Today we’d like to introduce you to Ana Novacic.
Hi Ana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born during the civil war in Ex-Yugoslavia to parents and grandparents who were determined for my sister and I to retain options in life. We ended up moving many times to seize opportunities as they were hurled at us and spent time in China, Cyprus, Serbia, and Ireland before I moved to Italy for my undergraduate program in Scenic Design. I understood from a very young age the value of hard work. I dreamed of being a theatre director and actor, but I knew I couldn’t support myself dedicating time to that as a young adult. Instead, I decided to learn more about scenic design as I was always a passionate painter and illustrator. I also wanted to learn a new language, and enrolled myself in the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan without speaking Italian. I decided to take a leaf out of my parent’s book and face a new culture without fear, having learned that, in time, anywhere can feel like home and that new languages are just temporary barriers. Having completed my program there, I decided to apply to the Tisch School of the Arts in New York – never expecting to be accepted. Six years later, I am a Production Design professor at NYU and work in film and television. It hasn’t been easy, but understanding the value of choice has been the fuel in my fire. Maybe one day soon I’ll start directing, but for now, I’m still learning a lot about nuanced storytelling through my design work, as well as management.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The ride has been anything but smooth. I’ve always had to work to put myself through school, sometimes having up to three jobs on top of attending full-time, high-stress programs. The result of growing up during turbulent times also meant a broken home, family members struggling with various illnesses, and the severe guilt of not being there for them in person. I wasn’t absent for a lack of love, but seeing things in the bigger picture. I always had faith that if I pushed through the hardest of times, I’d ultimately be able to take care of others better. Being an immigrant here made my time at NYU even more difficult needless to say – even before covid. With every visa renewal, every missed birthday, funeral and wedding, and every brick wall met when seeking financial aid, it was a sense of humor and purpose that helped me patiently wait, count to ten, and rethink my survival strategy.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an educator and scenic designer for stage and screen. I have also worked as an art director, production manager, draftsperson, storyboard artist, costume designer, wardrobe supervisor, graphic designer, boom operator, props artist, and line producer. Like many creatives, I’ve had to wear multiple hats. However, to me, teamwork and mentorship is at the heart of it all. My ultimate goal in life is to direct and focus on visual arts, on top of my design career. I’ve taken every single opportunity to work in jobs even remotely in the scope of my field so I can better understand the needs of all cast and crew members. I don’t think there’s any one thing that sets me apart from others – we are all unique human beings that shouldn’t be compared to one another. Instead, I think it’s about rigorously focusing on my own moral compass as a collaborator. The nature of the entertainment industry can be ruthless, and sometimes pays little mind to things like safety practices and expressing gratitude to fellow team members. As a designer, I see no point in creating an aesthetically pleasing product at the expense of mutual respect. That is why teaching is so important to me – I get to tell cautionary tales to younger generations of creators who will (hopefully) incrementally dismantle the current culture of underlying greed in the workplace – which is not limited to financial greed. I think we have globally become increasingly greedy of people’s time and limited emotional resources. I think there is a way to design with more intentionality to not just express the story and character being described in a script, but to be decisive of which materials to use, how, why, and when, in order to ameliorate the construction and installation process too. I’d say my work centers not only on the human condition in the text, but equally prioritizes the working conditions of the crew.
What are your plans for the future?
I look forward to investing more time in my personal life. I have certain securities now that I never had in my life previously. I plan on spending more time with family and developing some personal projects I’ve wanted to explore for a few years. I plan on using social media less, teaching more, learning new recipes, publishing new poetry, and making time to exercise. I like to tell myself we’re at the cusp of a cultural revolution where we are beginning to understand that workplace productivity brings limited meaning and validation to our day-to-day lives. Our health and interpersonal connections are the most important things on Earth, and they actually feed and strengthen our creativity. I’m planning to take some time off next year and hopefully spend a month or somewhere at a beach – something I haven’t done since I was a small child living in Cyprus. I firmly believe that that time off will lead to greater ideas and successes than I could currently plan or dream of.
Contact Info:
- Website: ananovacic.com
- Instagram: @ana_novacic_
Image Credits
1) Fiola – Dir. Marilinda Rivera, DoP Helifilm 2) Video Art – DoP Samuel Mulcahy 3) One Sweet Night – Dir. Daniel Pfeffer, DoP Jeremy Brockman, Century Partners 4) Nothing Phrase – Lighting Design by Jenn Burkhardt, Costume Design by Barbara Elo 5) Chiqui – Dir. Carlos Cardona, DoP Rand Rosenberg, One Love Picture Classics 6) The World’s Greatest Spaghetti – Dir. Blaine Fuller, DoP Rachel Sonnenberg 7) Dwelling – Dir. Myrid Carten, DoP Sean Curran 8) Dwelling – Dir. Myrid Carten, DoP Sean Curran
