(WJBF) – The film and television industry continues to thrive in Georgia starting in Atlanta, and now, growing immensely in Savannah and right here in Augusta.

However, Quincy Kelly, the founder of 1 Accord Media and Bridge Builders Initiative Studios, is setting his sights on making the rural communities just as impactful in film and television by owning and operating the first full-service production studio in Douglas, Georgia.

Kelly talks with WJBF Digital about the importance of building a foundation and making his mark in those rural areas.

How did you get started with production and filmmaking?

Film has always been a passion of mine. Like many Americans, I grew up in poverty, and film was kind of my release to see things differently. I would imagine myself in those amazing Disney situations. As I got older, I was lucky to be a part of the film renaissance as it transferred to L.A. to Atlanta in the early 2000s. During that time, I connected with gentlemen like yourself, and we were creating webseries and YouTube episodes and all those types of things. I saw that I could have a future in it, so I started to pursue it.

You are the founder of 1 Accord Media and Bridge Builders Initiative Studios. What made you start 1 Accord Media?

After college, I went into project management for a little while, and at the same time, I was pursuing my acting career full time. I was enjoying it, but I quickly saw that in order to have an opportunity I had to create one for myself. So, I went and started my own production company and building my own team, and it’s been a story ever since.

Now, you’re from Atlanta, but Bridge Builders Initiative Studios is in Douglas, Georgia. Why the move to Douglas?

And that’s Douglas; not Douglasville. (Laughs) As I was growing in my career, I immediately saw that the rural communities had a void. Rural communities are so underserved in so many industries, but [the] film and television [industry] was one major one. There is a lot of great talent in rural communities; there is a lot of great potential for resources to be developed in rural communities that are just untapped. So, I saw the opportunity. I found out about Douglas, Georgia, and I saw the great resources that they had, so I moved there.

What impact have you seen since you’ve been in Douglas?

It’s been outstanding. The community, first off, has welcomed us with open arms. They’ve been such a great resource for us and great partners for us in so many areas. Also, the amount of talent that we’ve seen come out of the community so far… we offer free classes to the community in production and acting. Just stellar performances so far. The students have gone on to achieve their own success in being on sets and working on projects and writing their own projects. So, it’s been amazing.

What services do you offer?

So, we’re a full-service production studio. 1 Accord Media is a multi-media production company. So, we offer film production, videography, photography, editing, post-production services, pre-production services, development planning, but also, our focus is to build up the labor force. So, offering those additional classes to help bring that next generation of filmmakers into the community is important to us too.

BBI Studios is a non-profit organization as well. If anyone wants to contribute or donate to help out, how can they do so?

You can go to our website, bbinitiatives.org/contribute, and you can donate right there.

For anyone that wants to get into filmmaking or get involved in production, what advice would you give them?

Start where you are. I know that I’ve seen so many people be handicapped or paralyzed by the idea of not having every resource they need at their disposal. You and I know when we started in this industry, we didn’t have a lot at all. We had very little, but we used what we had. So, I encourage anybody who is interested in film, or interested in any industry, to just start with what you have. You have enough where you are right now. The more resources will come, the more you give into the path.