Jessica Kalin
Film and Video Production

Upon entering college it’s not unusual for most students to initially question whether the school or career path they’ve chosen is ultimately the right decision. Jessica Kalin, a December 2006 Brooks Institute graduate, is no exception.

Jessica, who received her Bachelor’s degree in Film and Video Production, initially questioned her decision to pursue filmmaking at Brooks Institute. However, unlike other students, Jessica’s doubts quickly dissipated when the industry began to validate her career choice almost as quickly as her schooling started.

In her first year at Brook Institute, Jessica’s short film “The Jackie Chan Suicides”—the story of a young woman obsessed with Jackie Chan -- was selected for entry in the Phoenix Film Festival. “Our little $320 budget film was competing against $15,000 graduate thesis films, “Jessica shared. “We were the only undergraduates in the whole festival. It was an amazing experience! At that moment, I knew this is exactly what I want to do; it was really validating.”

Jessica’s first interest in filmmaking began in high school while living in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. As an academic overachiever Jessica just assumed she’d pursue a career in science or medicine, after all, her sister was pursuing medicine like their father Dr. Kalin, and her mother was a nurse.

“Growing up I thought I’d become a geneticist or neuroscientist.” Jessica explained. “But then my two friends and I began to do these fun video English projects where we were basically writing movies. Instead of getting up in front of the class with a lame poster or a hand out, we’d show a movie. From there we just sort of fell in love with filmmaking and decided to go into it.”

Jessica first learned of Brooks Institute from her hometown best friend, who attended after graduating high school. Jessica went on to pursue media at the University of Arizona, where she had earned a full scholarship. But after one semester, she decided Brooks Institute was the school for her.

“I’d call up my girlfriend she’d tell me about all the cool projects she was doing. I was so excited for her, I’d help with stories and creative ideas,” Jessica explained. “Eventually, I was jealous. She’d tell me about all of her projects and I’d tell her about my boring, non-interactive lectures where I was among hundreds of others. That’s when I decided, if I was going to do film, I was really going to do film. So I enrolled at Brooks.”

Today, since graduating with the highest grade point average in Brooks Institute history, Jessica has gone on to freelance as a writer and producer for Trotter Productions in Montecito, California. 

While she’s produced, written and directed for other clients, Jessica noted the Stories Behind the Lens television commercial series for Brooks Institute is her first solely produced project.

Jessica plans to continue working as freelance producer and writer working in San Fernando Valley, California where she now makes her home. “I really love what I am doing now. I hope I can continue to do this for years to come,” she said.

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