We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Roma Kong a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Roma, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
Growing up I was one of many: I was one of many other girls in my all-girls private Catholic school, I was one of many other girls in Ballet school, and I was one of many other students at my undergraduate Alma Mater. However, I was the only one in my entire school going to professional Ballet school every single day from the age of 11, I was the only girl in Ballet school that preferred Hip Hop and Jazz dance to Classical dance, and the only one in my undergrad cohort to dream of becoming a successful professional filmmaker in Hollywood. My deep love for film and entertainment, my dedication to dance and performing, and my “too big for an Asian-Peruvian girl” dreams, often got me labelled as the eccentric one, the nerdy one, the over-the-top one, the rebel, the crazy dreamer… I was, more often than not, “the odd one out”.
I know that’s not the type of “only person in the room” that this question is referring to, but I genuinely believe that being raised by parents who always supported, and even encouraged, all of my “out of the ordinary” hopes and dreams, having a core group of friends who embraced my uniqueness, and having a personality that makes me always speak my mind, and never let other people stop me from being myself, are huge aspects of my life that I was lucky to have that taught me and helped me to thrive as an Asian-Latina immigrant woman in the US film industry, something that has often made me the “only person in the room” (the type this question is referring to), one way or another, during all my years in filmmaking.
When it comes to being successful in the film industry, I use the confidence and strength I’ve acquired throughout all these years to help me be effective in an environment where I’m often the only woman, the only Asian, the only Latina, the only woman of color, the only immigrant, etc. I know that I am good at what I do, I know that I’m constantly working on becoming even better, I know that my ideas come from a unique perspective and that I can offer a unique point of view in many different situations, I know that even tho I have to work harder than other demographics in this industry, I have the will and the talent to do it. And the most important thing, I have a great support system to help me succeed, in my parents, my extended family, and my friends, who are always there whenever I need help, whether it be in my personal life, or my professional one.
That being said, it’s still hard to go through life often being the “only one”, I still do feel left out sometimes, or like I don’t have others to share the same feelings with. I often remind myself that most people haven’t been as lucky as I’ve been: it took my whole life of being put into situations that shaped my character to be self-confident enough to tackle this with success, and I’m lucky that I’ve come into this industry at a time in which there’s a real effort to bring more diversity, to bring in different perspectives, to bring about change.
I hope that we can soon live in a world where the feeling of being the “only one” is non-existent for anyone in any industry, until then tho, we have to remember that being the “only one” can also bring power: we bring expertise on new and different topics, we bring the ability to help reach out to a wider group of people, etc. Reminding ourselves and everyone around us that our uniqueness is a strength is, I believe, the best way to successfully navigate life as the “only one in the room”.
Tell us about your journey to get to where you are and what is it that you like the most about what you do?
I was born and raised in Lima, Peru, and I am a film writer-director, producer, and editor working in the entertainment industry for over 10 years.
I’ve loved entertaining since I was 3 years old. I guess you can say I first started my professional career as an artist, when I was 11, and I applied and got in into the National School of Ballet in Peru. There, I spent 7 years of my life training to become a professional ballerina/dancer. Throughout all these years tho, I always knew that even tho I adored dance, and it was an art that I wanted to learn how to master, I didn’t want to make a living out of it, what I wanted to make a career out of was Film.
After graduating high school, and because unfortunately, there are no proper film schools in Peru, I studied Communications for my undergrad, with the plan to go to the US to get a Masters in film later on. After graduating college, I became the Event Manager and Show Producer for my former ballet school. I did that for almost 2 years, and it was one of the most fun, but also most challenging jobs I’ve had. I learned so much about producing at a very high level. This was the National School of Ballet, so I was producing pretty big events and shows for the country’s premier ballet school.
In 2014, I moved to LA to attend USC’s School of Cinematic Arts pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in Film and Television Production. Since then, I’ve been working in the film industry and fulfilling my dream of becoming a professional filmmaker.
Right after graduation, I was very lucky to be referred by a friend from USC (go Trojan Mafia!) to work as an Editor for Disney Digital, and from there I’ve continued working as an editor for the likes of Nickelodeon, DC Comics, Netflix, and Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios. I have also been writing, directing, and producing several films. A couple of years ago, I was the lead producer and one of the writers for the SXSW selected film “I’M FINE (Thanks for Asking)”, I’ve directed a few festival selected short films, and I am currently a lead co-producer and the post-production supervisor for the upcoming historical feature film “Canyon Del Muerto”, starring Abigail Lawrie, Tom Felton, Wes Studi, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, and Abigail Breslin.
What I love the most about working in film is definitely the people. Most people in the industry are super talented individuals willing to help others thrive. From my very first day at USC, I’ve been relying on these great connections and friends I’ve met since starting my journey in LA. I’ve been on many different sets, fulfilling various roles, and I’ve found an industry full of creative and kind people. I know Hollywood likes to paint this glamorous, out of reach world for the film industry, but it is far from it. Sure, we get the glamorous awards shows and red carpets every once in a while, but most of the time, everyone’s working really hard in these, sometimes, very hard conditions, and we all rely on each other to tell the stories that we love, and keep ourselves sane in the process.
I am currently working with my writing partner on a dark fantasy television show and on writing my first feature film as a director, as well as working on developing multiple projects for and with other filmmakers. We’re all very excited for all the projects ahead and all the great teams we’ll be working with.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I would say that self-confidence, a huge collaborative spirit, and open-mindedness were hugely important in my journey.
Like I said before, had I not been self-confident in my talent, my knowledge, and my uniqueness from a very young age, I’d likely would’ve given up way sooner. The film industry is really tough to get into, and, as a dear mentor and close friend of mine once said to me, you have to have “shark skin” to make it in it. You have to be confident enough (without being egotistical, and even less so, narcissistic) to be able to handle rejection and numerous doors closing in your face, multiple times, even with most people you meet in this industry being very open to helping you out. You also have to be patient, and know that this is a journey that, way more often than not, takes years to get to or close to where you wanna be. Trust that your talent, and your determination can take you far, even if it might take a long time.
When it comes to having a huge collaborative spirit, the film industry is likely one of the most collaborative industries in the world. A project is only as successful as its weakest link, and you rely on every single person, from the director to the PA, to make something great. No person or role is too small, and everyone is just as important as everyone else. For me, knowing how to recognize great talent has been a huge strength when it comes to collaboration. I always want to work with the very best, and always strive to find people who are better at the different roles than I am. Most everyone I work with have a great time on my sets because of this: everyone is the best at what they do and are trusted to make their own decisions for the best of the project.
Finally, being open-minded is extremely important to succeed in this industry (and likely any industry, to be honest). You have to understand that we all come from different backgrounds and have had very different journeys through life. Different opinions and ideas, when handled correctly, will only make your work stronger. You also need to be open to negative feedback. Don’t shut yourself out or reject negative comments about your work. More often than not, negative criticism will make your project better, if you know how to analyze it and understand where it’s coming from.
I know these are very internal qualities, but just keep reminding yourself of them and work on slowly getting better at managing them. At the same time, keep working hard on your craft. There’s always something new to learn, and every person you come across with can teach you something.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Of course I am! I’m always looking for new people to meet and collaborate with. I love meeting kind, smart, creative, and talented people that are open-minded, fun to work with, and that love working with great teams.
On a personal level, I love working with folks who have ideas that are greater than life, and that know how to appreciate different aspects of film. Peeps who enjoy the next big blockbuster that we can go to the movie theater for a big fan experience and later discuss different theories about, just as much as the small indie film that very few people got to see but shows an incredible craft in the art.
As far as type of projects I love working on go, I’m definitely more drawn towards adventure, dark fantasy, and horror, but I generally just love working on projects that can touch a variety of people in different ways, and that can do so in an entertaining and unique way. I love all genres of film and love working on every single one of them.
If you think you’d like to collaborate with me and some of my cool and awesome friends, just message me on Linkedin or Instagram, or shoot me an email (my email address is on my website).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.romakong.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roma.kong/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romakong/
Image Credits
Sarah Yi, David Liu
