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For Immediate Release.

Cinematographer Steven Douglas Smith: Cinematic Visionary

(December 01, 2005, Hollywood, CA) Steven Douglas Smith, award winning cinematographer, has just completed work on his 20th feature film, a sequel to the hit 1995 Sandra Bullock thriller, The Net. Shot entirely on HD, The Net 2.0 was familiar territory for the cinematographer, his sixth High Def Feature. “Shooting in Istanbul was a great privilege”, Steven commented, “and capturing the history and nuance of a city like that was enhanced by the HD format.”

Steven’s varied and groundbreaking career started after his graduate work at USC Film School. It includes Nicolas, the first American feature film shot entirely in 24p HD. Steven’s artistic and technical vision made him the perfect candidate to tackle the challenge of this old world “period piece” with new world technology. The HD feature Nicolas made it’s “buzz-worthy” world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and started a trend that is beginning to dominate filmmaking today… the Digital Feature. As a pioneer for the “digital generation”, Steven has earned his stripes as an HD Specialist.

Steven’s talents and skills aren’t just limited to the modern world of high definition. In fact, his resume goes back two million years -- to the world of the Dinosaur, Disney’s ambitious and groundbreaking feature film. For a lot of cinematographers, visual FX is a foreign land reserved for “computer programmers” or “trained technicians”, but Steven’s innovative thinking drew him to the idea of mastering a new aspect of photography – the combining of live action and animation. Variety called it “an eye-popping visual spectacle… nothing like you’ve ever seen before.” With over 1300 FX shots and considered one of the most visually impressive films ever made, Dinosaur broke box office records with its release in 2000.

A protégé of such world renowned cinematographers as Allen Daviau, (E.T.), Vittorio Storaro (The Last Emperor), and Conrad Hall (American Beauty), Steven’s passion for “developing and utilizing technical advances to broaden the aesthetics of the visual medium” inspires him. So when confronted with new challenges, he likes to face them head on. For instance… IMAX.

“Working on a format such as IMAX-- a camera that practically weighs as much as a Volkswagen Bug-- really humbles you”, Steven reflects, “a lot of planning goes into every shot— everything needs to be pre-visualized and precise— but get me on set with a camera and I’m ready to go!” Steven’s IMAX credits include work on the musical, Our Country, directed by Keith Melton, Disney’s Ultimate X, and James’ Cameron’s Expedition Bismarck.

However Steven’s career has been more than just technical and artistic achievement. His pride in his work and his joy of collaboration are making him a hot commodity in Hollywood. “My experience with him was first rate. He worked extremely well with our Production staff to adjust his
lighting package to save a few Lira,” says Net 2.0 director Charles Winkler. “Steven brings back unique and spectacular imagery while always staying concerned with the bottom line,” adds director David Mackay, a fellow USC alumnus.

A versatile professional who has mastered both film and digital technology, Steven continues to build on his impressive resume which includes working with a multitude of talented artists such as Tobey Maguire, Hilary Swank, Benicio Del Toro, Randy Quaid, and with studios such as 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures and Disney. He is also the recipient of the prestigious Kodak Visionary Award for his work on the film No Easy Way.

Website www.stevensmith.us

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