Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Baliko.
Hi Rebecca, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have always enjoyed movies, and got into amateur documentary work as a child, filming adventures our family would go on. We had a pretty unconventional childhood growing up (Dad was a wildlife and nature photographer who ran his own publishing company, and our Mom homeschooled us so we could all travel together as a family), and it was worth recording so I could show my friends what our life was like. That led me to pursue a career in the film industry, which meant moving to Los Angeles and getting a BA from Biola University’s Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts. Honestly, most of my current success can be credited to Biola and the incredible friends and experience I gained there. We were on student film shoots pretty much every weekend, and my upperclassmen friends were the ones who got me on some of my very first paid film gigs (special shoutout to Hayden Warner). Most of the people I work with today are those very same friends from Biola, or other Biola alumni I have met through our tight-knit film community. The last feature film I worked on was a 6-week shoot in North Carolina, produced by my longtime Biola friend, Andy Brewster; and both the NC film and the Louisiana shoot I was on before then was shot by our fellow Biola alum, William Hellmuth, who I started working with several years ago after meeting at Biola. Similarly, the feature before that – “The Rattlin’ Bog” – was directed by my old Biola pal, Maxwell Klaiber, and shot by our dear friend, Andres Aragon. The list of projects could go on and on, and pretty much every single one of them can be traced back to a Biola “film family” member that gave me the job or referred me for it. Quite frankly, I would not be where I am today without the support of my friends and all of the knowledge and film experiences we have gone through together.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Working as a First Assistant Camera in the film industry means a lot of travelling, rolling with inconsistent schedules, and being comfortable with meeting new people on each job. The film industry, in general, requires a seemingly-contradictory mixture of flexibility and wholehearted dedication. It is a “riskier” career path, to be sure. Going full-time freelance in the film industry means you have to throw away expectations of consistent income or work – especially when you are first starting out. I never really know how many days in a month I may be working, unless I get booked for a feature film. Sometimes I’m working every day, and wondering if I’ll ever have a day off; other times, I may only be on a one- or two-day shoot and then have the rest of the week off. It takes a lot of faith to hold on even when business is slow and there are no new projects on the horizon, and I have definitely had moments of doubt. 2020 was an especially difficult year, since the industry was effectively shut down for most of the year, and I truly did not know how I was going to pay the rent some months. I was able to get through the worst patches mainly because of prayer and the loving support of my community (which is a mixture of church family, film friends, the sweetest roommates EVER, and my incredible parents and big brother). Seeing God’s provision firsthand through those difficult years has given me the peaceful assurance that I am indeed doing what I was made for, and that even when things appear uncertain, God will continue to direct my steps to where I am meant to go.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I work as a First Assistant Camera in the film industry! Although I tend to work on more narrative projects (like feature films or shorts), I also work on commercials, music videos, and the occasional documentary. One of my favorite projects from 2023 was doing second unit cinematography for “Out of Darkness,” a feature film we shot in Cambodia. We were based out of Battambang, but we also filmed around Siem Reap and Tonle Sap, one of the “floating villages” in the area. We were in Cambodia for about two months for that project, so we got to be fully immersed in Khmer culture and enjoyed a LOT of great home-cooked Khmer cuisine. The film has since gone on to win numerous nominations and awards both in Cambodia and internationally, so we are all pretty proud of our work on that one.
Another highlight from that year was doing 1st AC work on Justin Lord and Katelyn Moger’s short film, “Basket Case.” (Our cinematographer on that was the wildly-talented Graham Skinner) We roadtripped from LA to Forest Falls to Santa Cruz for all of our various forest and cave locations, and it was an absolute blast. The cast and crew on that project was really special, and we did some pretty creative camera moves that made my job pulling focus especially interesting. I think some of the best jobs are the travel gigs that involve a bit of hiking. 🙂
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
The biggest thing is just being comfortable reaching out to people – hit up someone on Instagram, or chat up the crew in the neighboring prep bay, and see what you can learn! I have found that most people in the film industry are friendly and excited to share the knowledge they have acquired over the years, so it never hurts to say hello and see what kind of work they are up to. Lunch on set is also a great time to really connect with people and hear what stories they have to tell.
I think it is also very important to be genuine with the interest you take in people and the relationships you pour into. If you don’t click with someone, that’s okay – just find the people that you do jive with, and be intentional about getting to know them and spending quality time with them. When I see new names on the callsheet, I don’t see them as potential “connections” – I see those people as potential friends, who I happen to also get to work with.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcoin/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9617088/
Image Credits
Caleb Lemon
Tessa Kier
