Dane Allan Smith is a Creative Producer specializing in digital media. 20th Century Fox invited Smith to join a mentoring Program as a result of his inclusion on a Producers 'Watch": list [1] [2] He is known for his work on Dune (2022), Rings of Power (2022),[3][4] Avengers Endgame (2021),[5] Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017),[6] Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021),[7] The Mandalorian and Jungle Cruise 2021.[8] Dane currently manages daily operations as founding partner of Daneiam Inc.

Education edit

Smith attended York University in Toronto. He graduated with a Communications major in 1984.[9][better source needed]

Career edit

Menithings Productions edit

In 1999, Smith founded Menithings Productions [10] which contributed visual effects for Hellboy (film). Menithings also produced The Freak [11] and Battle for Terra,[12][13] two short CGI animated films that earned a variety of awards at multiple film festivals.[14][15] Smith helped with the original feature films for the company and in 2008 Battle for Terra was released. For his work on Battle of Terra, he won the Grand Prize for Best Animated Feature at the 2008 Ottawa International Animation Festival.[16]

Stereoscopic Conversion edit

Daneiam Inc.,Smiths production company acquired various post production processes designed to optimize global specialty studios networked to a central location. An executive approval hub where depth budget, solving for occlusion and new methods of client management were key to early success. After the filmmaking communitty initial expressed preference for native stereoscopic capture, the automation of rotoscopy, development of proprietary extrusion techniques capable of ultra high detail, along with advanced digital paint tools shifted preference to the legitimate use of stereoscopic conversion. A process that evolved to expand Danes oversight to multiple, concurrent Producer duties for projects including [17] of director James Cameron's Deepsea Challenge 3D production. As Producer Smith delivered 1,468 shots that required bespoke lighting and compositing pipelines driving digital intermediary and color standards, optimized for stereoscopic conversion. Digital Cinema packages were leveraged to offer more latitude for creative experimemtation.Inimtially addition Dane helped design the cross department team to support his Production of BATTLE FOR TERRA to stereoscopic 3D for theatrical release. The techniques and scalable team drew expanded to support notable contributions to Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2, RIPD, and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.[18]

Gnomon School of Visual Effects edit

In 2010 he joined the Gnomon School of Visual Effects[19] as faculty where he instructs students in courses that include: Virtual Reality Production, The History of Visual Effects, and Stereoscopic Filmmaking techniques and practices.[20] In 2021, in partnership with Epic Unreal Smith launched the first ever Virtual Production course[21] of Study at Gnomon School of VFX and Gaming

Visual Effects edit

Smith has been the Visual Effects Producer [22] on numerous VFX driven features, including The Walk (2015 film), Oblivion (2013 film), Deepsea Challenge 3D, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 & 2, The Amazing Spider-Man (2012 film) & Looper (film).[18] In 2015 Smith was the Visual Effects Producer [23] on Anomalisa directed by Charlie Kaufman. The film was nominated for an Oscar under the category for best animated feature.[24]

Visualization / Virtual Production edit

In 2017 Dane joined THE THIRD FLOOR. Dane served as CSO and key representative to clients (Studio Management, Directors and Producers), as well as business unit employees, and the managing board throughout the global organization.[25] Dane oversaw the development of projects where previs, virtual production and real-time rendering made significant in-roads. He managed the deployment of technology that rendered high-quality visuals in real-time and worked really well with real-world input devices such as mocap and cameras. This hybrid Maya/Unreal approach offers a lot of great advantages and allows his team to more easily provide tools like a virtual camera (Vcam), VR scouting and AR on-set apps.[26]

Virtual Reality edit

Smith founded Ember Immersive in 2015 to bring premium cinematic VR experiences to the world through distribution/production of content, products (e.g. cameras), and VR Technology. Smith produced Stan Lee's combined Cosmic Crusaders VR.[27] The debut episode will be presented in virtual reality, with one episode airing each day during Comic-Con International 2016 via smartphone VR viewers to be handed out at the show.[28]

Producers Guild of America edit

Smith is also a member of the PGA[29] as a PGA Innovation Award Jury, Power of Diversity Master workshop and the Animation and Visual Effects Committee.

Author edit

In 2002 Smith was invited to curate and expand the Visual Effects Society Handbook Volume 3, wrote contributing content as part of subject matter experts as part of his remit as The Virtual Production Field Guide V02 took shape. Spring 2023 saw a special edition of the VES Handbook, dedicated entirely to Virtual Production publish as part of the effort to document this evolving process.

Public Speaking edit

Smith has spoken at multiple engagements including, SIGGRAPH,[30] CES, the PGA Animation Committee panels, ASIFA/WONDERCON panel 2019, Comicon [31] VES, VRLA,[32] LA Games Conference 2019, NAB Shanghai 2019, VR on The LOT, DIGITAL HOLLYWOOD.[33] Otis College of Art and Design Digital Media Panels [34] SXSW 2020, 2021, 2022 [35] Visual Effects Society Vision Committee 2020[36] IAAPA 2021 EXPO [37] as well as The World Animation & VFX Summit [38] and keynote speaker at NAB 2021 and HPA 2022 Palm Springs, CA.[37]

Awards edit

  • 2022 THEA Award Outstanding Achievement – Attraction for The Secret Life of Pets – Off the Leash! at Universal Studios Hollywood
  • 2022 Outstanding Achievement – Technical Innovation for Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge at Universal Studios Japan
  • 2022 Outstanding Achievement – Theme Park Land for Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan
  • 2019 Promax Games Awards Far Cry 5: Story Trailer
  • 2019 CLIO Kait, Broken Games Award
  • 2017 Telly Awards, Won Bronze Telly for Stan Lee's Cosmic Crusaders: VR Experience
  • 2017 Telly Award Race Through New York with Jimmy Fallon
  • 2016 Academy Awards Best Animated Feature Nomination Anomalisa
  • 2009 Philadelphia FirstGlance Film Festival, FirstGlance Award for Berni's Doll
  • 2008 Giffoni Film Festival, Won Silver Gryphon for Terra
  • 2004 Academy Award Best Short Film Nomination Animated Destino

Notable film and television work edit

References edit

  1. ^ [[cite https://www.filmindependent.org/talent/dane-smith/
  2. ^ Hollywood.com Staff (2015-02-05). "Dane Allan Smith | Biography and Filmography". Hollywood.com. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  3. ^ Rings of Power
  4. ^ Dune
  5. ^ Avengers; Endgame
  6. ^ Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
  7. ^ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
  8. ^ "Jungle Cruise". IMDb.
  9. ^ "Dane Allan Smith". IMDb.
  10. ^ businessdatabase.us. "Menithings Productions, Los Angeles 90036 (Los Angeles, CA)". BusinessDatabase.US. Retrieved 2016-04-09. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  11. ^ "FAST TRACK V.2 - Filmmaker Magazine - Summer 2004".
  12. ^ Genzlinger, Neil (May 2009). "Planetary Peril". The New York Times.
  13. ^ John Anderson (2008-05-09). "Battle for Terra". Variety. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  14. ^ "Terra - IMDb". IMDb.
  15. ^ "The Freak - IMDb". IMDb.
  16. ^ Beck, Jerry (2009-02-18). "Battle For Terra". Cartoonbrew.com. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  17. ^ "Deep Sea Challenge |". Stereodllc.com. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  18. ^ a b "Filmography for Dane Allan Smith". Tcm.com. 1974-08-07. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  19. ^ "Dane Smith | Gnomon". Gnomon.edu. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  20. ^ "Threshold Entertainment".
  21. ^ "Empower Template | Gnomon".
  22. ^ "Dane Allan Smith". IMDb.
  23. ^ "Anomalisa". IMDb.
  24. ^ "Oscar Nominations 2021: The Complete List | 93rd Academy Awards".
  25. ^ "Team".
  26. ^ "How Previs Has Gone Real-Time". April 2020.
  27. ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5831074/
  28. ^ "Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment Teams With Hollywood Reporter on New Series 'Cosmic Crusaders'". The Hollywood Reporter. 21 June 2016. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  29. ^ [1]
  30. ^ "ACM SIGGRAPH".
  31. ^ "Comic-Con 2019: Monetizing Digital Comics".
  32. ^ "Ready Player Two? Trends from VRLA 2018". 22 May 2018.
  33. ^ https://www.digitalhollywood.com/DHSpring2019.html
  34. ^ "Digital Media".
  35. ^ "SXSW 2020 the Third Floor Virtual Session". 14 May 2020.
  36. ^ "Webinar Registration - Zoom". Archived from the original on 2020-06-18. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  37. ^ a b "IAAPA Expo 2021: Session: Revolutionizing the Future of Theme Park Design".
  38. ^ "Dane Smith – the World Animation & VFX Summit".
  39. ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2660888/?ref_=nv_sr_1 [user-generated source]
  40. ^ "Captain Marvel". IMDb.
  41. ^ "Joker". IMDb.
  42. ^ "Aquaman". IMDb.
  43. ^ "The Mandalorian - Production & Contact Info | IMDbPro".
  44. ^ "The Boys". IMDb.
  45. ^ "Lovecraft Country". IMDb.
  46. ^ "The Suicide Squad". IMDb.