Simon J Smith, a renowned writer/director with a 30-year computer graphics legacy, boasts an impressive 38-year track record in film, television, and post-production storytelling. Throughout his illustrious career, Smith has made a name for himself as a masterful director, particularly in feature animation, with a stint at PDI/DreamWorks Animation.
One of his most notable accomplishments was directing the feature film "Penguins of Madagascar," starring Benedict Cumberbatch and John Malkovich, as well as the Golden Globe-nominated "Bee Movie," featuring the talents of Jerry Seinfeld and Rene Zellweger.
After leaving DreamWorks, Smith joined Unity Technologies, where he wrote and directed three real-time short films for Disney. The shorts, titled "Baymax Dreams," delved into the mind of the beloved "Big Hero 6" character Baymax, exploring the question, "Do androids dream of electric sheep?" The answer, apparently, is yes.
Smith's impressive portfolio earned him a 2018 Technical Emmy for writing and directing "Baymax Dreams."
During his 19-year tenure at PDI/DreamWorks, Smith played a crucial role in creating the Layout Pipeline for the groundbreaking computer-animated film "Antz" and served as Head of Layout (cameraman/cinematographer) for both "Antz" and the Oscar-winning film "Shrek."
In addition to his work on "Shrek," Smith was tasked with directing various projects for DreamWorks, including "Shrek Imax," the first stereoscopic 70mm film for the studio, the Universal theme park ride "Shrek 4D," and several short films, including "Far Far Away idol" starring Simon Cowell and "The Button of Doom" starring Will Ferrell.
Before relocating to the United States in 1997, Smith spent 16 years honing his skills at top London post-production houses, including The Mill, Framestore, VTR, SVC TV, and ad agency BBDO. During this time, he worked on a diverse range of projects, commercials, and music videos for notable clients such as Apple, Nike, Honda, Pepsi, VW, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, and George Michael.
