Life & Work with Wendi Ma

Today we’d like to introduce you to Wendi Ma.

Hi Wendi, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am a freelance filmmaker who works and lives between Los Angeles and New York City, constantly collaborating on various projects that span across genres.

My journey began in China when I graduated with a non-related major back in 2015. During my college years, I developed a deep passion for anime and theater, which led me to explore opportunities within the storytelling industries. After conducting extensive research and applying to different schools, I decided to pursue filmmaking in the United States.

Balancing work and studies was challenging but rewarding. In 2018, I graduated from the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City with a major in Directing. From there, my freelancing career took off as I moved from one set to another while frequently traveling between LA and NYC, I have my own room in Queens, NYC, and will stay at one of my best friends’ house in Burbank, LA. Although directing was my primary focus during college, post-graduation life found me working on sound recording and AC jobs before transitioning into assistant director (AD) and producer roles more recently.

Most of my experience has been with student films or indie shorts; however, I have also dabbled in documentaries, commercials, among other films.

As time went on, questions about my future lingered – should I continue pursuing opportunities within the US or return home to China? While not making substantial income left me reliant on occasional financial support from my parents, overall life felt fulfilling as it revolved around interesting projects. With film opportunities seemingly abundant back home though, returning seemed like an option worth considering.

However, between 2019-2022 political unrest including Hong Kong protests along with Covid policies, shifted the environment drastically in China. This coupled with an increasingly suffocating political climate, made it clear that staying put was necessary – China no longer felt like home.

The pandemic brought its own challenges such as depression stemming from a lack of job prospects and personal struggles including a breakup. Despite these setbacks, determination prevailed, leading me towards building a life here permanently.

This year has seen significant improvement within the industry, providing me with more job opportunities. I am currently in the process of obtaining a Green Card to ease the stress associated with potentially moving back. Apart from smaller projects, I am excited to be producing my first feature documentary which will be shot in Mongolia during August and October. This milestone marks a new beginning for both my personal life and career.

Thank you so much for allowing me to share my story.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My journey has been far from smooth. Being a foreigner in the US filmmaking industry presented its own set of challenges, including finding enough job opportunities to sustain myself. Additionally, as a non-native English speaker, communication barriers occasionally arose.

The immigration policies further complicated matters by limiting my access to certain opportunities that could have propelled my career forward. On top of these professional hurdles, political turmoil both in China and America weighed heavily on me emotionally and mentally.

These combined pressures led me down dark paths where suicidal thoughts became all too familiar. However, life seems to be improving at this moment – with more job prospects opening up and personal growth occurring simultaneously. My hope is that I can continue navigating through these obstacles and ultimately find success within this ever-evolving industry.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Currently, my primary focus is on producing and working as an assistant director. My ultimate goal is to use these experiences as stepping stones toward directing my own films in the future. I have a particular affinity for fiction and dramas that explore unique narratives and delve into human nature.

This year alone, I produced a high-concept sci-fi short film and a zombie comedy short film – both of which reflect my passion for stories that go beyond ordinary life experiences. Drawing inspiration from Japanese anime and Broadway theater productions, I strive to create works that captivate audiences with their imaginative premises while simultaneously offering meaningful insights into our shared humanity.

During college, I had the opportunity to produce and direct live theater adaptations of popular anime series – an experience that further solidified my creative vision. Moving forward, it’s my hope to continue pushing boundaries within the industry by directing projects inspired by these unconventional storytelling styles.

What sets me apart from others is this unique blend of influences stemming from various cultures and art forms; combined with unwavering dedication towards realizing ambitious ideas through filmmaking endeavors despite any challenges encountered along the way.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
While growing up in Zhengzhou, a large city in China similar to Phoenix in the US, my parents divorced before I can even remember. I stayed with my mother, who was a nurse and very busy most of the time. As a result, I spent much of my childhood alone, watching TV or reading books. Despite our limited time together, my mother loved me very much.

In middle school, I was considered a geek or nerd and everyone thought I would eventually study Computer Science or Physics and become some sort of an academic (I hope I did lol). However, as I grew older, I discovered a passion for science fiction novels which led me to fall in love with anime as well (one of my favorite series being Code Geass). By the second year of high school, I had decided that storytelling was the career path for me.

The education system in China differs from that of the US; it’s harder to direct application to art schools which is why I ended up majoring in management. Nevertheless, during my college days, my focus shifted mostly to creating theatre works – it was one of the happiest times of my life and ultimately led me to pursue filmmaking in the United States.

Personally speaking, you could say that I’m quite nerdy – playing video games often while enjoying movies, animes, and mangas. Tabletop RPGs hold a special place for me since they provide great inspiration as a filmmaker. Admittedly not someone highly social by nature, I’m content connecting with people who share similar interests.

A few other quirks include: locking myself indoors more often than not and enjoying Taiko no Taitsujin – a music arcade game popular around LA but sadly absent from NYC (thanks to those who provide me jobs in LA!) Also, my friends all call me Paddy instead of Wendi for an obvious reason (That delivery man will ask: are you the husband of WENDY?). And I got the name “Paddy” way earlier than I came to the US, but with a silly story back to my freshmen year in college, lol.

Contact Info:

• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8267916/