jillian-arnold-blog-2
Jillian Arnold
, MFA film production ’07, has been on the move since her graduation from Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. In 2012, Jillian was featured in Happenings for her work as a cinematographer for NASA. She was even selected to serve as lead operator during the 2012 Curiosity Mars landing. 
Today, she’s focusing her energy on a new documentary project. Read on to learn more about about Jillian and find out what advice she has for aspiring filmmakers.

Tell us about Badala – how did the project start and how did you get involved?
Badala is the story of four ambitious and determined women who overcome great odds in an impossible environment. Monica, Lillian, Beaty and Helen are four senior members of the Badala non-profit organization located in Nairobi, Kenya.  The film focuses on where these women came from, what lead to their life in the slums, and how they came together to turn their lives around.

The Badala non-profit is the setting for their emotional and financial recovery. Not only are these women gainfully employed, they are required to have a savings account for a future investment of their choice. Each woman, upon acceptance into the program, must create financial and business goals.  The organization creates workshops to educate these women on how to run a small business. When they have reached their savings goal, they can graduate from the program and start their future ventures. Badala is about empowering women to create a sustainable future.

More so, the organization is actually a trauma support group for the women. Since there is no avenue for traditional therapy in Kibera, Badala is a means of group therapy. Women can share their past and current issues and work collectively to solve them.

Joelle McNamara, Badala’s founder, started the non-profit at 17. Joelle is a family member of mine. After an evening of her sharing Monica and Lillian’s story with me, I was instantly hooked on the idea of making a documentary.

“I am a story teller. I love human interest stories. Specifically, journeys of people with unfathomable circumstances that make something of themselves.  I find that most people concentrate on the end result of a situation, but I find the process of getting there to be the most interesting.  The true test of strength is when you put a heroine or character in hot water, and see how they manage to survive. I have a great amount of respect for each Badala lady and I think their stories could inspire others.”

The
Badala
documentary will explore the transitional state that the non-profit is undergoing as senior members graduate and new members are accepted.  Furthermore, we will give an intimate account of each senior member’s journey from extreme poverty, and starvation, to the successes they are trying to achieve now.  My hope is that Americans will watch the documentary and be inspired to reach higher in our land of plenty.

I took a trip to Kenya, this past January to research the story idea and pin down logistics.  I spent 8 days living with our documentary’s main heroine, Monica and her family. It was the most unique experience one could ask for, especially when researching for a story. I grew very close to the family and they opened up in a way that I could never have imagined one would in such a short time.

We are currently in the fundraising stage of our documentary and hope to reach our goal on the crowd-funding platform,
Kickstarter
.

What insight would you give to current students and alumni who are aspiring filmmakers?

We have not started principal photography. We plan to do so in July if we reach our goal on Kickstarter. I did take a trip to Kenya in January for research and logistics. This response may change but here is my advice at the moment:

    • Get yourself a fixer: A fixer is local producer who knows the lay of the land, and can speak the native language. We have one in mind for July and his participation in my scheduling, budgeting, and permitting has been helpful.

 

    • You have to be fearless:  I had a series of moments when I arrived in Kenya 28 hours after leaving Los Angeles. My luggage was missing and so all I had was my camera gear and backpack. We drove by a group of men with machine guns on the way from the airport.  I realized I didn’t have a bottle of water to brush my teeth with. I sat on my bed in Monica’s guest house and thought “What did I just get myself into?” There are moments you want to be weak, but you can’t.

 

    • Your mind never rests: I was there for 8 days, which I felt was extremely important to the development of the project. Here is what I had to deal with simultaneously, while walking to and from the Badala office:

 

-Your mind is taking in the new the sights, sounds, and smells of an environment.
-You try not to trip over the unpaved street and make a fool of yourself.
-You’re being mindful of people around you.
-You realize you’re carrying about ten thousand dollars’ worth of gear on your back around people who have nothing.
-You’re filing away information for production and writing.  Oh, that would be a great location to shoot b-roll in. I wonder how much it will cost and do I need liability insurance.

It took me about two or three weeks to recover from the trip.

What advice do you have for current students who want to make the most out of their time at Chapman?

Find as many opportunities at Chapman to exercise your craft, while looking for avenues to work in that area, in the industry. Balancing the two will be difficult because you have to weigh which will be better for your career in the long run. I was very fortunate to have offers to work while I was in school so I constantly balanced giving myself time to learn, and grow, while networking, and making money.

The Dodge faculty is extraordinary. I really felt prepared when I left Dodge after I completed the master’s program in film production. The program gave me a complete understanding of the filmmaking process while letting me hone in on my desired craft.  The more interaction you can have with the faculty, the more you can learn from their real world experience.

From your time at Chapman, which faculty member(s) made the greatest impact on you and why?

I have been blessed with several great mentors along my journey.

    • In my graduate studies, Bill Dill ASC took me on as his teaching assistant for three years. He taught me the technical and managerial sides of the craft, but more so, he taught me how to “see.”

 

    • Larry Paull really taught me the non-glamorous side of the industry. Larry and I are still good friends and he is always giving great advice on how to navigate the waters.  I just love how blunt and no nonsense he is with me about issues.  I think he really prepared me for politics and networking of the industry.

 

    • James Gardner and I worked together after I left school.  James is a kind and warm soul.  His teaching methods really speak to an individual. Unlike any other professor I know, he gives you his full attention, and speaks directly, concisely, and poetically in the same moment. I never thought I would direct a feature film but observing him really did give me skills to take into this documentary.

 

How has your Chapman degree helped you in your professional and personal life?

I’m from Chicago and received my undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. I thought my undergrad was a solid base for a career, but I believed I lacked the production training I knew I could get by going to a master’s program in California.  Chapman allowed me in-depth program at an affordable tuition cost.

Chapman really helped my professional career by teaching me the technical side of filmmaking, while training me to be a story teller.  Shortly after graduation, I was hired to be a camera operator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.  I was privileged to be the lead operator during the 2012 Curiosity Mars landing.  I know that part of earning that honorable position was because of my technical mastery of my craft.

“I know that being taught by great faculty gives me an edge on my competition. I believe raw talent only takes you so far.  Refining your craft, along with constructive criticism, really does create a great launching point for a career.”

Personally, the training, and education I received at Chapman gave me the confidence to pursue my lofty goals with a fearless, and fighting attitude.

What is your favorite Chapman memory?

During graduation weekend, the producer of my film scheduled a screening of our thesis for our parents. The lights faded up after the credits, and I looked over to my mother, who had tears streaming down her face. Our film was a drama, but the story didn’t warrant that type of reaction. I handed her a tissue, and she said, “I’ve been watching movies for the past few years, thinking ‘Somebody’s kid made that.’  Then I realized today when I was watching this movie, ‘My kid did that.’”

That memory still makes me emotional.  Three years of extreme intensity and handwork paid off in my mother’s proud eyes.

Have you been involved with Chapman since graduating?

The fall after I graduated, I took an adjunct position at Dodge College. My first year, I taught Cinematography 1 and then I transitioned into the TV department, where I taught Electronic Cinematography and the production interterm class, One Hour TV Drama. I just left Dodge about a year ago to pursue more time consuming pictures, like
Badala
.  I still keep in touch with many of my students.  Some of them are on my crew list, and work with me on projects.

I really love teaching my craft. I saw amazing transformations in students who never intended to pick up a camera. I had a female student who was training to be on-camera talent. I don’t believe she ever shot with a camera, professionally, until my class. At the end of the semester, she not only had a handle on the technology, but was running a small crew, as she was standing on her mark, ready for her shot. I watched her transform from a technology timid, on-air talent, to a true producer. It was a very proud moment for me.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the Chapman Family?

I really believe the message I’m trying to tell in the
Badala
documentary is worthwhile, but I can’t do it alone. Our Kickstarter campaign is in full swing, and it’s the efforts of our community that will make this documentary a reality.  If you are interested our cause, please go to
www.BadalaDoc.com
to make a donation.

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