspiration. The city offers a constant flow of events that celebrate cinema in all their forms. I’m always eager to attend talks and Q&A sessions where industry professionals share their experiences — each one offers new insights and fresh perspectives that continue to shape my creative vision. The festival and exhibition scene in Los Angeles is also incredibly vibrant, providing endless opportunities to explore the evolving dialogue between space, images, and emotions.
Life on set remains a constant source of inspiration, but lately my work has also extended beyond set. I’m currently designing the interior of a private residence owned by a film producer — a project that embodies the intersection between private and pubblic. This duality has allowed me to approach the space almost as if it were a film set, where atmosphere and narrative coexist. It’s given me remarkable freedom to experiment with senses, integrating spatial studies with passive sensory experiences to evoke specific emotions and cognitive responses.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fabio_del_percio/
