Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Maria Bordador.
Hi Samantha Maria, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been a creative, but I also felt the pressure of having to join the medical field because I’m Filipino. Before college, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but I settled for trying to convince myself that I would be interested enough to do research on synesthesia and art therapy, as a mix of both the medical and art fields.
At Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles, I lasted one entire semester as a Psychology major, failing a couple of classes because I wasn’t entirely interested in them. After some discussions with my advisor and with some mentors from high school, I decided to try pursuing Film, specifically in the editing/post-production track. I looked forward to every class I took for the program. So many topics seemed interesting and fun to me, and so I took as many as I could.
I started working for the campus bookstore during my first year, and suddenly I found that my time was more limited than I thought. I decided I valued money over internship experience, so I fell behind in film networking compared to most of my other classmates. I figured I had more time to make it up later.
In 2018, I began working freelance graphic design with a good friend from high school. She roped me into helping create a brand design for a small female-led marketing agency called Weosh, and from there I continued to do contract work with them. Unfortunately, working full-time, being in school full-time, commuting to the Hollywood studio, and ALSO working freelance took a significant toll on my body. I slept 2-4 hours a day for three weeks straight and fell ill, forcing me to cancel some of the projects I was working on. I took a break from graphic work for a good while and instead tried to stay focused on school.
I graduated in 2019, but I had no contacts aside from the film staff at school. I hadn’t networked or picked up any freelance jobs before I finished schooling, so I decided to continue working at the bookstore until I found something good. That…didn’t really come.
My only option was to take advantage of the MSMU-LA alumni perk of taking one class every semester tuition-free, with a small registration fee. I started taking a post-production class whenever I could, so I could meet more people and continue practicing my craft. Even when the pandemic hit, I was still able to work on some short films made by the students in the program. Slowly but surely over the course of the pandemic, I started working on short films made by MFA students at the university. Now, I’m currently working on my first feature film!
I’ve chosen a slow route out of college, but I’m thankful and lucky to have a supportive family and friends to help expand my network. I don’t have great internet speeds or have a car or reliable transportation, but I’m working my hardest to keep doing what I love. Someday I will be able to connect with more filmmakers and make my way into the industry.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all. I graduated right before the pandemic started and was basically forced to stay at my retail job in order to stay in my apartment. In 2021, I quit because they were asking too much of me for what I was being paid, and it was taking time away from editing and making new contacts. A few months later, I moved back home with my parents, where I lost a LOT of freedom. I still try to make it work, but my progress is extremely slow.
I was also recently diagnosed with moderate depression, and I’ve come to understand that there are days when I physically can’t do anything because my brain and my body won’t let me. Motivation is extremely difficult for me to come across, but I try to be sure to work hard when I do have it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I classify myself as a Film & Video Editor and Motion Graphics Artist. I have loved working on the short drama films from students, but I’m extremely proud of the work I’ve done so far for the feature film. Outside of my film circle, I also work on motion graphics and some graphic design projects. This year, I created assets and the program journal for the Guild of Music Supervisors State of Music in Media Conference. It was so crazy to see my work being carried around by hundreds of people, and also served as a sneaky conversation starter!
I think what sets me apart from others is that I pay very close attention to detail. I know that the way people perceive art changes based on the quality of it, so I try to make my film cuts as watchable as possible. Even if I’m only concerned with telling the story, I always make sure to edit audio and video to help support it, because they are just as important to telling the story effectively.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I am incredibly lucky to have parents who are willing to support me. I was able to move back home after leaving my full-time retail job, and I’m not expected to pay rent as long as I help around the house. My family has been patient with me as I try to work on my career, and it means the world to me. I’m also lucky to have family and friends who are also creatives because it has helped me get around some mental humps. I have a strong support circle, and it makes all the difference.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.samanthamaria.me/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthabordador/
