We were lucky to catch up with Adriana Vecchioli recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Adriana thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Oh, I knew I wanted to pursue an artistic path from a very early age, about 3 or 4. Growing up between the picturesque city of Paris and Italian shores, I was surrounded and inspired by culture and Mediterranean beauty.

My creative journey began before I could even read; making my first stop-motion film using Barbie dolls and disposable cameras. At the age of 7, I joined a theater company ‘Les Sales Gosses’, with which I discovered the connection between my emotions and the body; this has informed my work ever since. One of my most cherished memories was performing at Paris’ renowned Théâtre Bobino, igniting my passion for storytelling.

As I continued my education, I embarked on a parallel path, studying business at ESCP Europe, then working at Twitter in London. A transformative encounter with virtual reality promptly redirected my course, and I taught myself to create virtual worlds and dive deep into the immersive side of storytelling.

Today, I’m devoted to my three passions : acting, filmmaking and XR storytelling (XR stands for Extended Reality, an umbrella term that covers AR and VR), which leads to incredible opportunities for cross-pollination.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

Ciao! I am Adriana Vecchioli, a French-Italian actress, filmmaker and XR designer. I am constantly seeking new ways to weave cutting-edge technology with artistic creativity. I’ve had the privilege of designing immersive XR experiences for major brands such as Warner Bros., the NBA and more, pushing the boundaries of storytelling into the digital realm.

My creative focus revolves around telling visceral stories of complex women. Their quiet rage, and their revolt, often infused with a touch of dark humor that subverts expectations. I’ve written, funded, and directed three award-winning short films, all of which I also starred in. My work has received accolades from festivals like SXSW, HollyShorts, Flicker’s Rhode Island International Film Festival, among others.
My drama short “HOW FAR” garnered multiple awards, while my latest “COMIN’ IN HOT” is coming very soon to a streaming platform.

What I’m most proud of is my commitment to stretching the boundaries of film and storytelling, wielding technology as a tool for creative expression and bringing a different light to women’s narratives.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I was once told: “you create art that creates artists”, which I have adopted as my mission ever since. Indeed, I’m drawn to the power of film to create new realities. I believe art predicts the future, for the very same reason that science fiction precedes technology: how many scientists found their vocation in the stories they loved as children? Movies plant seeds and images into our minds, showing us new pathways then empowering us to make the right change.

To inspire women to step into their fullness, I craft stories of enigmatic female characters and hire talented women to bring them to the screen. For instance, I assembled a team of wonderful women to make COMIN’ IN HOT. This choice infused the film with a unique flavor, as the world looks different when seen through a woman’s eyes. And I have been doubling down that path.

I’m galvanized by unabashed, multifaceted artists like Anna Biller (‘The Love Witch’) or Michaela Coel (‘I May Destroy You’) who write, produce, direct and star in their films. My work aims at sparking challenging dialogues, on empowering women and forging greater freedom of expression.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

A great misconception is that inspiration comes on demand. People expect artists to produce “content”, like pushing the button of a soft-serve machine.  Inspiration ebbs and flows. It has its own timeline. What the artist is in control of though, is practice, love and discipline. I see myself as the steward of an ancient and warm house, and my inspiration is like a cat: one can never predict when she will come, but if she’s well-fed and treated with love and respect, you’ll often find her purring on your lap. Therefore I make sure to nurture my artistic nature in order to invite inspiration as much as possible, with regular practice, healthy lifestyle and relationships.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.adrianavecchioli.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrianavecc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adrianavecc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianavecchioli
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdrianaVecc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@adrianavecc
• Other: https://www.patreon.com/adrianavecc

Image Credits
Main pic – (c) Lindsey Ruth Additional Photos: 1 – (c) Lindsey Ruth 2 – on set of COMIN’ IN HOT – pic by Jason rafael 3 – last day on set of COMIN’ IN HOT – team picture 4 – ‘Medusa’ – AR Art for Snapchat 5 – Sailor Moon Inspired AR filter for Snapchat 6 – Poster for COMIN’ IN HOT 7 & 8 – Making magic in Mixed Reality with Ewan Rose, Art Director of Figmin XR