The diverse work of Italian line producer Nicola (Nick) De Stefani has taken him around the world several times over, and although his work on countless award-winning commercials and documentaries has put him in many perilous situations, his love for his work and dedication to getting the shot has kept him calm and motivated even in the face of life-threatening danger.

While De Stefani has fulfilled the role of producer on several documentaries, his most consistent role over the last 25 years has been that of a line producer, which means he functions as the key manager of daily operations for the majority of projects he takes on.

During his time as co-owner and producer with World Watching Film from 1990 to 1995, De Stefani produced nearly 20 documentaries informing audiences on everything from the indigenous people, native plants and animals, and magnificent, yet equally treacherous mountain ranges, which exist in various parts of the world.

A dedicated producer, Nick De Stefani explains, “it was my production company that was producing and realizing the projects so it was my job to work at my best, even at the cost of being bitten or strangled by a snake, eaten alive by a nearby tiger that no one knew was around, or stomped by an Indian rhino.”

Some of his documentary titles include Tsaatan, Gli Uomini Renna (Tsaatan, The Reindeer Men) and I Nomadi Kazaki Degli Altai (The Kazak nomads of the Altai), which he shot in Mongolia, Il Mondo Perduto – Roraima (The Lost World ­– Roraima) and La Pianura Infinita – Llanos (The Endless Plain – Llanos), which he shot in Venezuela, Il Destino Del Gigante – Chitwan (The fate of the giant – Chitwan) and Il Parco di Chitwan (The Park of Chitwan), which he shot in Nepal, as well as many others.

“In the forests of southern Nepal, at Chitwan National Park, I had to tackle and handle a 10-foot constrictor snake by the tail, while my working partner was filming it. I did the same thing in Venezuela with a 12 foot injured anaconda, which had an extended mycosis on one side,” admits De Stefani.

In addition to taking on his main role as the producer of these documentaries, De Stefani also fulfilled various other roles while on location including co-director, sound recorder, art director, grip, electrician, and cameramen.

“Making these kind of documentaries means that you alone, or you and your working partner, will do the job an entire crew does while filming a feature film or a commercial,” says De Stefani. “You have to have the knowledge and the skills to cover all the roles.”

After De Stefani and his partner Rolando Menardi closed World Watching Films in 1995, De Stefani switched his focus from documentary filmmaking to the commercial world, an area in which he has found unparalleled success.

While Nick De Stefani’s love for exploration and the wild unknown made him an asset and key developer in the production of documentaries, these same traits have also made him an irreplaceable counterpart as the line producer on multiple award-winning commercials for high profile brands including Fiat, Mercedes-Benz, Nike, Ariston Aqualtis, Tuborg, Ferrero, Vodafone, Volvo and many more. For the last two decades De Stefani has been a go-to line producer for commercials for some of the world’s leading ad agencies like BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett Worldwide, Lowe Pirella, and Grey.

On a commercial for Snam, a division of Italy’s largest gas company, Nick used his knowledge of Alaska and his vast skills as a line producer to make the commercial a success.

“It is not everyday that you have the chance to shoot in the middle of the ice and in my personal experience these, along with the desert, are the most challenging grounds you have to cope with… Nick helped us all, with a perfect blend of a professional and friendly attitude. It is important, especially when you are in a tough ground, to have very focused people around you who can help solve problems, but at the same time capable  smiling and keeping the atmosphere light and pleasant, even in the most difficult situations,” explained Simona Ferraro, who is an executive producer at Filmmaster Service based in Rome.

Nick’s ability to think quickly and always find the tools necessary for the director and the rest of the team to create a successful production has been an asset to every project he has worked on.

Check out one of the commercials Nick De Stefani produced for Indesit Company’s Ariston Aqualtis washing machine below! Indesit Company is one of the leading European manufacturers and distributors of major domestic appliances. The commercial was directed by Italy’s three-time Advertising Director of the Year, Dario Piana. Piana has shot over 650 commercials over the course of his career, as well as received countless awards including four Gold, three Silver and four Bronze Lion Awards at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and a Clio Grand Prix Award.