David William Novack

David William Novack is a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, teaching undergraduate and graduate film theory and practice for 8 years. A specialist in film sound design and documentary filmmaking, he has designed/mixed sound for Todd Haynes' "Safe" and "Velvet Goldmine," recorded ADR for hundreds of feature films, and sound-designed Roger Waters' opera "Ça Ira" for its Rome premiere. He produced/directed three award-winning documentaries: "Burning The Future: Coal in America," "Kimjongilia," and "Finding Babel," and is currently developing two new feature-length documentaries.

His educational background includes:

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania
• Diploma in Music from Berklee College of Music

Novack's research bridges engineering and cinematic arts, focusing on sound design innovation, ADR techniques, and documentary storytelling. His work examines sound's narrative impact in both narrative films and socio-political documentaries, with current projects expanding into new documentary forms while maintaining technical precision in audio production.

His documentaries have received international awards, specifically:

• Burning The Future: Coal in America
• Kimjongilia
• Finding Babel

Novack has supervised 3 academic/creative works and leverages his expertise through US State Department-sponsored international lectures in China, Ukraine, Estonia, and other countries, promoting cross-cultural film education and technical knowledge exchange.