Alana Mitnick
Alana Mitnick is a freelance commercial producer.
She was born and raised in Los Angeles. Though she acted in commercials as a kid, she knew from a young age that she preferred to be behind the camera. After four years at Northwestern, Alana returned to the sunny skies of LA to climb the production ladder.
And climb she did!
Over the last 14 years she’s worked all over the world and overseen budgets ranging from $15,000 to $5 million. She’s produced spots for Nike, Target, Prudential, Corona, Lexus, and Old Spice to name a few.
She’s also worked on a few PSAs. The most rewarding spots was the “Ignite” PSAs for Prettybird (production company) directed by Megan Park.
They won Bronze Lions at Cannes. You can watch them here and here.
Outside of her day job, giving back has always been a top priority for Alana. She's been a member of Junior League of Los Angeles (JLLA) for 10 years, served as a wish granter for Make-A-Wish in LA, and recently joined the advisory board of Manifest Works, an amazing non-profit that gives job opportunities to those impacted by foster care, homelessness and incarceration.
I’ve spoken at a few of their panels and hired graduates from their program on my sets. It’s truly incredible!
What I love about Alana is her endless curiosity for learning and that she finds time for EVERYTHING. I have no idea how she does it.
Three years ago, feeling the need for a space so she could authentically build relationships and network with women in production, Alana started HER, which stands for Helping Each other Rise, to bring women in entertainment and advertising together in a meaningful way. It’s actually how we met!
In this week’s chat, we breakdown the world of commercial producing, explore mindfulness on set, and the importance of setting personal boundaries.
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this week’s episode!