Cassie is from Endicott, NY and went to college at the University at Buffalo which is also located in upstate New York. She loves Tina Fey, dogs, and making things awkward. Since the end of 2017 Cassie has been heading Subatomic TV, which will be a hub of comedy video content produced by Kworq. You can catch her on the subway writing raps in her notebook, at Dunkin Donuts ordering an iced coffee, or people watching during the day in Soho. Did we mention she loves dogs: Adopt A Stuffed Dog Sketch.
What is your role at Kworq? How long have you worked here?
I am the Director of Content at Kworq, I also work on Subatomic TV – a brand created by Kworq with the sole mission of entertaining and producing comedy videos. I have been with Kworq in total for about a year and a half.
Where were you photographed? Why was that your choice?
We went down to the subway. I find the subway to be one of my most favorite and least favorite places in the world. Sometimes the congestion of the subway can add to a stressful day, but other days I find myself completely lost in my notebook – writing and the rest of the world seems to disappear.
Why did you want to work at Kworq?
I had been working in Advertising on the media planning side for a bit before I realized I needed to switch gears and get into production and creative. After shifting gears and working as a Production Assistant for a while, I wanted to find a job that allowed me to blend my desire to be both analytical and creative. I met the team at Kworq and it was clear this was a place I had been looking for.
Why did you get into Advertising?
It’s funny. It just kind of happened, but also was the indirect route to where I always have wanted to go. I graduated with a Communications degree and thought, “oh wow…what heck do I do with this?” I always loved comedy and loved making short videos, but what do I do with that? Commercial writing, script writing? I truly had no idea, but I knew I loved coming up with solutions…and better yet amazing solutions backed by data. It felt like that type of creativity would best fit into Advertising and I thought maybe I could make commercials.
What is your favorite part about working in advertising?
Favorite part. Hmm. I think that advertising has become everything for me. I can’t walk out the door without noticing the out of home advertisements, or the branded video campaign playing on th
e small cab tv. The industry I work in is everywhere, and the more I pay attention the better I can become. I find myself zoning out, wondering why they placed the ad there? Who are they marketing to? Is it working? OR do I even like it? I find it refreshing that I can grow at my craft no matter where I am. (outside of NYC is probably a different story, but currently I live in the city with the loudest advertisements out there.)
What is your least favorite part about working in advertising?
Fast. Too fast. I understand the importance of starting campaigns on time and even rushing to align with current trends, but I don’t understand rushing to get things out that would benefit from another week of planning and reworking. When it comes to digital campaigns these days – do something too bold and you may be scrutinized and doing something too small could mean the same thing. People are in tune to brands that speak their language, and if that means reworking something that didn’t come out the way you want your brand to be represented or does not speak to your audience authentically – then take the time to fix it before pushing it out to millions.
What’s the hardest part about what you do?
Trying to do everything. I am so excited by new cameras, new ideas, new ways of doing things, and I want to be an expert in all of it – but I can’t be. A lot of my role is scripting, producing, editing, and creating video content from pre through post production. At any point of that journey, I can get caught up in wanting to hone on one specific craft and become the best at it. It’s just not possible, and for me the hardest part is not getting lost in all the different exciting new technologies along the way.
Where do you want to be in five years?
We are in the works of building a Youtube channel with comedy content: Subatomic TV, so I would like to believe I’ll be working on that channel, but on larger scale projects. My goal is to have finished producing a comedy web series around that time!
What’s your greatest inspiration for what you do?
Great content. I find myself so inspired after watching something that clearly was given care at every stage of the creative process. The writing’s on point, scenic and set deck killed it, the music was thought of as an accelerator to the story, and I am completely engulfed in the story. When I see something really funny, or really awesome I end up picking up a pen and getting lost in my own creative zone.
What was the last thing you watched that you really liked? Why?
The End of the F***ing World on Netflix. It’s now been a few weeks since I watched the 1st season about 3 times in row, but this is something that completely got me. The music, the characters, the 2 shot scenes, and the overall feeling I got when watching it. I felt apart of their world, a world that I couldn’t entirely relate to, but also I could. This is an example in my opinion of great content that is manifested by a production where each step of the pre and post production team cared strongly about creating a cohesive awesome product.
How do you keep the creative juices flowing outside of Kworq?
I keep them flowing by not stopping them. I write on the subway, at home, at lunch, and in my notes on my phone. I think the problem with creative people is that we never stop being creative. It’s not a switch that I turn on and off. It’s always on. One thing I really love doing is “Subway Raps”, which is when I play a Soundcloud beat on the way home and write my own lyrics to it. I have over 20 at this point. I can’t promise they are good, but I enjoy it so much that I can’t stop. I also try to keep my website: cassielavo.com up to date with the latest videos I’ve worked on and try to blog every so often.
Subscribe to Subatomic TV here: Click to Subscribe
Watch some of our latest Original Content on Youtube: Subatomic TV
All Photography By Gabriela Della Corna.
Meet More of the Kworq Team:
Executive Producer: Robin Baudreau
Graphic Designer: Gabriela Della Corna
