A few weeks ago, we were able to connect with Kelly Young-Silva. She is the accomplished owner and trainer at Words in Motion Acting Studio. The host and producer of "The Kelly Talk Show Atlanta." She is president of the non-profit organization, ‘The Georgia Arts Initiative,’ the Line Producer of her husband's latest movie 'Hunting Souls,' now showing on various platforms. Kelly has over two decades of experience working in the acting community in Georgia and has been a key contributor to numerous industry programs and helped establish industry standards. She is committed to supporting newcomers and fostering growth within the Atlanta Film Industry.
In 2012, Kelly opened Words in Motion Acting Studio in Douglas County, it was the third acting studio to open in Georgia. Kelly opened the studio with the intention to build something specifically for kids but was soon pulled into the excitement of the film industry as incentives were introduced to Atlanta. Once it was discovered that Kelly worked with kids, Casting Directors and Talent Agents began reaching out, asking if her students would be interested in auditioning for roles. Her students were able to work with Atlanta Talent Agents, casting directors, producers and directors and so the journey began.
"Words In Motion Acting Studio is on the outskirts of Atlanta. Actors drive from other states to train with me as well as all over Georgia. We call ourselves an Atlanta acting studio because we serve the Atlanta Market. When I first opened my acting studio, they were so new to Georgia that it took most local people a while to figure out what I was doing. Some thought I was teaching theater and putting on plays while others were sure I had lost my mind. Nonetheless, here we are in Douglas County thriving and serving the Atlanta film market. We learned this year that Great Point Studios is being built right down the road from us. Great Point Studio will become the largest soundstage in the world. Words In Motion is one of the top training facilities for acting training in Georgia."
- Kelly Young-Silva
"Over the past 12 years, Words In Motion Acting Studio actors have booked roles with major studios and productions such as Disney, Lifetime, HBO Max, Netflix, Tyler Perry Productions, national commercials, and more. It has been incredibly fulfilling to see so many dreams come true.
If you want to act, I believe it is important to learn from acting coaches who are auditioning in today's market. Technology has changed the way things used to be done. Here in the Southeast, it is paramount to understand self-taping. An acting coach can't teach you how to audition without knowing how to self-tape, the quick turnaround times, and an understanding of the process. I also think it is best to learn Film and TV acting from someone who gets on set a lot. I can’t tell you how beneficial it has been to be married to a director, Diego Silva Acevedo. I shadow him day after day, always finding new treasures to help actors. My husband is a 9x Emmy Award winner originally from Colombia, South America. Having an Acting studio has led me to other adventures as well.
I am a native of Atlanta, so it means a lot to me to serve actors in Georgia. In 2017, my husband and I had complications with pregnancy, which resulted in a forced delivery. The baby did not live. After experiencing such a tragedy, we felt compelled to connect with others. It was during this time that we started “The Kelly Talk Show Atlanta.” At first, I thought I would talk about topics such as baby loss, domestic violence, MeToo, and other topics that I felt needed more of a voice, but my husband, "The Director," was not comfortable with my openness, haha! So we decided to continue on the journey of helping actors, adding filmmakers and other artists. We were the first to showcase our Atlanta Talent on a multi-camera show. I love hosting the show. It enables me to talk about many of the topics I wanted to talk about and shed light upon while showcasing artists.. Kelly Talk Show Atlanta runs on YouTube and Facebook and holds many histories for Southeast talent as they have developed in their careers."
G.E.M.S. from Kelly Young-Silva
"Start where you're at and look at your resources. Don't worry about what someone else has because you only have what you have. Think about what you can use in your surroundings to do what it is that you want to do. If you're an actor and you didn't make your school play, go and find some people and put on your own play. Invite people and put it on in your backyard! Take your cell phone and make a short film. Nobody has to give you a program to start, you can put on your own program with the resources you have, and once you do that, it might turn out to be the most authentic thing in the world! Doing all of this is important to your development. You willl think that when you have millions of dollars you have everything, but what it's about is your experiences and learning to work out of the box to make things happen. There is no one way. You can't afford acting class? Make a class!"
Click to watch our full conversation here
Get in touch with Kelly Young-Silva at atlantaactingstudio.com and at Words In Motion Acting Studio on Facebook and Instagram. Her talk show mainly runs on YouTube, and at Kelly Talk Show Atlanta on Facebook. You can also get in touch with Kelly through her website, or her Facebook pages.