Today we’d like to introduce you to Skyler Smith.
Skyler, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Hey, I moved to Atlanta in 20212 and started a production company in 2014, called Urbana Ave. Randomly an idea for a short film script came to mind and I wrote the whole thing the same day. Next thing to do was to rally my filmmaker friends together to film the short. Without much access to actors, I decided to cast my friends (who were already naturals) and put the whole thing together. Once filming was completed, I was extremely grateful for everyone who volunteered their time. I didn’t feel right taking the credit as “my” film, so I put together a production name and called it Urbana Ave. We launched the comedic short film, “The Outdoorsman” at the beginning of 2015.
From that point on, we continued doing comedic shorts and sketches with our friends in our free time. Since then, we’ve done all sorts of work, deeming ourselves as a comedic creative agency. From client work to original content. Still with the same heart, to make funny videos with our friends.
Has it been a smooth road?
There have definitely been roadblocks and major pivots. When we first started, we didn’t really have an overall brand strategy, we simply wanted to make things that we were proud of, and have fun doing it. Our primary focus was on making original content, like web series or TV shows. We’ve done a lot of YouTube sketches, and we’ve even filmed a couple of TV pilots.
With the transitions in streaming, online platforms, and media consumption, we’ve attempted to adapt while building a strong foundation to continue into a shifting industry. We’ve had projects fall flat, some that have stayed on the back burner, and some that took an unexpected shift into success.
We’d love to hear more about Urbana Ave.
Urbana Ave is a comedic creative agency, located in Smyrna, GA. We specialize in all things comedy. Our first line of business is in film and entertainment as a production company, and that also branches out into the education and live event space.
During this time, we still continue taking on a significant amount of client work like music videos, commercials, training videos, and more. Before quarantine, we were doing a good amount of live shows, featuring improv, standup, and sketch comedy. This is one of those unexpected successes that took off for us. About once a month, we would pack out a local venue for our live comedy show. Now in quarantine, we’ve been working behind the scenes to create subsidiary content to fill in those gaps. Hopefully, to be seen soon!
For our long term plans, we want to create episodic content for the web and TV. These are the things that we get the most excited about, but these also definitely take a bit longer to see to fruition. We are very hopeful and constantly pursuing these through industry connections. And what sets us apart is the fact that we are still a bunch of friends that want to make funny videos together… we just also possess the skills of being seasoned professionals at the same time!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Due to COVID, we’ve definitely seen a spike in entertainment consumption and slowing of the ability to create content in the physical spaces. I think we’ll continue to see streaming wars and a race for original content. But I also think we’ll start to see new mediums arise where the rules are changing.
Right now, it feels like the wild west. There are some rules, but those rules can be broken. We get to see what works and what doesn’t. I’m excited to see these shifts, and I’m excited to create for these shifts.
Contact Info:
- Website: urbana.tv
- Phone: (470) 309-2244
- Email: skyler@urbana.tv
- Instagram: @urbana.tv
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UrbanaAve
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/c/urbanaavetv
Image Credit:
Hayley Valeri, Ramuel Galarza, Seth Kark
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
