Meet Vivien Bong

We recently connected with Vivien Bong and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Vivien, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

I don’t think I’ve ever fully overcome imposter syndrome and I don’t think I ever truly will. It has a way of creeping up every so often, but I can tell you how it’s become less prevalent in my mindset. Part of the way I approach work and growth is knowing that I don’t know everything. Being open to learning new skills from others in the industry, asking questions and knowing that sometimes there’s a better way is how I’ve learnt so many things! Whether it’s moving a scene around, cutting a scene a second shorter or trying a completely new set of shots; feedback, although frustrating at times, has allowed me to become a better storyteller and editor.

Over time I’ve learnt to change my perspective and be inspired instead of fueling my doubts. Being able to look at others and understand that might not be me now but I can strive towards it or see techniques that I know I can’t do but use it as inspiration and put my personal spin on. Being inspired and trying new things have always been part of what I love about being in the creative industry.

Sometimes imposter syndrome still creeps in but I have been very blessed to work alongside amazing people that have lifted me up and told me how much they love my work. Being recommended to others by people I’ve worked with, or having a client call me back to do some more work always validates the work that I do and lifts my spirits up when I begin to doubt myself.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a video editor, I love working with people to bring stories to life!
I haven’t always been primarily a video editor. I started out in Swinburne University doing internal graphic design and videos. Having learnt a lot about design and the basics of video editing, I came to love creating videos to tell stories. Slowly I moved away from education and started to work with agencies to create more short form and story based videos. Moving away from education allowed me to experiment with different techniques and different genres of videos. After covid, I decided to take a leap and try my hand at freelancing full time. It has been challenging, but it has also been extremely rewarding, it’s opened doors for me to work with a range of different clients and teams and I have grown and learnt so much from other editors.

Being able to try different styles and techniques in videos is what I love about my job, finding the best way to represent and bring stories to life. Sometimes videos need to be straightforward and clear, other times they need to be snappy and visually interesting. After spending hours on a video, I love seeing how seemingly random, loose fitted footage can come together into a clear and succinct piece of entertainment. It’s the satisfaction of finding how the puzzle will fit together.

I personally don’t know what I have installed in the future, I’ve always been open to trying anything and everything. I would love to work on more long form content like a documentary, but on the contrary, I would also love to work to create Youtube videos. I’m just ready to explore what can be done in the world of video editing!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Surround yourself with people that you trust. Throughout the years, I have worked with so many different types of people and I’ve come to appreciate the ones that champion you and keep you grounded. It’s so important to have a network of friends and mentors that you can reach out to and check you are on the right track. It’s been such an important part of my journey to have people that have been through what I might be experiencing and help guide me through to the other side. Whether it be work or just life, cause life is hard!

Know your worth but don’t be afraid to ask for help. Being able to know what your strengths are and what you can bring to any project or situation is important, it’s really easy to doubt yourself and let imposter syndrome creep in, so it’s important to remember that you add value. But this doesn’t mean that you have to know everything. Never be afraid to ask for help and never take offence when someone offers feedback or other solutions. They just want to help with improvements.

But overall it’s important to always have fun and try something new. Being open to trying something different is how you grow. You’ll never know if something isn’t right for you if you don’t try and if it doesn’t work it’s okay but if it does work that’s amazing! Always be open to growth and change and that’s how I’ve learnt so much and why I love what I do!

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I’m always open to working with other people! I don’t think there’s any person in particular that I’m looking for. Being able to work alongside more people in the creative industry is always such a great learning experience. Collaborating with more people in the media industry and learning from them would be amazing!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vivbongdesigns.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/viv.bong
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivbong