"What would happen if cartoon characters had to deal with the consequences of their actions?" asks Smith, "What if Wile E. Coyote really died?"
With
“DELIVERY,” Smith has created a tragedy rarely seen within the animation
genre. The film goes to an uneasy place where characters make decisions that
result in realistic, serious consequences. “DELIVERY,” which has already
been screened at more than 20 festivals worldwide, conjures subtle emotions
to drive the simple but tragic story. To bring his artistic vision to life onscreen, Smith employed his unique hand drawn animation style that is rarely seen at today’s film festivals. “I like to draw every frame,” Smith says. “The computer was only used in colorizing each drawing. I don’t want anyone to forget they are watching pencil sketches.”
Smith is no stranger to bold animation and experimental content.
The
31-year old self-taught animation veteran has directed, designed and animated
for studios such as Disney, Olive Jar, and MTV and contributed numerous characters
to the TV series "Doug," "The Incredible Hulk," and "Beavis
and Butthead." In 1998, Smith made his directorial debut in MTV's Emmy-winning
animated series, "Down-town", and went on to direct five seasons of
the popular MTV series, "Daria". Smith has garnered additional success
over the past five years animating television commercials for corporate giants
such as Zoloft®, Southwest Airlines, Nickelodeon, ESPN, and MTV.In 2000, the New York-based Smith made his filmmaking debut with the animated short, “DRINK,” which drew worldwide acclaim and was subsequently featured in more than 70 international film festivals. "DRINK," which tells a story of a boy who turns, literally, inside out, allowing him to explore a universe of multiple personas, was hailed by the New York Times as a "beautifully hand-drawn, frighteningly physical process of transformation.” Animation World Magazine called “DRINK” “unique, original and well-designed,” and the Boston Phoenix raved, “Smith has created a monster! Brilliant, stylized animation.”
In addition to his work as an animator, Smith is an active installation artist and illustrator, with frequent exhibits in New York and Los Angeles. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Time Out NY, Animation World Magazine, and Film Threat to name a few. His most recent public installation, "COLUMNS," is currently on display throughout downtown New York.