From world traveling filmmaker to DeKalb High School classroom, educator helps mold young creatives

DeKALB – JD Oliva, 45, says life as a freelance documentary filmmaker and writer means there’s never a dull moment.

Such a creative life has taken the Streamwood native to countries around the world, like Russia, England, Iceland and Turkey.

Even as Oliva transitioned to coaching wrestling and teaching at DeKalb High School, he said life hasn’t necessarily slowed down for him. He’s merely found a new arena to channel his creative energy.

“I was in grad school, plus Barb Cast, coaching and my own training,” Oliva said. “I don’t travel as much, but life is crazy.”

After graduating in 2003 from Northern Illinois University, Oliva has put his skills as both a media professional and a wrestler to use since his time at his alma mater. His work has been featured on ESPN, CNN and various TV commercials for Live Nation, to name a few.

Oliva said the primary focus of his freelance work is documentary filmmaking. He said some of his world travels have been made possible, in part, due to filming wrestling events.

“Teaching was never part of the plan. It’s been a great second phase of life for me. I never expected to have this career, and it’s the best job I’ve ever had.”

—  JD Oliva

Oliva recounted a trip to Russia where he shot film during the 2010 World Championships. He called it a very “different” experience.

“When we went there in 2010, tensions weren’t quite as high,” Oliva said. “I remember we filmed stuff with USA Wrestling, and then we traveled around Ramadan. And then [I] remember the area that we were filming in. It was a prayer day. ... I was told one million people were praying outside the arena. We actually had to be escorted into the building from Russian military, which was just terrifying because I couldn’t speak Russian.”

Things escalated quickly, Oliva said.

“The next thing you know, some dude with an AR-15’s demanding ‘You come this way,’” Oliva said. “And it was super intimidating at the time. We went through the next day, and it was completely wide open. My first day in Russia, it happened to be on that day, so it was crazy.”

In 2022, Oliva put his travels as a freelance documentary filmmaker on the back burner and took up a staffing job at DeKalb High School.

Oliva said he has no regrets about his decision to pivot in his career.

“Teaching was never part of the plan,” Oliva said. “It’s been a great second phase of life for me. I never expected to have this career, and it’s the best job I’ve ever had.”

At DeKalb High School, Oliva has made a new name for himself. He’s one of the sponsors behind Barb Cast, a student club integrating higher levels of graphics and video production classes where students are taught how to broadcast.

Oliva touted national recognition the high school’s efforts have garnered from working with Hudl TV, a web streaming platform that enables high school sports organizations to create broadcasts.

“We’re in the top 1% of their programs,” Oliva said. “I got to speak at a conference for Huddle TV last year and tell them and really show people who are in my position how they can launch their own video production programs and web streaming programs with next to nothing.”

It was the 2023-2024 school year when DeKalb High School first relaunched Barb Cast, a student club focused on video production and web streaming, Oliva said.

“Our broadcasts look like television programs, and I’m really proud to say that,” he said. “And it’s all student-driven. ... I’m just a supervisor. The kids run 100% of it. They’re on the cameras. They’re on the switchboard. They’re directing. They’re doing the interviews.”

DeKalb High School teacher Jeremy Schulz, who helps run Barb Cast, said Oliva has been a great person to collaborate with.

“JD is very energetic,” Schulz said. “He brings his wrestling coach energy to the classroom and what we do in Barb Cast. He brings the kids in and coaches them. My role is more of the engineer. I handle the technical. JD’s out there recruiting and making sure that the kids are feeling good about what they’re learning.”

Oliva said he enjoys having the opportunity to help mold young creatives.

In some cases, he said, students enroll in his classes without prior experience in video production or web streaming.

“This is the stuff that I did for 15 years on my own as a freelancer,” Oliva said. “Teaching those kids how to do that has been really cool.”

Some students end up applying their skills in the real world, which Oliva said is encouraging to see.

“I’ve got kids that are starting their own little side hustles, which is really cool, in both video and in design,” Oliva said. “It’s really cool to see what the kids are [doing] with it.

He said students and their families generally have positive things to say about working with him.

Oliva said the way he teaches students is informed, in part, by the way he coaches wrestling.

“I try to keep things fun,” Oliva said. “Oftentimes, the kids call me by my first name because that’s what I’ve always gone by. I coached here for six years before I started teaching here, so a lot of the kids already knew me.”

Oliva said he believes in practicing what he preaches, whether it’s in the classroom or in the gym.

He recently competed in the U.S. Open wrestling tournament in the Greco-Roman division, where he placed third in his age division.

“[I’m] still competing, still having fun,” Oliva said.

Fun is what it’s all about for Oliva, who said he’s glad to have found a new outlet for his creative energy at DeKalb High School. He’s continued writing as a hobby, published 14 novels and even sold film rights to one of them.

“I don’t feel like ‘What could have been,’” Oliva said. “I did it. I spent years working in documentary film. I’ve seen the world. I did everything I wanted to do. I got tired of not knowing where my next paycheck was coming from. I want to be home with my family. That was my choice.”