After a devastating injury that ended his soccer career, Fabio Acosta traded in his soccer cleats for a camera and found a new passion for film at South Plains College.
Acosta, a freshman film major, was born in Ojocaliente, Zacatecas, Mexico, but moved to Dallas, Texas, when he was 2 years old.
“I love the Dallas area,” Acosta said. “Everyone is so open-minded, and they don’t judge you.”
He played soccer for eight years before coming to SPC.
“I started playing when I was 12, which is very late, especially in soccer,” Acosta said. “Most people start playing when they’re 4 or 5.”
After playing on minor travel teams, Acosta started playing on the Lewisville High School team, turning the heads of scouts from NCAA Divison I and II colleges.
“I was offered scholarships from schools in Kanas and Oklahoma,” Acosta said. “The week before I was supposed to take the SATs, my team was playing for the Regional finals. We were losing 2-0, and I did a quick turn. I blew out my knee; I tore my ACL and my meniscus.”
Acosta said that before his injury, his life was all about soccer. He was trying to make a career out of it.
“I had high hopes and dreams,” Acosta said. “That summer, I was going to go to Mexico and try to go pro with a D-II team, and it just did not work out in my favor.”
Acosta started to steer his life in a new direction. From the moment he clicked the shutter-button, he fell in love with photography.
“I picked up the camera and started snapping pictures, Acosta said. “I enjoyed take pictures of stuff and taking pictures of people. I was learning about the shutter speeds and lighting. I wanted to learn how everything worked.”
After receiving a camera of his own for his birthday, he started trying to edit his photos using apps and watching YouTube videos. YouTube is where he found an interest for cinematic videos.
“I thought that was so cool,” Acosta said, “so I started filming and tried putting stuff together.”
Instead of just using apps to edit his videos, Acosta said he wanted to use professional editing tools, such as Premiere Pro.
“So, I started to look at schools,” he said. “I came across South Plains College; it looked unique. I read online that SPC was one of the top junior colleges for film.”
Since coming to SPC, Acosta says his advisor and instructor Greg Cook has taught him so much about editing and film.
“He’s just a really cool guy,” he said. “He’s helped me with everything I needed. Up to now, he’s just been a huge help. I’ve really fallen in love with film and editing.”
After SPC, Acosta hopes to transfer to Texas Tech University or the University of North Texas.
“I like Tech, and UNT is close to home,” Acosta said, “but I’ve thought about moving to L.A., because L.A. is really big on film.”
Acosta plans to travel and make his mark on the world with his camera and the knowledge he gains at SPC.
“I want to show people what I can do,” he said. “I want to show people the world, because I feel like a lot of people are closed-minded. I want to show them different cultures, different cuisines, and different areas.”
One place where he would like to make his mark with his film work is Asia.
“Japan and Korea are two very interesting places I’d like to visit,” Acosta said. “I’m interested in their culture, their food, and especially their film industry. The way they make their music videos is over-the-top. They go all out for them.”
Acosta says he was nervous about making the transition from a big city, such as Dallas, to a small town, like Levelland. But the people he’s met along the way have made it easier.
“For the first three months, I didn’t talk to anybody,” Acosta said. “But then I met some people; they’re pretty cool. They’re my friends to this day.”
Acosta went on to say he enjoys everyone he has met and everything has been able to accomplish at South Plains.
“I’ve met a lot of cool people here,” Acosta said. “It’s awesome. The instructors are pretty awesome too. I’m enjoying all my classes. It’s been fun.”
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