Today we’d like to introduce you to A’sia Horne.
A’sia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I graduated during the stock market crash of 2008 from Florida A&M University. It was frightening because one of my passions was to work with magazines. I worked with our student magazine all through college, but the crash changed the landscape of journalism and most print magazines disappeared. Thankfully, I changed my major last minute from print to broadcast because my desire to work in film and television was growing, and I wanted to learn something that could help me afford to live in a big city quickly (laughs). So, I made sure I learned more about video editing and I worked with cameras. What’s crazy is the first time I learned editing was in high school in my small little hometown of DeLand, Fla. We had the throwback Skittle-colored Apple computers believe it or not. I think six Macs were in the class.
After the crash, I was blessed to work at ESPN soon after I graduated from college, then I moved to L.A. to pursue film in 2011. But life works so funny. I ended up working in advertising, which is the polar opposite of journalism. I worked for a bit in post-production as a junior editor then I was eventually promoted to a senior editor. In hindsight, I’m thankful I started there because I learned how to do everything in this space. But after five years, I needed a break from advertising.
My break was teaching in South Florida for a year as a TV production instructor. I learned so much working with kids and teaching in the school system. I learned true hard work, commitment and passion working with these kids. Teachers really need to be honored because I never worked so hard in my life, even working in broadcast television and in advertising. Because you don’t just teach if you’re a good teacher. You’re a mentor, a parent and a therapist at times. It is entirely disappointing how teachers are treated in our country.
But as I taught and as I encouraged them, I wondered how can I encourage them to go for their dreams and I quit on mine? My students sparked my desire to move back to L.A. and pursue TV and film again in 2017. And I’ve made more strides in almost three years than I did in the five years when I first arrived. I’m so grateful to God for a second chance and a path.
The other thing my students sparked was my love for teaching and I decided I needed to find a way to still do this. That evolved into my non-profit called The Hue Collective through which we teach kids and teens of color how to edit video. And as we grow, our focus on teaching production will increase as well. I created this non-profit with my sister Keisha Gordon, an educator, and my mother Joyce Horne-Harley, who is currently retired. We focus on kids in areas similar to where we are from, small rural towns and urban cities alike, so kids and teens that look like us can have the opportunity to learn about things they may have never had access to.
It’s important to influence more editors of color. If you look at the stats about Hollywood we are in dire need to have more voices especially in editing. I think it’s important to have a diverse pool of editors because we can see and understand different nuances for stories, especially those featuring of people of color. It’s also important because we are the third re-write of a story.
Our first bootcamp was last summer at the high school I graduated from. My former media teacher, James Lowenstein, actually was the first person to teach me how to edit. Little did I know he planted a seed that would blossom into my career, and that’s what I want to do for others with The Hue Collective. As I learn and grow, I want to plant seeds in others so that they too can believe in their dreams and flourish in whatever their purpose is on this earth. As we get more funding, we will move across the country teaching skills to kids and teens of color so we have more diverse voices in the field of post-production and production.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
What has been challenging is sometimes just believing in yourself when you’ve worked extremely hard to get to that dream you have and it’s year five and you’re still not even close. At one point, I wasn’t sure how to access scripted television or gauge what more I needed to work on shows. I honestly couldn’t figure it out. And I didn’t have anyone to ask how can I break into post-production for actual television shows or film. But thankfully, I’ve been able to learn ins and outs by finding networking groups or just getting out and meeting more people and specifically amazing people willing to share information. That’s given me access to work on shows I never thought I would have. And now, I’m in a mentoring program to help with my career path and that was the major blessing from last year. So as I mentor, I’m also being mentored and can help others with the obstacles I’ve had because now I have answers on how to combat that or how to make a way.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Professionally, I’m an editor and assistant editor. I started in advertising and in the past, I’ve edited social/online content for clients like Honda. As an assistant editor, I’ve worked on some shows familiar to some, such as The Shop. And as an editor, I’ve worked on e-gaming show Defining Moments and currently, I edit on DC Daily Show. I think what sets me apart from others is my diverse background. I’ve edited in so many formats and different software that influences the way I think and work creatively. And it’s my love of learning about my craft. I’m a nerd I’m always like ‘how do I do this?’ ‘what’s needed for those who receive this from me.’ I want to know everything. And on top of that, I want to share with those who need it too. And that is why I started my non-profit, The Hue Collective. We provide that information and deliver it. We teach kids in a week a professional editing software, Adobe Premiere, and as always when you give kids the space to create they always exceed expectations. Our first camp in 2019, the kids learned to edit and produced not one but three projects in a week’s span.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I wouldn’t say it’s luck. I think God has always played a role in my success in life and even in the lessons. I try my best to keep God first and focus on what my purpose is in this season in my life. Often there were times where I thought I wasn’t in the right space and sometimes I wasn’t in the right place. But I realize that often those experiences are training ground to prepare me for a moment in the future. I think being an analyzer has played a major role in my life and business too. I write goals down. I make it plain. And I specifically plan and breakdown what I need to effectively achieve goals. Also, perspective plays a big role in my life. Remembering that everything happens in it’s time helps a lot. So I try my best to remember if I’m not there yet I will be. This is just a part of the journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thehuecollective.com & www.asiahorne.com
- Instagram: @thehuecollectivefl
- Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/thehuecollective/
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