How This “Heated Rivalry” Fan Landed Her Dream Job at HBO

Mellie (@uhbucky) believes in manifestation and speaking things into existence. Starting her career at just 17, creating Instagram edits to Harry Potter and Marvel movies has now led to a recent hire at HBO in the company’s trailers and promotions division. Having been a part of different fandoms and communities since she was 12, Mellie attributes her career pivot to the Heated Rivalry fandom’s exceeding enthusiasm for her. If it were not for fans reposting her edits on multiple platforms where she was not already active, an HBO employee would not have slid into her Instagram Threads DMs. Learn more about Mellie’s career and experience in fandom below:

MM: We’re so happy to have you with us. To start, we'd love to just know a little bit more about your background and how you got your start in fandom.

Mellie: I've been part of fandom since I was 12, and I'm 25 now. Turning 26 soon. Fandom has been part of me for more than half my life, which is absurd. My first fandom was House of Anubis (Nickelodeon)—I was obsessed with it. Then I've had so many different phases. I had obviously a One Direction phase, a Shawn Mendes phase, a Harry Potter phase, Marvel, Julie and the Phantoms, Percy Jackson, 911, and now Heated Rivalry. I've been part of many fandoms. I started my Instagram page when I was 17, first editing Harry Potter and Marvel.

MM: We’re curious to know what drew you to editing versus other forms of media? There are so many ways to engage in fandom—drawing, writing, etc. What was appealing about editing?

Mellie: I love that editing is so personal to the editor because there's so many different styles with editing. It is such a cool way to express yourself through art. All art is like that, of course, but I just really felt drawn to editing. I also love synchronized edits where the hits match the beat. I also love the idea of hearing a song and thinking of a way to edit it—what scenes might match specific lyrics or vice versa. I just feel like people's responses to edits are really, really fun. I've been part of a lot of fandoms, and I have edited for a lot of fandoms, but I've never had a response to my edits like the Heated Rivalry fandom. I was completely blown away by the engagement. Editing is definitely where my passion lies.

MM: We’re curious to know what your editing process is like. Do you pick a song that you want to edit scenes to first? Do you pick the scenes first and then the song?

Mellie: It's definitely kind of a mix of both. Sometimes, for Heated Rivalry, for instance, since I read the books first, I made a list in my head of songs I wanted to edit on my phone. Then, when the show actually came out, I ended up making a couple of them, but barely scratched the surface of that list. Once you actually see the content, you get so many different ideas. A single word or a single shot from the show will just remind you of a song you want to edit, or make you think of a whole new idea. Sometimes it comes down to preference and what kind of edit I want to make in the moment. Sometimes I want to make a synchronized edit or a ship edit, so I will look for songs that I think fit. It's definitely a mix.

MM: On that note, regarding editing style, tell us a bit more about how you come to determine which songs go with which types of edits. For example, is a slow song always going to be paired with a sad, tragic type of ship edit?

Mellie: That's a good question. I think there are certain songs that I love that I really want to edit, but I just know wouldn't match my style. So I always try to avoid those songs. I will slip those songs to my friends who do transition edits. Luckily, they usually come through for me. When I edit, I definitely take each lyric pretty literally and match clips to them. But I love when an editor uses a line differently than I would have initially thought. It gives a whole new meaning to the line, or the editor gives a whole new meaning to the scene because of how they paired the scene with the line. I think that's so cool. Again, editing is such a creative form of self-expression because it's so personal to you – it's your idea and your creativity. I feel like any song can be used for anything if that is where the inspiration lies.

MM: Everyone absorbs media in a different way, and the way lyrics impact people are so different. The artistry of editing is that each edit is going to be different depending on the person making and consuming it. There is a lot of individuality in a space that's built on community. So on that note, we’re curious to know more about how fandom has impacted your community. Has fandom brought you community? What has your experience been like?

Mellie: I've met so many people from all across the world because of fandom. Fandoms are so cool because it brings together people you never would have met otherwise. Some of my absolute best friends in the world are from the Percy Jackson fandom. I have a friend group that started as a group chat, and we’ve met in person and gone on trips together. There are 11 of us, and I’ve packed them all into my two-by-two studio apartment. They're the absolute best people I've ever met. I love them to death. I never would have met them without fandom, which is so crazy to me, because I can't imagine my life without them now. Fandoms really bring together people who have such an appreciation for something and express themselves through art, through writing, through edits. It is so cool to see how everyone sees the content through a different lens, and how all of our different experiences impact how we view, experience, and share that content. Of course, like anything, there are bad parts of fandom and toxic spaces. However, if you curate your space to be what you want it to be, you can pretty much avoid it. At the end of the day, I have such an appreciation for fandoms because it brought me so many amazing people. For example, I'm going to one of my mutual’s weddings in October.

MM: So amazing to hear! We imagine, and correct us if we’re wrong, that the friends who have been brought into your life through fan spaces, like this Percy Jackson group chat, would also have overlap in some other spaces and communities that you've been a part of as well. There is a whole separate knowledge base and a certain lexicon that you can engage with around those friends.

Mellie: For sure! I’ve introduced shows to them, and they've introduced shows to me. We have a discord and one of our categories is called “you’re seeing other shows” or something like that. We’ll add a million different suggestions and then watch the TV shows together. We started in the Percy Jackson fandom together, but have branched off into other fandoms. It builds connection by sharing so much media and being chronically online. It is only a good thing.

MM: Agreed! Speaking of being chronically online, tell us a bit more about how your audiences engage with your content based on the platform. Is there a difference between how receptive fans are to your edits on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter?

Mellie: I think my edits do consistently well on Twitter. I used to be super active on Instagram for a couple years, and then I didn't post for a while, so my engagement is sometimes strong and sometimes not. I never know how they will perform on TikTok. It feels like throwing something at a wall and seeing if it sticks… just a total guessing game. I don't know if everyone else has it figured out, but I certainly don't. What I have noticed is that none of the same edits do well on the same platform. Something that does really well on TikTok and Twitter won't do well as well on Instagram. The cycle repeats itself. I don't know if I will ever hit all three at the same time. The closest I got was my Heated Rivalry Sweet Dreams edit. For the most part, it really is just a free-for-all. I’d like to say I have social media figured out, but it is a complete lie. I never know which of my edits are going to do well.

MM: Do you find that the way people engage with your content differs on each platform?

Mellie: Yeah, I think I would say Twitter is probably the most personable. I guess I really never thought about this. Twitter is definitely more of a direct conversation. With TikTok, now that you can get a lot of likes on a comment and receive engagement that way, it is a bit more copy-and-paste. I appreciate any comment I get, but I do think there are more funny comments or memes on TikTok than on Twitter. Instagram is a mix of both. I'm the most active on Twitter, so I think I tend to look there more.

MM: It makes a lot of sense. Something the Merged team has been thinking about is the origins of fan community and its traces to Stan Twitter. The platform was built to have direct lines of conversation between fans and their celebrities of choice. It makes sense that those are the spaces that are the most personable, and those spaces have the most reciprocal engagement, rather than posting a sticker as a comment or copying and pasting another popularized phrase. To pivot for a moment, we wanted to talk about your exciting accomplishment at HBO. How did you get connected to them? Tell us the story.

Mellie: It was after I posted an edit. I don't know if you saw my “Previously on Heated Rivalry” edit…

MM: Yes, we did!

Mellie: Great! I saw somebody posted it on Instagram Threads. I did not have Instagram threads at the time, but I saw the nice comments, and the edit was performing well. I thought I would like those likes for myself, so I created an account and posted it. I happened to look at my hidden DM requests on Instagram—it wasn't even in my actual requests—and I saw this guy reach out to say he worked for HBO. I did not believe him at first and thought it was a joke or wasn't real. But I talked to him, and he asked for my portfolio. Once I shared my work, I started receiving phone calls and emails from HBO for different job opportunities. All I could think was “What's happening? This is absolutely absurd.” Getting this job happened so quickly, too. I feel like I can still barely wrap my head around it. My new role with trailers and promotional content recap was emailed to me. This has been my dream job since I was 17 and started editing. I got on the phone with them, I was offered the job shortly thereafter, and I obviously said yes. I can never recommend enough for everyone to check their DM requests across social media platforms because you never know what could be in there.

MM: I’m so glad that you looked because look at what has unfolded!

Mellie: I know! It was just a lot at once. I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I told my friends, and they thought it was fake, but I actually looked him up, and he was real. So jokes on them.

MM: Can you tell us, as well, with this new job rapidly approaching, what skills or tools has fandom given you that helped you land the job outside of the tangible hard skills? What else has fandom given you that makes you an asset at HBO?

Mellie: I think knowing what fandoms want is really important. I feel like fan spaces are such a big part of pop culture. They're such a big part of what makes TV shows do well. I mean, obviously, the talent of the actors is what's going to carry the show, but I also think fan spaces can go a really long way into promoting the show and getting the word out there. Knowing how to engage with fans and knowing what they're looking for with content is really helpful. I also have learned what makes my edits do well and how to engage with fans. In other words, I know the do's and don'ts of fandoms. I still do the don'ts quite often, but that's part of the game.

MM: Can you share a little bit more about what are some of the dos and don'ts in fandom that you have identified?

Mellie: Do’s—definitely find the people that you feel connected with. Finding your friends is the most important thing, and it's hard. There are so many established friend groups on Twitter, so finding your own friend group can be so hard, but it is so worth it in the end. Even if it's just finding one person who you really connect with. Having somebody in your corner is the most important thing. Don’ts—try not to get involved in drama unless it's a real issue. Just keep your space and do what makes you feel good. Keep it positive, keep it fun. I want to make my space something really fun.

MM: There is also no right way to engage in fandom. Everyone's definition of being a fan is so different, which is quite illuminating the deeper you get into a fandom. Someone's do is maybe someone else’s don't. Fandom is always an ongoing conversation.

Mellie: Exactly. And I might not engage, or I might block you because I don't have to engage in spaces that don't serve the way I choose to engage in fan culture.

MM: Totally! And for other people who are in positions looking to break into entertainment, what kind of advice would you give them?

Mellie: If you're debating starting to edit or write or do art, just do it. When I started, I was so bad. I had so much to learn. I still have so much to learn. I felt embarrassment and uncertainty, which holds a lot of people back, myself included. But putting myself out there was the best thing I could do. Everyone starts somewhere, and fandoms are there to be a community. Lean on people to learn. I've messaged people several times asking for advice. People message me. Everyone starts somewhere, and we're here to be a community and to help one another. I think if you want to do something, just go for it, because you never know where it could lead. Believing yourself is the best thing, too. My friends always joke about my manifestation skills because once I set my mind to something, I'm absolutely going to get it. I'm so stubborn. Between both those beliefs, I knew I wasn’t going to fail out of pure stubbornness and determination. Everyone should absolutely just go for something - trying can never hurt.

MM: What good advice! There is so much fear, embarrassment, and shame that holds people back. At the end of the day, everyone is passionate and interested about something. It is okay to like things and like them loudly.

Mellie: For the first couple years, when I was 12, I didn't tell my family or friends that I was a part of fandoms. But as I got older, I told them, and they all followed my Instagram and TikTok accounts. Not my Twitter, though, since it is sort of my personal page. My inner circle is also very supportive of my editing. I know not everyone is in the same position. When I got the DM from HBO, I didn't have to explain the entire situation and my history in fandom; they just got to support me and be excited with me. If you're embarrassed about something, I encourage you to push through it because once you're not embarrassed anymore, so many opportunities come to you. The energy you put out into the world is the energy you bring in. Go into something with all your confidence, fully believe in yourself, and trust good deeds will be rewarded back.

MM: One last question for you. Can you share a favorite fandom, story, or memory in recent years that has left a positive impact on you?

Mellie: My absolute best experience, I think, in fandom has to be my friend group from the Percy Jackson fandom. I think about one or two months into knowing each other I invited them to my apartment for the weekend. Any sane person probably would have discouraged that idea but I convinced them all to say yes and it was the absolute best weekend. People don't always see online friends as real friends, but we did tours around the city, we went out to bars, we went out to dinner… it was just everything that a regular friend group in your local city would do on a weekend. It was the absolute best experience, and we've gone several trips since. We’re actually planning another one this summer to get a lake house for a week. They will forever be the best thing I've gotten out of fan spaces. The HBO job is also cool, but these friends were the ones screaming and cheering for me when I got the news. They are just like my absolute favorite people; they are like my soulmates. I adore them, and they have made the most positive impact on my experience in fandom.

MM: That makes me so happy to hear, and I so appreciate you sharing. That's what this is all about—gaining people who you love and trust and like getting to experience joy with them in a multitude of ways.

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