usanews Chris Ashley Is The VFX Comedy King Of Social Media
Chris, how did you get your start at entertaining videos, and has comedy always been your key element? “I started creating online videos around a year after Vine came out. I was working at a Bank as a manager and hated it, so I quit my job. I’ve always had a desire for creating videos. I won $25k in a video contest about 2 weeks after I quit and knew I made the right decision. I started off with music videos at first and then started to post content on Vine.” Do you recall what video made you realize that you were becoming a hit? “I wouldn’t say there’s 1 particular video that worked but the constant posting and being persistent. Although I was doing other types of video projects at the time (to help with bills), I always tried to find time to post content of my own too.”
We remember that you were a huge hit on Vine. When Vine went away, what challenges did you face to move your content to other social media platforms? “For some reason, I never felt like I was a hit on Vine. Probably due to me still working on other projects at the same time. I had gained about 1.3 million followers, but that was the time Vine was phasing out. I knew Instagram was the next best thing. I struggled a bit with posting on IG at first because my audience was different, but I kept creating content, and some videos on IG started to perform well.”
Your video FX creativity is amazing. Do these video ideas just pop into your head, or is there a process you follow to develop them? “With the VFX, the ideas and concepts come from everywhere. I could be listening to a song, watching something, or talking with something, and an idea comes. I usually make a mental note of the idea until I’m able to write it down or start working on it right away. I sort of use content to learn new tricks with VFX. There are times when I have no idea how to make something. I might play around with an idea at first or watch a tutorial. (I watch tons of tutorials even if I know how to do it. Sometimes someone may do something a little bit different from how I do it, and adding the little bit of knowledge to my tool belt always comes in handy. I always seem to figure it out at the end.)”
Which is your favorite platform, Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok, and why? “I really don’t have a favorite platform. Each one offers something unique that another one doesn’t. I just really enjoy creating content. I love having an idea and seeing it come to life. Some do well on a certain platform and not so much on another. It’s weird, but I’ve seen someone post my video on their page, and It outperforms my post by insane numbers. I usually get tagged, so I don’t mind it that much.”
How has success changed you? The ups and downs. “Success has allowed me to meet so many great people that continue to inspire me. I love it. Every day is something different. It’s hard for me to plan a week or two because I can get a call and sometimes get on a flight the next day to a city for a new project. That’s what I enjoy most. There are so many talented and inspiring people that I have worked alongside with because of me creating content. It’s wild to me.”
Do you have any projects or plans for 2023 that you would like to tell us? “I do, but I tend to keep information private until after Im done with it.” Is there anything else you would like to share with readers? “Imagination and persistence is key.”