We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Olivia Wong. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Olivia below.

Hi Olivia, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

When I was 14, I created my first video assignment to screen for class and instantly fell in love with the process. Throughout my entire high school experience, I pursued my passion in whatever way that I possibly could. I did videography for events/organizations, created travel videos, attended summer filmmaking camps, and took community college courses. After I shot my first short film on a DSLR featuring over 80 actors (AKA my untrained friends, family, and peers), I knew for certain that this was what I was meant to do with the rest of my life. I wasn’t going to let any obstacles in my path prevent me from pursuing my passion and purpose.

Although my undergraduate University (UC Davis) did not have a filmmaking program, I again took every opportunity to sharpen my skills. I worked for UC Davis as a videographer/photographer, started my own freelance video/photo business (where I worked with nearly a hundred clients), and interned with the Sacramento Kings to sharpen my editing skills. I wrote, directed, and produced a few projects as well – which I was always much more passionate about than the corporate work. Then, finally, I moved down to LA to begin my MFA program at USC.

Before attending USC, I essentially had no professional set experience. However, I had spent the previous 10 years making the most out of the limited resources that I had. So once I got to LA, I was ready. However, when COVID-19 hit, I made the difficult decision to leave my graduate program to pursue more hands-on experience. That year in 2021, I wrote/directed/produced an award-winning short film, directed/produced a woman empowerment documentary, and won a film grant to direct a project with a 100-year old company (Eddie Bauer). Additionally, I began hosting local film screening events for the community where independent filmmakers could submit their work (free of charge) to screen in a theater with a live audience. My artistic approach is heavily based upon my goal of creating safe spaces in the film industry for all, especially underrepresented groups of people. Now, I have my own production company that aligns with that mission and we’ve worked with a wide variety of clients and communities.

I’ve considered what I would have done differently to speed up my learning process – like taking more outside courses, transferring to a more arts-based high school or Undergraduate college, or even foregoing college to begin working in the industry sooner. However, if I had done any of those things, then I wouldn’t be the person (or artist) that I am today. My unique perspective is a direct product of my collective life experiences. Thus, there’s honestly nothing that I would change about my journey.

Olivia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve always aspired to enact positive social change in the world, through the medium of cinema. A big reason for this is because I was essentially given a second chance at life. I was adopted from Hong Kong and frequently reflect upon how blessed I am to simply be here. I want to inspire people to live their lives to the fullest, whilst also being empathetic and accepting of others. The duality of evoking emotion and provoking alternative ways of thinking is the vision that I have for my work. There is obviously a limit to the number of people that I will personally connect with during my lifetime, but film allows for infinite possibilities because it transcends both time and space. It allows for long-lasting impact that has the possibility of extending far into the future.

Instead of making films that satisfy people’s impulse to escape the world around them, I aspire to push people to reevaluate their own lives by sparking (or continuing) their respective self-improvement through self-awareness. Just as the “Magic Window Theory” suggests, media (like television and movies) serves as a reflection of real life. We live in a world rampant with opposing viewpoints and bigotry, but sharing stories that authentically encompass the experiences of various marginalized groups/topics (i.e. LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, mental health, etc.) can bring us together in ways unimaginable. I’ve always believed that education and exposure are the keys to ushering in nuanced ways of thinking and acceptance.

I founded my production company “OWong Productions” with the same goals in mind. In addition to fostering safe spaces and amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities, I also hope to create this kind of long-lasting impact with my work. It’s incredibly important to bring topics to the light that have been hidden, judged, and dismissed for so long.

When working with clients, I always try to find ways to elevate their projects whilst also keeping the integrity of their vision intact. Normally, a client will come to me with an idea or script. Then my team and I will bring it to life – taking care of everything from development/pre-production, all the way through post-production and beyond. The best type of creations are always accomplished by cohesive collaboration.

Although my primary focus is within narrative film work, I also really enjoy directing music videos, documentaries, and more. My production company offers both filmmaking and photography services of all kinds, not limited to any specific constraints. What’s most important is abiding by our aforementioned core values to create high-quality products that both satisfy our clients and make a positive impact on our communities.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

We all measure success in different ways, but impact is all that I’ve ever wanted to achieve with my work. Changing just one person’s life is worth more to me than winning any award. Inspiring someone to be unapologetically themselves is priceless, just as knowing that I played even a small part in someone’s journey.

When I was growing up, I wish that there was more content out there that helped me feel seen. I often had a hard time relating to characters on screen because their experiences were so unlike my own. For example, I didn’t come out as gay until I was 24 because I struggled to accept myself/my identity for most of my life. I didn’t think that it was “okay” to be who I was because I never saw an example of what a thriving, queer, Asian woman looked like. It makes me wonder how many other kids (or even adults) are continuing to hide or live in shame, solely because of the fear of judgment for being “different”.

With all of my work, I always think about 2 things: what content was absent from my youth that would have changed my life? And how can I fill this gap, so that the next generation can grow up feeling truly seen (and heard)? We all deserve to see journeys like ours represented in the media, told from the lens of people like us, who have lived it – rather than outside people telling our stories and speaking for us. This is the most rewarding aspect of being an artist. We get to be the change that we want to see. We’re also able to give a voice to those who have been historically silenced.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I find that a lot of non-creatives have trouble understanding how intertwined our personal lives are with our professional ones. Being a creative is not just a job – it’s a lifestyle. I put my entire heart and soul into my projects because art without passion (and purpose) is simply…wrong.

Most creatives don’t get into this line of work for the money; financial stability is never guaranteed, but you know what is? Discovery, acceptance, and growth – both externally and internally. As creatives, we confront difficult truths, emotions, and perspectives in the hopes of inspiring others to do the same. Even though creating can certainly be personally cathartic, it often speaks to something much larger than ourselves. Most of us choose this path because there is genuinely nothing else in this world that we could see ourselves doing. We love to create and love the journey of creating even more.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.owongproductions.com
• Instagram: @oliviawong11 AND @owongproductions
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/owongproductions/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/owong-productions
• Other: Link Tree: linktr.ee/Oliviawong11

Image Credits
Drew Gayner Momodu Mansaray Cory Sherwood Joaquin Cintron Kristofer Salaah Brandon Carson