Today we’d like to introduce you to Nica Fazio

Hi Nica, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?

Of course! My name is Nica Fazio and I’m 26 years old, at this moment I live in New York. I moved here almost three years ago, from Barcelona, Spain. Both of my parents are Italian and I was born in Sicily and I guess I was inspired by my them. They moved to Spain and started from scratch and after college I decided to do the same and move to New York. Since I was little I wanted to work in film and photography and now I’m working full time as a freelance photographer and as a light technician in films, music videos and commercials.
The journey to where I am today has been an adventure in itself. I began as an au pair for two years, which was an amazing experience, even though at times it felt like I was far from the career path I wanted to follow. But I learned so much, and little by little, I found a way to get a work visa.

This year I spend more time on set than anywhere else and I’m so grateful for that. I love being a technician and I want to keep working as a technician for the next years but eventually my goal is to work full-time as a gaffer. As a woman, this means a lot to me because I grew up with few role models in this career, and I want to be one. Recently, I worked on a feature film, and at the end of the movie, a girl of the crew told me she felt inspired as a woman, and that made me the happiest person ever. That’s one of the reasons I want to do this—not only because I love my job but also because I think it’s empowering for me and for others who never thought they could.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

The biggest challenge was that I genuinely was really happy in Barcelona. I lived with my friends, I had just recently started working in my “dream job,” and I had a boyfriend with whom I thought we would marry and start a life project together. There was a moment when I questioned whether it made sense to leave everything if I was so happy there. I wondered why I had this dream of starting over in a new place if I was so grateful for where I was.
This was one of the first challenges: realizing I wanted to move out and take this step alone, even though it was one of the most complicated decisions I’ve ever made.
The next challenge was figuring out how to do it. I thought about film schools, but they were too expensive, and I didn’t want to study for another degree. I didn’t know anything about visas or how to get one. Suddenly, I considered doing something different: I discovered I could join an au pair program and live with a family and their kids for one or two years.

So I did that, living for two years with two families. I could write a book about those 2 years haha – My first family was in New Jersey in the countryside with three kids, and the second one was in New York with a Japanese mom and a child who became like family to me.

Even though there were many days when I wondered if it made sense to stop working completely in the film industry to take care of kids—making breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day and being with them in all their after-school activities—there were moments that it was a lot. But I learned so much that I can’t even explain, and I built connections with the kids that I never imagined I could have. Kids can be so spontaneous and smart, which taught me a lot.

Some days, I wondered if I was too far away from my original plan. I saw all my friends in Barcelona working on projects, and I felt stuck in a life that was really different from what I envisioned. But everything happens for a reason, and now I have my work visa and I’m working in jobs beyond my dreams. If I had to start over, I would do the same.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

I work as a grip and electrician, primarily focusing on rigging and lighting projects for commercials and music videos. This year has been fantastic and I’ve had the opportunity to work with artists I listen to daily—who would have imagined that? I love the job, even though sometimes we work 14 to 18 hours in a row.
On the other side, I also work as a photographer and am currently preparing for an exhibition of a personal project about people kissing in clubs. This project started a few years ago, where I photographed people dancing and kissing in clubs both in Barcelona and New York.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?

I look back and remember the times I felt so lost, managing studying while working as a bartender or in a kitchen. Living just from my photography / film work felt so far away back then, and now it’s actually happening. The lesson is that little by little, no shortcuts, only consistency, everything falls into place.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nica-fazio.com
• Instagram: @nica.fazio