NOVAC

WHO IS NOVAC:

NOVAC empowers storytellers and communities by providing education, training, and resources in film, TV, and digital media. Our vision is that storytellers in Southeast Louisiana have equitable access to creative and economic opportunities in film and digital media, and the agency, voice, and vision to tell their own stories. We seek to have community stories represented by community storytellers at the highest level of practice.

While we use grants to pay for programming costs, arts funding has significantly decreased since 2025.  We supplement programming costs through earned income and donations like the funds raised on GiveNOLA Day.

GIVENOLA DAY 2026:

We are raising $20,000 that directly supports our Born Digital Youth Programs and Preservation Services.  Your heartfelt tax-deductible donation directly supports these programs.  A $10 minimum donation goes a long way.

Our Born Digital Youth Program develops young future creatives, ages 8 to 24, from diverse backgrounds in South Louisiana who can use digital media training opportunities to develop high wage and low barrier entry to careers.  We do this through Digital Media CTE Courses for High School, Teacher Training, Youth Workshops and Summer Camps.  

Our Preservices Services consists of an extensive archive comprising over 2,200 local productions, some dating back to 1972, the year NOVAC was founded.  We are actively digitally preserving this priceless media content, so these pieces of local history are accessible to filmmakers and organizations.  Organizations from all over also request our services to not only digitize their priceless media but use our archive to help them tell their stories.

WHAT YOUR GENEROUS GIVENOLA DAY DONATION COVERS:

YOUTH MUSIC VIDEO SUMMER CAMP:

• Industry-Standard Filmmaking Gear
• Industry Teaching Artists and Professionals
• Safe and Welcoming Camp Space

PRESERVATION SERVICES:

• Stable Equipment for Archive Management and Data Transfers

TESTIMONIALS:

Check out some testimonials from people directly impacted by our work.  Your donation supports people just like them!

CHARLENA THORNTON, MOM TO CHARLIE, BORN DIGITAL ALUMNI STUDENT:

"Charlie got into NOCCA for Media Arts Level II!  Thank you so much for all your help, instruction, encouragement, and recommendations.  NOVAC has given him the skills necessary to build a strong portfolio and unique experiences to draw from for his interview.  Your wonderful lessons have been essential to his growth in media arts.  We can’t thank you enough!"

KAYLA, BORN DIGITAL ALUMNI STUDENT: 

"I am still using, and living off of the skills I learned in your classes. Reminders of the time that has passed since then and reflection on my journey bring so much joy. God knows we need more of that these days....none of it would be possible without your consistent support and generosity.   I hope you are equally as in awe of your impact." 

JAMES HODGES, LOUISIANA AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS:

"We at the Louisiana and Special Collections Department at the University of New Orleans Library love working with NOVAC.   Our collections include many old-format videos from local television station archives as well as old format media from our 500 collections. 

One format in particular comes to mind. There was a brand of tape known for "sticky-shed syndrome," and Gene recognized it right away and knew exactly how to handle it. Thanks to NOVAC’s expertise, we were able to recover the footage successfully.

It is great to have such a skilled and reliable local resource, especially as a not-for-profit, right here in New Orleans. We truly appreciate the staff at NOVAC for their dedication to preserving the audiovisual history of Southeast Louisiana, and we look forward to continuing to work with them on future projects."

DARCY MCKINNON, GUSTO MOVING PICTURES:

"As a documentary production company, we are constantly discovering and needing to digitize analog archival sources for our films.  Being able to do this work locally, with experienced professionals, has been cost effective, time efficient, and gives us the security of knowing our analog media is in capable hands. The technical expertise we need to ensure our collections are safe and organized is built in to the department. We use NOVAC digitizing and preservation resources whenever we have an archival preservation and access project on our slate."

BRENDA FLORA, AMISTAD RESEARCH CENTER CURATOR, MOVING IMAGES AND RECORDED SOUND:

"Amistad Research Center has been lucky to work with NOVAC and Gene Fredericks to digitize several of our archival video collections over the years. It is a major asset to the city to have local access to trusted video lab services, allowing us to avoid the risks of shipping our collections. The work has always been fast, professional, and high quality. We look forward to continuing to partner on projects for years to come."