For each day in the month of February, the African American Steering Committee will be highlighting Local 700’s African American members, both past and present, and their accomplishments. We look forward to showing the contributions and influences African Americans have had on the industry.
Name: Cortney Taborn
What’s your job? Assistant Editor
List the credits you’re most proud of. “Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” “Welcome to Wrexham”
What are you working on right now? Assistant Editor on “Welcome To Wrexham”
Who and what are your influences and/or mentors? I surround myself with friends and colleagues who are constantly supporting each other and giving advice as needed. I’ve had a friend that has morphed into a mentor: Alain Fleury. He’s insanely talented, motivated, and motivates me and everyone around him. He has a great outlook on life and the industry and always has something insightful to share. He always takes the time to elevate others and help them reach their goals if he sees their hard work and passion. If there is one person who you should have in your corner, it’s him. He’s the best!
I’m always influenced by the media I absorb. I love to watch horror movies, good and bad. I especially love just clicking play on one I’m unfamiliar with and jumping in blind. I’ve found a lot of treasures this way. I’m also influenced by a lot that isn’t directly a movie or tv show itself, like music or graphic novels. I love to read, but with graphic novels, it’s like having movies on a page. There are so many stories that are told with a kind of creativity that you wouldn’t be able to see elsewhere.
What books are you reading, shows are you watching and/or movies you’re excited about? I’m really into reading graphic novels at the moment and am currently reading “Upgrade Soul” by Ezra Clayton Daniels, “Something is Killing the Children” by Jame Tynion IV and “Home Sick Pilots” by Dan Watters and Caspar Winjnaard.
Shows that I’ve currently watched are: “Obliterated (easily one of the best times I’ve had watching a show), “Monarch Legacy of Monsters,” “Doom Patrol,” “Harley Quinn,” “The Last of Us.”
Some movies I recommend are “No Hard Feelings,” “Bottoms,” “Anyone But You” – it brought back the comedy and rom-com 2000s era.
What would be your superhero name? I would choose Lady Valentine because I once bought a plant that was pink and called Lady Valentine and it sounded interesting. But to be honest, I think the anti-hero makes the world of superheros more compelling.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? People always talk about how important it is to network – network – network. But don’t really explain what goes into that. My advice would be to, yes, network, but also focus on building genuine connections and a community around you. Having the right people around you can naturally alter your career path into the right direction.
I also always advise people to let others know what you want and what your goals are. You never know who would be willing to help you get there, or, at the very least, help you make the right connections.
If you could time travel, when would you go and why? I don’t want to time travel. I want to jump through parallel dimensions — kind of like the multiverse of Spider-Man. We’ve already seen the past, and we don’t know what the future holds. Jumping into different multiverses and discovering a bunch of “what ifs” would be way better than time traveling.
What’s a little known fact about you? What are your hidden (or not so hidden) talents? I’m on a mission to learn how to play every instrument. Also, I’m in a soul punk band. And, I am obsessed with musicals/Broadway. I’ve seen over 20 Broadway shows and plan to see a hundred more.
What’s your favorite (Black) television/movie moment? Season 2, Episode 4 of “Living Single” with the improved African chant. It is still one of the funniest moments in television to date.
Was there a television show/movie that inspired you to pursue your career? There are so many. “Harry Potter,” “Charmed,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Scream” Franchise, anything Horror.
I’ve recently been inspired by Mike Flanagan and Leigh Janaik.
And there are some that have kept me interested in continuing my career like “Hush,” the “Fear Street Trilogy,” “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies,” “Invasion,” “Bad Sisters,” “The Last of Us,” “Haunting of Hill House,” “Extraordinary,” “Gen V.”
What’s your personal/professional mantra? “Guys, we have cool jobs, let’s have fun, we’re not curing cancer.”
What’s the last show/movie that left you speechless? “A Quiet Place”
What would be your dream project to work on? “The Last of Us,” “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” “Until Dawn,” “Fear Street,” “BioShock.” I love an adapted movie or series. The plan is to work more in horror and work on a musical.
Cortney is a very talented young lady, she has always thought outside of the box. I know that she will go far because of her adventurous attitude. I am very proud of Cortney and my prayer is that she will continue to reach her goals. Congratulations to a well deserved honor.
I have known Cortney all of her life and she has always been way beyond her years and very intelligent. She is a go getter and she excels in everything she puts mind to do. I’m very proud of her and I know she will accomplish everything she sets out to do.
I feel inspired just of the fact that cortney Taborn is tapped in into multiple arts and different forms of it which will make her career elevate more. I Love the advice she gave on trying to make your own path on networking which is something else I can agree on. Cortney Taborn from my eyes (the youth), and I just read seems multitalented yet a great friend to have around And would be a great voice for our youth!