BA University of Massachusetts, Amherst. A New York-based animator, Smith is known for his metaphorical hand-drawn and stop-motion films. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and has worked as a storyboard artist for Disney and animation director for MTV’s Daria and the Emmy-nominated Downtown. His 2019 film, Pour 585, is one of the five most-viewed animated shorts on YouTube, and he sustains a dynamic film-festival release schedule. Smith’s films have screened at Tribeca Film Festival, Slamdance, Ottawa, Annecy, and hundreds of other festivals worldwide. His most recent stop-motion short, Beyond Noh, is currently part of the traveling showcase, “The Animation Show of Shows.” Smith is a fellow of the New York Foundation of the Arts and a curator for multiple international film and animation festivals. He has taught as a professor in the graduate film program for New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in Singapore and with Pratt Institute and the School of the Visual Arts in New York City. SLC, 2024–
Undergraduate Courses 2024-2025
Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
Writing and Storytelling for Animation
Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Spring
FILM 3488
Animation is a unique discipline within filmmaking. Often relying less on words and more on visual interpretations, animation offers unlimited conceptual possibilities for the creative screenwriter. This course will focus on the creation and development of story, characters, and the multiple styles and methods of expressing a narrative in highly visual terms. The first segment of the course delves into the art of writing pantomime; creating scripts, outlines, and storyboards; and referencing legendary animated films that utilize wordless stories. From there, the class will move into defining music and creating stories within the framework of prerecorded media. We then progress to the various styles of script writing, from voice over narration to interviews and finally to dramatic dialogue and writing for characters. Specific limitations and possibilities are discussed, mostly within the context of the differences between animation and live-action writing, as well as comparing structures of the short story, feature script, and serial script. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to explore a diversity of personal experiences, expressing stories that may not be traditionally heard or brought into a script and film format. By the nature of its inherent use of aesthetic and its ability to reflect the multitude of visual material and stories of this complex world, animation is particularly good at embodying diverse experiences and cultures. The art of animated storytelling is a conceptual and highly visual and personal exercise; therefore, throughout the duration of this course, I encourage students to accompany written work with visual references—whether photographs or drawings. The final project for the course will be to complete a fully developed script for a five- to ten-minute short animated film.