The Loud Whisper Takeover
Featuring interviews with actors, stunts, dancers, filmmakers, action movie directors, athletes, Krav Maga teachers, acting coaches, and more.
Epic tales of changemakers, authentic personal stories, and top tips about the industry, the podcast is a treasure of knowledge helping storytellers of all kinds on their own journeys, and inspiring people to take action upon their own dreams.
Ever heard your inner voice getting louder and louder, urging you towards a new path? When our inner guidance starts to become so loud, we can no longer ignore it, and we MUST take action... This is often a time when life changes direction drastically. We are literally being called to take that leap of faith, make that phone call, write that script, make that film in other words, time to embrace our wildest dreams, shift gear, and grow exponentially.
Let's dive into the art of listening courageously to our inner compass. Because every one of us is destined to live a grand story and adventure while walking on planet Earth!
Headphones on, notebooks out, and buckle up!
Hosted by Cindy Claes.
The Loud Whisper Takeover
23: Social Media for Actors, Creating Content That Shines
What should actors post on Instagram? How can you have fun with it while attracting the attention of casting directors?
Kevin Silvergieter, a talented German-Canadian actor, initially made waves as an influencer with over 100K followers. However, he eventually craved privacy and simplicity, stepping back from the spotlight. Returning to social media as an actor, Kevin redefined his approach—prioritising craft and authenticity over the addictive chase for likes and shares.
When podcast host and action actress Cindy Claes discovered Kevin’s Instagram, she immediately recognised his versatile talent and unique ability to stand out. Is this the formula actors need to create eye-catching content for casting directors?
In this episode, Kevin shares his minimalist yet impactful content creation philosophy. He emphasizes crafting genuine, artistic posts that showcase your talent while staying true to your goals. This episode is packed with insights for actors and content creators!
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Welcome to the Loud Whisper Takeover podcast. My name is Cindy Klaas. As you know by now, I'm an action actress, also emerging filmmaker. So one of the questions I've been asking myself is how do I create content for my Instagram? As an actress, Somehow, it really seems simple. As a dancer and as a person that does action or movement-based stuff, you just film yourself doing your thing. But as an actor, it almost feels like well, if you haven't been working on a project and you haven't been booked on doing a film, a feature film, a short film or a series, what the hell do you post on your Instagram other than saying, hi, I'm doing another casting. So recently I met an actor based in Germany called Kevin. I met him on a platform that is called the Actor's Home and when I looked at his Instagram, I'm like, hmm, he might have found a formula that works. I must speak to him. So please welcome Kevin from Germany. Hi, Kevin, how are you?
Speaker 2:doing. Hi, cindy, I am fantastic. Thank you so much for having me, and I love the introduction because, yeah, I don't know, I don't want to say I have the answer, but I feel like for myself at least, I can answer a big yes with your question for myself. So, yeah, I love being here. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:I was so excited because when I looked at your Instagram, I thought okay, if I had to walk in the shoes of a casting director or a film director, I would get a sense of who you are as an actor straight away.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's the point right. So, yes, good, good. Thank you so much for that feedback. Sorry, go ahead.
Speaker 1:I love it. Yeah, no, I thought like your content was just incredible and really inspiring and I thought, okay, this guy is really finding stuff, because I would say, usually, speaking, when I look at you know, actors that kind of you know have a lot of followers on Instagram. Usually they do sketches and they do really cool sketches and but I'm like, okay, I'm not really in that category as an actress, but when I looked at your Instagram, there was a variety of of pieces of content, from sketch to simple acting to, and you seem to just be in a flow creatively. So let's start from the start who are you as a human being, where are you based and what is making your world as an actor?
Speaker 2:All right, my name is Kevin Silvagita. I am a 36-year-old German-Canadian actor. I have both citizenships because my mom was born in Netherlands but she moved to Canada when she was six and then she came back when she studied to Germany, anyway. So I have the Canadian citizenship from my mom, the German citizenship from my father. I live in Germany. I basically lived here all my life. I lived a year with my uncle when I did grade 11 in Vancouver. My mom raised us bilingual. Yeah, I live in the middle of Germany, which is.
Speaker 2:The town is called Großgira, which sounds very German, lots of consonants, and I always say it's Grand Giraud. I make it sound French. So it sounds more multicultural, but it's a really small town, but it's close to Frankfurt and anyway. So this is more multicultural, but it's a really small town, but it's close to Frankfurt and anyway. So this is me. I live here on the outskirts of Frankfurt, I guess you could say, with my husband, two foster kids, 10 chicken, two roosters and three turtles.
Speaker 2:I am a part-time flight attendant. That's how my husband and I met. I am a trained actor. How my husband and I met. I am a trained actor. Yeah, and I just, I think, especially in the last two years I made a big journey of finding myself because I had a really we'll go into that if you want to, I don't mind. We had a really tough break in our life and I went to therapy and with the process of therapy I actually first I just, I think a week ago I had the thought I just really now got to know myself. So, yeah, this is quite already deep, but this is me. Simple question, long answer this is me.
Speaker 1:I love it. I absolutely love it because I'm sure that once I'm going to ask you questions about how you're creating your content, it's probably very much inspired by who you are as a human being and your life journey. First, I would love to ask you some questions about fatherhood. From our pre-podcast conversations, I understood that becoming a father of two foster children is that correct? Becoming a father of two foster children is that correct? Seemed to have been a really big event in your life, so could you talk to me more about what it means for you to be a father and how that maybe perhaps impacted your acting career in general or how you perceived your craft in general as well, that's a nice, really really nice and thoughtful question, really really nice, thank you.
Speaker 2:That's a nice, really really nice and thoughtful question, really really nice, thank you. Well, being a queer man, children don't come easily and naturally, of course, and when my husband and I met, we are both we're 17 years apart, so I was 21 and she was 37, turning 38. And having kids was a very elemental part of our relationship, although we didn't know, we didn't really talk about it, but like these fundamental things like family loyalty, they were always part of our common sense, I'd say. And then, when I turned 24, yeah, we talked about having, wanting to have, have kids, and the journey was just rocky. Like, how do you do it? Do you ask a friend? Do you want to have a triangle relationship? Do you want to be like a patchwork family? Do you do a surrogate, which is forbidden in Germany and expensive? Do you adopt? Can you adopt? Where do you adopt? How many kids are there for adoption? How many heterosexual couples are there?
Speaker 2:And after almost a year, we felt like we won't have kids at all. And then, because we never wanted to have foster kids, because foster kids they're difficult, you never know what you're going to get, you always have to handle the original family. And so we said, no, foster family, no, no way. But before not having kids at all, we decided to at least have a glimpse to the road of foster family. And, yeah, we thought that kind of suits us even best, because these are kids who who don't have anyone to love them, not by fault of the biological parents, but just because of bad circumstances or because of bad biological background of the biological parents themselves. So the more we went into the process of becoming foster parents, we thought, okay, this is going to be tough, but I think this is going to be our way of becoming a family. And, yeah, then, after a very long journey of I think almost a year, we decided to be ready. And then the foster care people decided that we would be ready. And then we had in September 2015, we got our first child and two years later, our second child.
Speaker 2:And thinking that I would never have kids in the end, having kids was, yeah, I don't know, unbelievable. It's hard to describe. I think I cried a lot in that time, especially tears of joy, because it was so we almost thought we would give up. We almost thought, okay, this was worth a try, but we won't have kids. And then we did get kids.
Speaker 2:It was so, I don't know, it's difficult to describe, because you depend on people not like biological, heterosexual, let's say, or lesbians, who can just ask for a sperm donator, which is quotation marks easier. You can just go and do it Sorry to say it that blunt and then, of course, you have to be lucky to get pregnant, but you can at least do it, and there's no one who's sitting there and saying you can't, you can, you can, you can. And there we are sitting, loving each other really a lot and having a really strong relationship, thinking we can do it. And then there's people getting to decide and judge who we are and if we're worthy enough of becoming parents or not.
Speaker 2:And then having kids and really being able to give the love we always wanted to give was yeah, was a life-changing moment definitely, which also had a big impact as a human being, of course, because I think the most important thing I learned as an actor being a parent is it doesn't matter at all, none of the additions, none of the jobs, they don't matter. What really matters is that my kids are healthy, that they're happy, that they're protected and that I can be there for them, and the rest is just. It's nice to have, of course, and of course I'm ambitious and eager and I really want to work as a film star and I want to be in Hollywood and everything. But it doesn't matter In the end. At the end of the day, it just does not matter, and I think that was the hardest and best lessons I learned being a father.
Speaker 1:And may I ask so? Because obviously in the fostering system it's not the same as adoption, but in some fostering systems, like, kids might have to change families quite often and then in some fostering circumstances it can actually be a lifetime. Uh, are you kids with you for probably a lifetime, or are you still in a temporary sort of phase where, where it could, no, no?
Speaker 2:there's never a hundred percent. But I always have this very harsh and black example. But at one point I have to let go of my child and when they have an accident, a car accident, and they die, it's terrible. But I, you know, like I never have 100%, I can never protect kids 100%, and that's how I describe being a long-term foster parent. Like I don't have 100% that they will stay with me Because technically, by law, the biological parents always will have a chance of, at least by law, having them back.
Speaker 2:But both kids have been with us since now six and almost ten years. So no, six and eight years, sorry. And there is no contact at all with the biologic parents. So after a certain time, psychologists and the court, they really look deep and look close. And then where's the center of family of the kids? And obviously it's with us. Both found a sibling with each other. They've been longer with us than they have been with their biological parents. They've been with us basically a lifetime. So chances are zero, close to zero, but there's never a hundred percent. That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:But yeah, we are their parents and they stay with us till they are, till they can stand on their own feet, whenever that may be beautiful and I want to ask obviously I can hear in your story, um, that you had to overcome a lot of, like you say, like the system is sort of, you know, putting a judgment on you as as a couple, as two men, as everything that sort of involves you as a human being, if you will be a responsible couple for these children and stuff. I'm sure that all the emotional aspect has informed you as an actor, all that journey, the emotional journey. But you as a father, like the relationship between you and your kids, is that inspiring you to create content? Or is your content nothing to do with being a father? Like the relationship between you and your kids, is that inspiring you to create content, or is your content? Has your content nothing to do with being a father?
Speaker 2:um, that also changed. Like um, I started instagram because of the kids, because my husband and I uh wanted to be idols, representatives for foster parents, for rainbow families families as we say in Germany I don't know if that's an international term and we actually were the first German gay couple with kids being like a family influencer profile on Instagram. That's how I even found my way to Instagram. And then, three years ago I think, we decided to stop and our content was always very political, obviously because it's a political topic, whether we want to or not. And then there's lots of right movements in Europe and, of course, in Germany, sadly too, so we always felt like we had to in Germany, sadly too, so we always felt like we had to speak up. We almost had 100,000 followers on Instagram, so we always felt like we had a responsibility as well. So not only showing our daily life we never showed the kids up front, only from the back. We were always very cautious with that but not only inspiring gay men to to think about having kids, but also for society, opening up, giving different perspectives. So that was always very important.
Speaker 2:And then, when we stopped doing the influencer profile as a family and I started taking over as an actor, I had the ambition and the thought I have the responsibility to do political and important topics for the society. So I started doing sketches which concerned LGBTQ or foster family. And then I made another journey and it kind of did not feel not only right, not right anymore, but also it took so much time writing down this, this scripts, and I felt like it was not attached to being an actor anymore, but it was more attached to being important or to trying to fight important topics for society, trying to find important topics for society. And I made the switch inside and then outside that I thought, no, I want this to be more of a journey for myself as an actor. And then I stopped doing these sketches and I tried to find other channels and now I'm just trying to concentrate on just being an actor.
Speaker 1:And I also know that one of your children has a disability I'm not sure if it's a physical disability or something else. Are you open to maybe talk about it a little bit and how that actually impacts you as well as a human being and as an actor?
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, that's basically. That was the reason why we stopped our family profile, because it's an emotional disability. It's caused by alcohol abuse in the pregnancy. It's called FASD I think FASD is the international term it's fatal alcohol syndrome disorder and it affects huge parts of the brain, of the learning process of repetition. It's huge and when we got the diagnosis we didn't feel being that secure anymore to talk about our private life. My husband and I, we carry our thoughts in our tongue. We are open books. That's fine. It will always be like this. It was always fine for us.
Speaker 2:But when that happened, I have to go back a little bit further. When we decided to have kids, we said no disability, we can handle lots of things a missing arm, missing leg but we cannot rebuild our house for someone with a wheelchair just because we don't. We just can't. We would love to, but we just can't. But emotional disabilities we cannot handle. And then, after having this child for so long, it turned out to having a disability which we never wanted. So we were devastated like our dream crushed. Lots of future options we thought we would have never will never happen, never. That's why I said earlier they can stay as long as they need to. They can stay as long as they need to. This one child will probably stay with us forever, until we decide to pick a care home.
Speaker 2:Um, and that also, you know, one one part is a shift. It shifted the perspective of wanting a big part of my life private again, and it also put so many things into perspective again Again. So many things are just not important. So, yeah, I guess also it made me even more open to my emotions. It made me connect even more with myself, really look into what's really. What do I really want to spend my time with? Do I want to create sketches to make people laugh, or create sketches to to maybe help society, or do I now want to grow as an actor? And that's why that's why I also, yeah, changed with with this big impact.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you so much for sharing all of that because I think, whether people are going, you know, through parenthood or other, some of some of the challenging moments of life, I think you touched on a lot of very strong topics when it comes to content creation, it's boundaries. Where do I say this is what I'm not sharing. This is where I want this part of my life to be private, because, also, a lot of people in marketing say, oh, share your authentic self, your real self, and you also have to know, actually, which part of my real selves am I going to share and which parts I'm not going to share now, because this is part of the private sector and that's why I want to jump in what you described and said in the beginning.
Speaker 2:I don't share any big private things and yet you said you get a perfect sense of who I am as an actor, as a human being. So it is possible. That's why I just want to jump in. It is possible. You don't have to step over boundaries because you're afraid that you may not be able to show your best as a human being and an actor in this specific niche of acting people.
Speaker 1:And I will ask you further, really in detailed questions, about your content. But first, I want people really to have, you know, an overview of who you are so that we can really see oh, that's how he created his content or kind of, you know, build a bridge between what he does in his everyday life and what he posts on Instagram. So the second thing that is, I guess, of some sort of influence in your life is that you have a part-time job as a flight attendant. So I'm sure you must have tons of anecdotes in regards to flying all the time and managing schedules and being a dad. But is there any content that you would say is influenced by your job of being a flight attendant? Or, again, are you totally stepping away from that and it doesn't really impact your content?
Speaker 2:at all. It does Like I do have a few sketches as a flight attendant and then, I don't know, I'll probably do some sketches again. It's just. I really see, especially Instagram has a huge opportunity to just play around and see what just happened, what suits I mean. Of course, if you ask these Instagram gurus and coaches, they'd say pick a niche, stick to it, yay. But I think we actors have to step away. We have to step away from that perspective, because I think that's important if you really want to grow a huge following ship, which can be cool, of course, but it's really difficult nowadays having so many people do it.
Speaker 2:I think important is that what happens is what you described in the beginning and that's also what a writer feedback me. There was a job for a really cool commercial which is going to air in September and they didn't even look at my show reel because they just went through my Instagram and saw the sketches. When I was cast for the job, I did more sketches and he said he totally got the vibe and he wanted me to do the part, to play the part because of the sketches. Yes, I do have over 50,000 followers, but he said they don't care about the following. It was just about my content and the way I presented myself that he said he wants to work with me and that's why I'm saying I think we can, as actors, step away from this. Okay, we have to pick a niche. For some people it works. I do have like two or three German content creators who are actors, who really stick to their niche and it works for them. But they are already famous, they already have over 200,000 followers and sure they only can post a sketch once every two weeks and that's totally fine. But for me, I really just I wanted to go back to this. Yeah, what do I want? And so I did some flight attendant sketches, but then I stepped away from it too, because, again, I felt like I was forcing to do content just because people now expect me to do them. Because I was.
Speaker 2:I I didn't fly for over eight years because I was on parental leave and then I took, uh, some, um, two years, um, what's it? Unemployed, uh, holidays, I don't know what's the german or the term like parental, on a parental leave, as if you have the kids, but kids, but then you can be on long-term leave without being paid Sabbatical, yeah, but it's longer. It's not like a sabbatical, is, I think, just a year, or is it, I don't know. Anyway, super long sabbatical, a two-year sabbatical exactly. And then I came back doing the flight attendant thing and I posted about it and then I had the feeling, ok, oh, people liked it.
Speaker 2:And again I myself I fell. I stepped into the trap of oh, people like the content of the flight attendant thing, let's do more of it. And then I again, I was like no, but now I'm doing it because people expect me to do it more of it. And then again I was like no, but now I'm doing it because people expect me to do it, but that's not why and how I want to approach my Instagram. So I stepped away from it. I'll do some again, maybe, but because, yes, of course it does inspire me, because I meet lots of people, which is what acting, I guess, is all about. Looking at people, guess, is all about looking at people, observing people. It does inspire me always as a human being. Yeah, but again I stepped away from it because I didn't want to be forced to do it, just because it's expected of me and you were talking about sketches, so I saw some sketches on your Instagram and during our pre or pre-podcast.
Speaker 1:We were also talking about the fact that you like making people laugh. Would you describe yourself as being a comedy actor, or would you say no, no, no, I'm doing castings and my dream roles are both comedy and also loads of other stuff. Or would you kind of say, no, comedy is really my niche.
Speaker 2:It's really difficult. I'm still trying to figure that out because I haven't worked Until two years ago. I was out of the business, of the acting business and of flight attendant business because I took care of the kids. And ever since then I'm trying to figure out. Like I always used to be the weird one or the strange one, so I always thought, ok, I one or the strange one. So I always thought, okay, I'll do like the Heath Ledger roles, like I'll be the weird one, I'll be the villain who's going to have a crazy story and that's going to be my thing. But no, that's not me.
Speaker 2:And then my husband always said I'm really funny when I'm not trying to be funny. So I thought, okay, this doesn't make sense to be in the comedy business if I only can do it when I don't want to do it. And now I want to do and want to be funny for a casting. I'm not, so that's not going to work.
Speaker 2:But then kind of with I did lots of advertisements, lots of commercials and it was always kind of funny. So I thought, okay, maybe I can be this funny guy, but not like comedy, stand up funny, but like really in a, in a, in a nice funny way. And then I did lots of workshops and discovered that I was the rom-com guy, that I could be like the love interest which I never thought of myself, never I wouldn't. But anyways, I got the feedback you could be kind of the love interest, and so now I guess I still don't know if that's completely my niche, but I'd say I'm the rom-com love interest which combines the comedy, but not in a so funny way, but in oh my god, that that's really cute or that that makes me smart, that kind of thing.
Speaker 1:You know, I think that's my niche and then you also had a role in a german series like a police series called yeah, it's but that, yeah, but that's it was for.
Speaker 2:Like the tatort is um a movie like they, they, the, the, the police officers, they always they stay for years and years. But all the other roles only appear in one movie. And I had a supporting role in one of those Tatots, yes, which is of course not comedy and not rom-com and not love interest and nothing. So, yeah, we'll see where that goes. I think rom-com, love interest could work, but I don't know. The Tardot is airing in two weeks on a festival and then in October it will be airing in German television. So we'll see. I don't know, maybe after that I'll be the. I don't know, we'll see. I don't want to spoil too much.
Speaker 1:Okay, awesome, you are an actor. You are still exploring where you could get most jobs, but you're open to everything, but rom-com seems to be where people like to see you in. You are a flight attendant. You are creating content. So tell me about your content now, because there are different pieces of content. Do you have like categories of content, um, or do you just come up with stuff, or how does it work?
Speaker 2:I think it's always. It flows and it's a journey. Like you said, I had the sketches, or I have the sketches, which is, of course it's one part, but I haven't done them in a very long time, I'd say, because it's just so much going on. Now we are, the kids are in holidays, so I don't have much time to write down sketches or to write down any big things. Plus, yeah, I felt stuck, so I get.
Speaker 2:I think it's what I learned is not to do the content for Instagram and the people, but to do it for myself, to grow and experience. I did. What definitely is one of the things I do is like a right-left thing, like I lip sync something from a movie which is on Instagram and then I do it in two different versions. Like I don't know, I smile till one word and the other version is I start smiling on that one word and then just write down what's. Which one is more effective? Or I do one with hate and one with love, where one knows the secret. One doesn't like these sort of things. I really like doing these myself because I really like to see myself how such a big, like it's not really open to just you know, just do something. It's it's really strict, like do this and then do that, and for me that's really nice work to see. Okay, what would happen if a director would come and say, okay, I really want it to be this way, how can I do that, still authentically? And and I I give myself tasks to grow as an actor and and with the left-right thing, it's for me to see, okay, how can I do it as authentic as possible with a really strict objective and then see how people respond and if it even reaches them. What I want to do. And now, one of the most content I create is my daily acting challenge, which is, just, I just pick a very famous movie quote, or I did Shakespeare to be or not to be, and then I just play around with it. I just I do my warmup, I just I try to get into the groove and then I just say the sentence 10 times. Sometimes I scream them, sometimes I give myself like, okay, let's try to say it because my husband cheated on me. Or let's say, okay, I'll do it because I hate someone. And then I just say the same sentence, but with a different intention in my head. And, yeah, I just play around with one sentence and see how it affects me, where I try to not be stuck to the rhythm of the obvious way of saying the sentence, but to just see how do I feel inside. Okay, I'll pronounce this now differently, that sort of thing. So it's basically, it's always just where, at least now. It took me a long time to get there, but now for me it's just experiencing myself and, like the reminder, reminding myself, because that's what you said in the beginning Dancers they practice every day.
Speaker 2:They dance. Singers they sing every day because that's the instrument. Other musicians they practice their instrument every single day, but just actors don't, only when an audition comes up or when they're booked. They just don't. I didn't and I thought but I want to know my instrument by heart and I want it to work whenever it has to. And so the daily acting challenge was more like a thing.
Speaker 2:I started doing it without Instagram. I started doing it two months ago, I think. And then I thought that's weird. You're on Instagram, everyone tells you to create content and you're creating it basically every day and you just don't post it why? And then I just thought come on, it's a movie. It's a movie called.
Speaker 2:Everyone Knows, it's not like I'm copying something which is not out yet, it's not from a self-tape which I'm not allowed to post. It's not something I cannot post or I have to be like secretly about. No, it's something everyone knows. Or I picked some quotes from Bridget. Maybe next time I'll do something from the Bear. Whatever, I'll take something which is what I like, what I feel good about, and then I'll just record it and then I'll just pick five different versions and then I'll just post it. It's like it takes me five to 10 minutes to create it which I do anyways because I want to practice as an actor and then it takes me maybe two or three minutes to edit, because it's not anymore about the. Okay, I have to write a real cool caption. No, I just do the subtitle with the one line I do, and then I do five hashtags or whatever, and then I'll just post it, and sometimes only 50 people do a heart.
Speaker 2:But the thing is, I think if a casting director goes on to my profile, they'll see okay, cool, he's doing something and then, even if they don't like it, it doesn't matter, but they'll see it. There's something, because I did this workshop with a social media coach, for I don't think she was especially for actors, but she said for actors, she transformed it for actors and she said social media is basically like Google search and the SEO of social media is much more higher ranked than any other content we create, like even in our casting profiles. They appear much lower than YouTube or Instagram or whatever. So even if they don't go or they don't look at us on Instagram, what most casting directors today do, they'll do it on Google and then my reels will pop up from Instagram or TikTok and they probably look on it, especially if it says 30 seconds, because usually you have 30 seconds but sometimes you don't have the three minutes from a whole reel. You look and, yeah, sometimes people actually want to work with me, or I was invited for auditions because of my instagram profile and and again it's it changes.
Speaker 2:Maybe in in two months. I won't do the daily acting anymore because I feel maybe I'm bored of myself and I'll look for something else. It's just a playground and I think there's no right or wrong. It's just a matter of how you feel. But and you can always delete, like I did that two weeks ago I thought oh God, this sketch is really cheesy. Cut it out and I thought oh my God, that's not my best acting in that sketch. Take it out.
Speaker 1:I really love how very how you're very clear on okay, I'm creating content not just to get followers, not just to get likes, but just because I want to have flipping fun with my acting and with my craft, and I think that's really what attracted me to your Instagram account is, yeah, this guy is practicing, learning, growing and having freaking fun with the fact that he's an actor, and I think that we really see all that. So, just to summarize, I would say that there are sketches on your Instagram. So the sketches. You need a bit more time to think about it, to write it and to feel inspired.
Speaker 1:You have this left right type of content. So same sentence, but both characters have a different feel about the sentence. One is sad, one is happy, one is cheeky and the other one is you is happy, one is cheeky and the other one is, you know, a murderer or whatever. And then you create these daily acting challenges which is one sentence and going through different whys of how you say it, why you say it and so forth yesterday I even posted one with just drinking, because I'm reading a book just right now.
Speaker 2:It's um respect for acting with by utah hagen, and um, the one topic I just read yesterday was about actions and doings and I thought that's cool. Let's just see how I can drink water with different types of behaving of, of work, like stereotypes, whatever. You know like, maybe I'll do that the other next time when I cook, I'll chop the cucumber and I'll go like, okay, I was betrayed. Or you know like, yeah, I'm just, but I'm just playing around. Yeah, but these are, I guess you could say these are the three topics I post about. Then, of course, if I have a job I was booked for and I get content, I get to post, I post that too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I want to talk about production quality and how big of a production there is behind the scenes, because sometimes you have a normal background that we would use as a self-tape background and sometimes, as you said, I've seen a few stuff of yours that are being done in the kitchen, for example. So do you have just a camera and a mic? Do you set up lighting? Do you have a whole crew that we are not aware of, or how how much production is going on?
Speaker 2:no, it's just me, it's really just me, it's just my cell phone. I got the new, a new smartwatch from my husband for my birthday, which is really cool, because now I don't do it with the front camera anymore, but now I can um, they're, they're connected, the phone and the, the, the smartwatch. So now I can take the main camera, which of course has a better quality, and then I can just look onto my watch and see okay, am I on in frame? That's the one thing I changed to get a better quality of my filming. And then I just have one light which I'm using right now too. It's just on a stand and it has a warm light and cold light and I could just dim it. I don't. I have a microphone which I'm not using right now. Sometimes I use it. Most times I forget about it, but honestly, it's fine.
Speaker 2:I know nowadays these influencers, they all they have these cool thing and they talk about it even with their in their regular videos. I know nowadays these influencers, they all have these cool things and they talk about it even in their regular videos. If you scroll through, I coming from this influencer background. I still have some influencers I follow, and then I see this and I'm like, okay, do I have to do it too? And then I listen to my videos. I'm like I don't see the need of paying 200 euros or I don't know 50 bucks for. So it's very low profile. I do have a colleague. He has a studio with this huge LED background and we're trying to find a date to do content together. So maybe in two or three months there will be content which is definitely higher, better produced.
Speaker 2:But basically it's just me. I mean there's apps. What do I use? Mostly I just use InShot and then you can have different backgrounds. I pick backgrounds from aircrafts, I go on to Google, to stock images, and then I just, if I do the sketches, I look for backgrounds I want to use and then with InShot shot, you can just crop out your background and then you can put the other one behind. That's a little bit more tricky, but still it's just.
Speaker 2:At the moment the content on my instagram is just me, myself and my instrument, because that's that's another thing, because I took so much, it took so much time to, to, to, to look for the, for the backgrounds to go. Okay, I don't like now the quality of the background and the transition to myself did not work. Do I now buy, like, the pro version of InShot? Do I buy another app which is better and it was like no? Back to the basics. I want to experience and express my instrument. I want to see what I'm capable of without any big tum-tum. There's other great Instagrammers, content creators, actors, actresses who do amazing videos with probably either a team or really good equipment, which is totally fine, but no, I want to be the actor where people go like. Isn't that the guy who does just the quotes and just does the quotes? Isn't that so cool that I want to be that guy? Maybe, I don't know, maybe I'll stop at half a year and I'll never get to the point. I want to keep it simple.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's why I invited you on the podcast. This guy does doing these cool codes, you know, on Instagram. I find super interesting. So I have another question for you, an important one, because you're a multilingual actor and I also speak several languages. I'm sure there are many listeners and actors that speak different languages. How do you decide which piece of content you're going to do in German and which piece of content you're going to do in English? Is that just well, I feel the vibe, or is that more of well? I want to book this kind of jobs. How do you make that choice?
Speaker 2:I switched, I'd say, three or two weeks ago, recently to English. I did everything in German and I had a talk with my agent because I had three or four major international castings this year, which none of them I booked. But I got them. And since I am good with English, I thought I want to work internationally. And then I had this talk with my agent. We didn't talk about Instagram, but after that I thought, if I want to represent myself as an international actor, or at least a bookable international actor, I should make my content international. So let's just make it in English and that's it.
Speaker 2:I mean, what's the what's? One of the quotes I read. I didn't pick it, but frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. Germans will know which movie it's from and if not, they can Google it. They're like oh my God, caleb was gone with the wind, but it's just a sentence. So in the end, especially for these contents, it's just a sentence. And even if a German casting director would look to my profile and go like, oh my's, all english, but still it, it's, it's my acting, you know what I mean? Like I, I'm pretty sure german casting directors would still get ah, that's kevin silva, that's the vibe of him, that's his essence and so, yeah, it's just recently I started to do it in english everything, the captions, the hashtags, my everything because I want to work and be booked internationally. So that's the reason.
Speaker 1:So you already shared that some casting directors have called you in because of your content of Instagram, or that you even booked jobs because a film director or somebody that was casting for a commercial saw your Instagram content and were like, yeah, he's the guy. What does your agent think of your content? Does your agent repost it? Does that also generate you know reposts and that sort of things? Or is there any enthusiasm that comes, you know, from your content in that way?
Speaker 2:Oh, I know that he is totally supportive about it and then he loves everything I do. He's just not the big poster himself. So he's always do whatever you want. Just don't be mad if I don't always repost. I actually I don't mark him. Coming to think about it, I don't like if it's something booking wise, yes, I'll mark him or he'll even post something. But just this daily things, I'm just, I don't even. I don't even add my agency because I'm like that's just, that's. It's part of the puzzle to get bookings or to get auditions, but I feel it's not necessarily attached to my agency. I think it would even feel weird if he'd repost everything I'm doing, because there, when it comes to agency, I think there's definitely this professional cut where you go okay, that's agency, so that's bookings, because that's helpful for the agency to show themselves that they have working, or actors, actresses who are asked for additions. But creating content like I'm doing, I think has nothing to do with the agency and is no need to be even seen on my agency's side.
Speaker 1:And so an additional question is about the call to action. So call to action is, you know, for listeners is when you do an Instagram post or a post on social media and you ask your audience to do something. So, for example, please comment below, do you prefer A or B? Click on the poll, that sort of things. Does your content include a call to action and, if so, do you do it with awareness or absolutely not?
Speaker 2:Never. I think some of my or I think I started trying to do the sketches with this in my mind. Like I do a loop, I'd write it so that the ending would directly lead back to the beginning again, because I thought that I actually there's a few sketches which are really, when I see them on other content creators pages, which are really nice because they end with, but and then they start again with, because that sort of thing. So it's like a loop and you can watch on and on, and sometimes it takes three times to realize that it's already, that it already played three times. I thought that was funny and so I started doing this again, because I also knew that Instagram liked replays a lot, and then sometimes I tried to implement a question into the sketch, but then again I noticed it's really holding me back or it's like I'm stepping into this loop again, trying to do or to create content for Instagram instead of creating art. And so now I just know I know that there's a lot of. I think it comes from TikTok and I see it now on Instagram. Sometimes, too, they go like I'll take you with me on my daily acting blog. In German they say make the plus disappear for more. Like it's the, it's the call to action for follow. Like, follow me for more. Like they'll end every video with follow me for more, because eventually I get it. I guess it will work, that people will follow um, and which is totally fine, I get it.
Speaker 2:I was in that on in that hunting game myself. Like I will. I. We had 100 000 followers. I was like, oh my god, this is cool. And yes, I do get it. And yes, I know that numbers do matter and that numbers can also lead to bookings. But that's the crucial part. Like you can step so easily into that trap of just serving Instagram instead of serving your own craft.
Speaker 2:And for me, I had the influencer thing. I had the huge follower amount and I know how stressful it can be. So I guess I have a different perspective. Like, I still lose followers. I don't grow because and it's simple as that and I can understand it it's totally fine I had, like a magazine with the topic of furnishing and then I changed the editorial of that magazine to motorcycles from now to the next day and of course, the readers of the magazine with furnishing are not interested or didn't buy that magazine because of motorcycles, but because of furnishing, and that's what's happening with my Instagram account still. So it's totally fine that all these people all these moms mostly who still follow me because of our rainbow family daily lives they don't want to see acting or they're not interested in me experimenting around with one if they don't want to see acting or they're not interested in me experimenting around with one, so that's totally fine.
Speaker 2:But, yeah, so I do get it and I totally understand why people add these call to action things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I just sometimes I find them really what do you say nowadays cringe, like I find them embarrassing or I find them really so much on the nose and I'm like okay, now it's kind of I feel like people understood the Instagram game by now that you don't really need the call to action anymore.
Speaker 2:People know how it works. Like at some time, if I repost my content into my story, I'll do, I'll go to the gifs and put share, and then I'll see the heart, the share thing, the save thing, and then I'll just add it on the bottom or write share, comment, because sometimes people need the reminder and they also do the stories telling people that it is important to interact with me, to like my stuff, because then the visibility grows and that's important for the business. I do sometimes mention that in the stories, but and that's the thing I don't want to hinder myself, I don't want to serve Instagram, because that's what mostly happens the longer people stay on my profile and on the app, it helps Instagram. It doesn't help me, but what does help me is showing my best, acting, and I think that's how I do it at the moment, with just trying to take the time to actually act and play around. So, yeah, no call to actions with me.
Speaker 1:And I found it so important what you shared, because it's strange that you had this position of being an influencer before pushing the platform for you as an actor, so you kind of experienced the other side, but you were able to make more authentic choices afterwards and I love that. You said it's not about serving Instagram, it's about serving my craft. I think that's a very powerful piece of guidance and advice. Let's talk about followers because, like you said, followers is not all what we need and that's not particularly why we're doing what we're doing either but it can help, perhaps getting certain jobs or, eventually, if you have something to sell, like a course or whatever, some coaching sessions or something else or merch, you can help.
Speaker 1:So you have quite a lot of followers on Instagram. You have, at this moment in time, about 55,000, 56,000 followers on Instagram. How did you get those followers? Is that still, you know, a part of like your influencers journey? That sort of brought followers to your page and, like you said, you also lost many because you're not talking about the same topics. And then my second question that is linked to that is do you enjoy it having that amount of followers or, on the contrary, does that put pressure on your shoulders?
Speaker 2:it, it used to. On the switch it did okay. So, um, we since I guess we we had the very lucky position that we were the first gay german couple, so of course there was no competition. So all the moms who did the, the, the mom blogging, they shared us and so we grew very fast, very quickly, and that was, of course, that was a nice position, it was nice to have.
Speaker 2:And then, with with the switch, lots of people went and in the beginning I thought I have to keep as many as possible because of course I already two years ago knew, especially coming from the influencer business, knowing what's possible with a huge amount of following, I knew how much money you could earn or how to which events you're being invited and so I thought, okay, this definitely must work as well as an actor. So at the beginning was very eager, I really wanted to keep these followers. I really was desperate every time I lost a huge like. Every time the number above dropped. I was like, okay, now people can see it again. Ah, if they're gonna, if they're gonna drop in every two weeks and see, oh my god, he's losing again, what are they gonna think about it? And then I went to events and they were podium discussions on film festivals and they're like, okay, starting with 60, 70 000 or starting with 100 000, it's really interesting. As for a production company, and I're like, okay, starting with 60, 70 000 or starting with 100 000, it's really interesting. As for a production company, and I'm like, oh, my god, okay, now I really have to be inventive again and try to find something to explode again, to have lots of shares so people will follow me.
Speaker 2:It started again and like that's the. That that was one of the biggest reliefs we had as a family when we stopped. Like we would try. We would always make sure that the family of the kids would come first, but what did happen? As an influencer is our brain would constantly go around influencing because it was a private topic, so it was always oh, look, the kids are playing nicely. We could definitely make a great picture from here, because you wouldn't notice them. And then we were like, but shouldn't we just watch our kids Instead of thinking why we watch our kids to create content? And so that was actually the biggest relief we had when we decided. The reason why we decided to stop was not that I have to be honest and. But you know, so it's kind of weird, but in the end I can say we were lucky to have a child with a disability, because it made us realize a lot about life and to handle social media. And then again that's why I mentioned this it happened again.
Speaker 2:Again I fell into the trap of, okay, what do I do, what's special about my life, what can I share, to get more followers. And it took me, I think, a year until I really realized how much time in my head I spend again and I was like but that's not what I want to do. And it didn't help. It didn't help my content, it didn't help my following and it didn't help my general emotional state. I was just, I was angry, at least concerning that part. I was devastated, I was frustrated. I didn't grow as an actor.
Speaker 2:And then it was like, okay, let's stop. It doesn't matter how many followers you're going to lose. Eventually they will come back, hopefully, and if not, who cares? I just want to have fun. And yes, of course, now I do have the nice experiences that I was invited to an audition because of my followers or that I was booked because of my content not the followers, but the content. But yeah, now I think I'm in a very healthy state with Instagram. I got rid of the responsibility, or of thinking I should have a responsibility to my followers. I got rid of the wanting to keep the following yeah, and now I'm just. I think, yes, it's nice to still have them. Yeah, I know that people when I'm on a film festival and colleagues are like, let's connect on Instagram, and the first thing is, oh my God, what did you do? Were you a serious regular? And I'm like, eh, I was just a family influencer. But yeah, so I just made a huge reset, which took time, and now I'm just yeah, I'm just playing around for myself.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much. Like just listening to this last part. It really gave me a lot of grounding and calmness inside Because, like you say, we can get so attached to the amount of followers and keeping the followers and finding more followers and blah, blah blah. We're just in a machinery that that is not particularly good, neither for our craft or mental well-being?
Speaker 2:no, absolutely not, and I think sorry, I want to add this the thing is, the right people will find us because, having a huge following amount, most of these people won't be industry professionals. They won't give us jobs. Yes, they will give us a huge amount of reach and lots of visibility. So then, of course, people from the industry will see us again and it will be interesting for production companies because of money and sharing the project, of course. But there's so many and that's also what I want to add so many colleagues who are not on Instagram and who are being booked. Do the math.
Speaker 2:I think it's a great opportunity to do self-PR, to get yourself out there, to connect with people, like I said, maybe even connect with casting directors or be invited, but most of all, it's just a tool to experience and express yourself. Like, I think the most valuable thing with Instagram right now is reading the feedback about the content I do. If, whether what I intended to portray reached the people or whether it doesn't matter what I do. If, whether what I intended to portray reached the people or whether it doesn't matter what I do, 10 people will see something totally different and totally grounded me also as an actor, like people may go okay.
Speaker 2:I can't make wrong choices for an audition. I can't play a role wrong on stage, because everyone will see differently Just because it's on stage and not 20 people come afterwards and tell you their feedback. They still have it in their head and that's what, basically, what helps me with Instagram right now. It doesn't matter what I do. People will have their own interpretation. Anyways, I think it's not about the following. It's about having a way to express yourself as an artist when you're not being booked.
Speaker 1:So, to wrap up this interview, kevin, can you share with us one of the roles that you would like to get booked on, or like something that you aspire to do, maybe as an actor, or that you hope to do at some point, whether that's in theater or film? A particular role, a particular director you would love to work with? Do you have a specific goal, or is it something more vague in regards to energies that you would like to be surrounded by? What does the future hold for you?
Speaker 2:You planted a seed of thought in me that I haven't had yet, with the energies I want to be surrounded with. That's something I really will take in and think about. But I do have a very specific picture and vision. I definitely want to be on Bridgerton one day. I actually I'm totally into the affirmation and manifesting game and I was sure I was going to be the gay love part of Benedict Bridgerton in season four. Somehow I didn't manifest good enough because it didn't turn out into a gay love story but with a Sophie Beckett or something. It's the character. Now something was leaked so that did not work.
Speaker 2:But, dear universe, there will be more seasons to come and I really would love to be in Bridgerton, and if not in Bridgerton then something really cool historical. Really would love to be in bridgerton, and if not in bridgerton then something really cool historical. I'd definitely love to do some queer men portering. Of course I'd love to do some queer family, from rom-com to drama, definitely. Yeah, I think that's another part where I change. Maybe I'll change again, but right now I definitely love to do rom-com and feel good movies, because there's so much going on in the world. I think we're coming or I feel like artists or me myself, want to come back more to the, not only showing people different perspectives of life, but just giving them a break, like I had it the other day.
Speaker 2:I started what was it? Fallout on Amazon, and after episode two I was like this is too much blood, too much cruelty, too much corruption and I stopped. And then season three of Bridget came out and I was like, oh God, I love it. I watched it two times just because there's so much going on in the world. I just don't want to be thrown into another world of corruption. At the end of the day, when I finally brought my kids to bed and hopefully without too much screaming around because there were sibling fights or I was a nerve wreck that day and so but yeah, but that just came recently that I thought, okay, that's the content I like to watch. I want to do that too. So, yeah, I really would love to do really good quality, feel good content. But yeah, actually really on the Netflix, amazon Prime, hollywood level, that would be. That's my goal. That's where I want to go.
Speaker 1:I was sending you all that energy you know it may come from instagram you know like and all your beautiful content that you're creating, thank you. So do you have any sort of mantra, guidance, top tip that you would like to share to any actor that is listening to us right now and that is thinking about his or her content?
Speaker 2:you mean specifically concerning instagram or content on social media?
Speaker 1:it could be content for other platforms as well. You know we talked about instagram a lot, but it can be for other platforms as well, I think which is the hardest part, but still the most important part, is just to start.
Speaker 2:I think there is no wrong. Yes, I mean, it depends on which generation you come from. I was born in 88. So I still have this mantra in my head the internet never forgets. Wake up, today. There's so much content. The internet forgets every day everything. You can just post something and delete it five minutes later and no one will care. You can post something and delete it a year later.
Speaker 2:I'm doing this course. It's called tech savvy actors. It's marketing for actors on instagram and heidi dean, she's the coach and and she always says go through your Instagram or whatever social media once in a while and see, does it still represent your best acting? And that would be my advice Just do it, do play around with it, have fun, don't be scared of bigger accounts, of better accounts, of better quality. Just do it. And then go through it once every two months and see still, if I watch it myself, do I still like watching my own content? And if not, then just delete it. And then just try until you really do like your own content and if you don't like it, then change, or if you decide that you tried the social media game and you just are not made for it, then don't.
Speaker 1:Stop Love it. That is so important. Yeah, that thought of oh, the internet never forgets. It's absolutely. It's an old-fashioned way of looking at it. People are overwhelmed with information.
Speaker 2:Maybe the internet does not forget, but I think the internet is so overwhelmed that they tend to yeah, at least skip things. It's just. That's another good part about being a small content creator. Whether you have 50,000, which is still small in comparison, or 500, really it could be hard. But on the other hand, isn't it a relief? You can just post it and if 10 people saw it and didn't like it, so what? You may have a bad day on stage and people will go. That was brave for him to go on stage, but I could have done that too. Of course, they couldn't have.
Speaker 2:The most people who will criticize you are the ones who are not creating content themselves. These are the ones who are going to be well. Isn't that embarrassing to put yourself out there with 36? Isn't that Instagram, something for 12-year-olds? But they don't have a public profile, they don't post things, they don't try out. I think trying something out on Instagram or any other platform is brave because it could go viral and could lead to a lot of criticism and feedback both ways, good and bad. So putting yourself out there is so brave, viral and could lead to a lot of criticism and feedback both ways, good and bad. So putting yourself out there is so brave, and I think that's one of the most important things I learned for myself as an actor that I have to be brave, that I have to try and fail. So, yeah, just go out there and fail terribly and do great the next time.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, kevin. This was like really an awesome conversation. It inspired me, as well as an actress, so much. So where can people find you and also Schauspiel Studio, because I know you have your own acting studio in Frankfurt as well? Where can they find more about you and the studio you?
Speaker 2:can find me on kevinsilvagita, my first and last name on Instagram. That's basically actually all I do. I have, I claimed my accounts on all the other platforms, but I only post on Instagram because I would get lost. Different platforms, different content I just do Instagram, period, and if I have a showreel, I post it on my YouTube. That's it. And you can also find Sch. And if I have a showreel, I post it on my YouTube, that's it. And you can also find Schauspielstudio Frankfurt, which is my. Yeah, it's a working space. I founded it a year ago with a director and we meet every week and everyone is invited. You can just, if you're from Germany or if you ever visit Frankfurt on a Tuesday, just hit us up on Instagram and ask and you can just drop in and we can just have a good time.
