Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Villig.
Hi Victoria, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started making videos for fun with my friends at the age of 11. For the first few years, I only showed the skits to my friends and family. In 2014 when I was 14, I started uploading content to YouTube. It was a group channel with my best friends where we produced lifestyle content in English. After a year, we had 500 subscribers and my friends had lost interest… I didn’t let that setback stop me because I knew I had a passion for filmmaking. After that, I continued to post on my personal YouTube channel and it blew up – in ten months I gained 10,000+ subscribers. I think the few factors that led to success were:
1) TIMING – Estonian YouTube grew immensely in the fall of 2016,
2) SKILLS – at that point, I had been creating videos for 5+ years, so my skills were much more developed than most Estonian YouTubers at the time.
3) and lastly, CONTENT – I switched from English to Estonian and started making original comedy skits about school, which my audience could really relate to.
It was all uphill from there…
– I got an agent.
– Started getting paid brand deals which lead to a steady income.
– Created a vlog channel and a group YouTube channel with two other female Estonian YouTubers.
– Did a live show tour in three of the biggest cities in Estonia and on a cruise ship to Sweden.
– Started hosting my own social media workshops around the country.
– Got 4 awards for my comedy skits at the Estonian Social Media Gala including “The Most Viewed Estonian YouTube Video of the Year in 2017”.
– Did a summer semester abroad for a film course, “Lights, Camera, Action” at Michigan State University.
– Co-hosted an Estonian reality TV show about social media.
– Became a Nike ambassador in Estonia.
– Hosted multiple live conferences about social media and entrepreneurship.
– Started my own lifestyle podcast.
– Became one of the Top 3 most successful influencers in Estonia.
After graduating from high school, I worked as a full-time social media content creator for two years. At that point, I felt I had reached a limit in Estonia. Therefore, I decided to branch out and I applied to the American Film Institute Conervatory’s Master of Fine Arts Editing program. To my surprise, I got accepted and in the summer of 2021, I moved from Tallinn, Estonia to Los Angeles, U.S.A. by myself at the age of 21.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I believe that everybody has struggles, even if they don’t admit it. I’ve faced challenges both in my professional life like cyberbullying, brand deals falling through, videos failing, losing followers, decreased engagement, burnout, creative block, etc, and in my personal life, like losing close family members, heartbreak, trying to live up to other people’s expectations, loneliness, pressure to succeed, imposter syndrome, etc. But I like to believe that obstacles are a crucial part of the journey because they will make you stronger, teach you important lessons if you’re willing to learn and determine if you’re cut out for certain things or not.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Currently, I’m a second-year editing fellow at AFI. I’m working on my thesis film called “Re-Entry” (@re_entry_thesis on Instagram) which is a drama about a female trans scientist who has to face her past closeted self in order to share her latest satellite findings with the world.
Last summer I did an internship back at home co-editing two Estonian documentaries, which I absolutely loved. I have a passion for both scripted and documentary films. My editorial specialties are dialogue editing, comedic timing, montages, pacing, problem-solving, and restructuring. I’m known as driven, collaborative, straightforward, open-minded, determined, supportive, and down-to-earth!
I’m most proud of my work ethic and far I’ve come at such a young age. I think what sets me apart from others is my ambition. My mission is to work myself up in Hollywood, grow as an editor, master my craft, and widen my knowledge and contacts in order to bring Estonian stories to the screen all over the world in the future. My biggest career goal is to be the first Estonian to win an Academy Award for Best Film Editing.
I can’t wait to start working as a full-time scripted and documentary film editor in LA!
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I’m ready to start working as an Editor on narrative and documentary projects in September. If you want to follow my journey and see what I’m working on currently, follow me on Instagram @vvillig.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://victoriavillig.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vvillig/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-villig/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/victoriavillig
