Production Sound & Video

28 PRODUCTION SOUND & VIDEO – Spring 2021 away and doing really well. Then you just look at them and see them crack a little smile," Haley said. "That's always pretty great." In Rosa Costanza's "The Best Person for the Job," an article published in Production Sound & Video in the spring of 2015, Jillian describes her experience in a situation that many women within the industry face. "As a woman, I am very mindful that I have to be on my game. I believe I need to know all aspects of my craft well. Therefore, I spend quite a bit of time training and studying on my days off. I often feel I can't afford to make a mistake without it reflecting poorly upon me, and my gender. Some may say I'm too hard on myself, but I think that I have to be as good as the best." getting up, and working a completely different schedule. I think it scares me because we have such an unpredictable schedule. And then there's the fear and legitimate concern of losing your job. If you need to take time off, there might not be a job waiting for you when you're ready to come back or someone might think, 'She's too distracted to do her job now that she has a kid.' And I do think that's something women struggle with more than men." "Women are exhausted," Jillian said frankly. "As someone who doesn't have children but wants to, this idea of being an exhausted woman is not a workable survivable tactic for me. One of the reasons I became president was to create a world where women can work and have a family. And with the number of women coming into our technical local, we are going to be forced to rethink how certain things happen like flexibility of maternity leave and paternity leave, daycare, and sick pay. My focus is on how we can improve the mental health and wellness of our members beyond just pay structures and healthcare. Because this isn't just a women's issue. It's not in anybody's best interest for women to be this exhausted all of the time." "I can't imagine trying to have kids right now with this job," Cheyenne stated. However, she was quick to agree that this is not just an issue impacting women in our field. "I know that we talk about it a lot in terms of single mothers, which is an utterly amazing accomplishment. But I do want to shed light on the fact that there are single fathers out there having to do it on their own too, often raising young women who they want to see succeed as well. I am an example of that. My dad emphasized that it did get very difficult at times and more resources and support would have been wildly helpful as a single parent." I would like to thank Jillian, Haley, and Cheyenne for taking the time to sit down and speak with me about these proud and difficult subjects. All three are a credit to their respective fields. As we move forward, Local 695 is committed to nurturing equality within our industry. Members who are interested in being a part of this reform are encouraged to reach out to the Local about joining the Women's Committee or the Committee for Equity, Opportunity, & Diversity. "At the end of the day," Haley concluded, "we need to support women because that's how we support everybody." "As a new female Video Engineer, I am so excited and proud to be supported by strong women. And I want to give credit to the men who continually back and support women in the fields, as I have experienced greatly thus far during my career. It is a very competitive field, but that is also very encouraging and enticing. And as much as it is intimidating at times, I believe that being a woman in this industry is beyond rewarding in so many ways," Cheyenne told me optimistically. "But we're put into these positions by people who believe in us," Cheyenne pointed out. "Tech Managers, the people who hire me, they all say, 'I have no doubt that you can do it. I'm not worried about you at all.' I would not be where I am today without the support of so many wonderful men in my career. There are just some people who make me feel like I don't belong here. And of course, I belong here. I worked really hard to get where I am. And there are definitely people who can see that and who have been encouraging every step of the way." Unfortunately, the problems that women face within the industry are not just confined to the set or normal business hours. The unpredictable nature of Hollywood can make balancing work and family life a challenge. "I think it scares the hell out of me to think about having babies in this industry," Haley explained. "Growing up, we were fortunate enough to have help. But I can't imagine getting off from a show and getting home, helping us with a project, putting kids to bed, working until midnight, then " As a woman, I am very mindful that I have to be on my game. I believe I need to know all aspects of my craft well." –Jillian Arnold

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