Clive Smith, a British expatriate, has been a driving force in the international animation community for over four decades. Alongside partners Michael Hirsh and Patrick Loubert, he co-founded Nelvana in the early 1970s, revolutionizing the industry in Toronto. The trio transformed the company from a small three-man animation shop into one of the world's leading entertainment companies, now a division of Corus Entertainment.
With a background in art school in London, Smith's career in film began in 1964 at a small West London studio, where he animated The Beatles and Lone Ranger TV Series. In 1967, he moved to Canada to work with Al Guest and Vladimir Goetzelman, designing and animating short films and commercials. It was during this time that he met his future Nelvana partners.
Throughout his illustrious career, Smith has produced and directed numerous projects within Canada and internationally. His extensive credits include co-producing and directing the beloved animated feature, Rock & Rule, as well as television specials and series such as Cosmic Christmas, The Devil and Daniel Mouse, Babar, Tintin, Rupert, and Beetlejuice. Following the success of Cosmic Christmas, George Lucas invited Smith to direct the first animated Star Wars special, A Wookie's Christmas, featuring CP30 and R2D2. Smith also directed the animated TV series Family Dog, produced by Steven Spielberg and Tim Burton.
In 1997, Clive directed the animated feature Pippi Longstocking, a collaborative effort with Swedish and German co-production partners, as well as a complex animated film for South Korea's Expo '95 in OMNIMAX format with IMAX founder, Graeme Ferguson.
In 2001, Smith left Nelvana to pursue more personal projects, establishing his own company, Musta Costa Fortune Inc. He has since been developing and writing feature films, including an original animated musical with Pete Townshend, based on Townshend's original screenplay, The Boy Who Heard Music, and an original live-action/animated feature, The Rather Unusual Adventures of Ice Cream Girl & Mr. Licorice.
Currently residing in Toronto and London, Smith remains active in the industry, providing consulting and financing for various television, music, and web-related projects. He is also involved in his wife Melleny Melody and son Zachary Brown-Smith's businesses, Play Records and Play Deep Studios.
