Behind the Scenes: Cíara Purcell
For Cíara Purcell, storytelling has always been at the heart of her creative journey—first under the spotlight, and now in the editing suite. As ASR Media’s lead editor, Cíara brings a theatrical flair, a sharp eye for detail, and a genuine passion for crafting meaningful visual stories.
Cíara’s love for the arts began at her performing arts high school, where she immersed herself in theatre. While she initially focused on acting, it was the behind-the-scenes tech work that sparked something new. Late nights in the booth and time spent in on-screen acting units gave her a glimpse into the world of video production, where she realized she could still tell stories, just from a different angle..
She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in cinema, television, and media production from Kutztown University in 2022, in addition to a business degree from Northampton Community College. With an eye on both creativity and career longevity, Cíara found that the media production world offered the perfect blend of structure, flexibility and endless creative opportunity.
Her first significant editing moment occurred during her freshman year at Kutztown during the COVID-19 pandemic. With little more than a cell phone, a gimbal and a great idea, she produced a 10-minute documentary for a virtual class project. The process of crafting a complete story from raw footage revealed her true calling: editing.
Cíara began her ASR Media journey as an intern and quickly proved herself an invaluable member of the team. After graduation, she joined the team full-time as a junior editor, and by December 2023, she had stepped into the role of lead editor, taking over the editing of HealthNow episodes and overseeing a range of projects.
“I really enjoy working on different types of content and being able to switch it up,” Cíara shares. “But at the end of the day, I always love helping tell a strong story, especially when it’s someone sharing something emotional or meaningful.”
Cíara finds the most joy in projects with a clear creative direction—videos with a cohesive theme, playful branding, and clients who trust the process. One of her favorite projects so far? Editing St. Luke’s University Health Network’s Performing Arts Medicine piece, which allowed her to bring her two passions, performing arts and video storytelling, together in one moving video.
Outside of editing, Cíara is just as hands-on. A self-proclaimed “craft dabbler,” she’s into crochet, knitting, painting, bedazzling, macrame—basically anything you might find in a craft aisle. When she’s not making something with her hands, she’s out exploring the Lehigh Valley’s arts scene, catching live music, or enjoying community events.
With a talent for weaving emotional depth into every frame, Cíara is helping lead ASR Media’s visual storytelling into its next act—one powerful edit at a time.