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Simon James Smith (born 16 September 1968) is a Britishanimator,film director, andvoice actor. He is best known for his work atDreamWorks Animation. Smith came toPDI/DreamWorks in 1997 as head of layout for the company's feature film division. ACG animation veteran with nearly 35 years of experience, Smith supervised the layout department on PDI/DreamWorks' first animated featureAntz (1998), serving as the head of layout inShrek (2001). He then directed theUniversal Studios Theatre experienceShrek 4-D, followed by the shortFar Far Away Idol. His first feature film as a director was in 2007, withBee Movie. He then directed another DVD short,Megamind: The Button of Doom, before co-directing, withEric Darnell, the comedy/spy action spin-off from theMadagascar series,Penguins of Madagascar, the mini seriesBaymax Dreams for Disney, and is executive producer onBatwheels for Warner Bros.

Smith was born inWatford, to English parents. He grew up inHatch End, Middlesex, before moving intoLondon proper in 1982.

Smith began his career in London, where he worked as aboom operator/sound assistant working on various film and TV productions. He discovered video editing at the advertising agencyBBDO, editing on the Apple and Pepsi accounts. He then moved over to post production houseSVC Television, to continue editing but there he also discovered the computer graphic machine Symbolics. He continued animating and FX supervising on various projects at the editing and effects houseFramestore and post houseVTR, where he established his own 3D department. Immediately prior to joining PDI/DreamWorks, Smith served at The Mill as the CG supervisor on commercial projects forNike,Honda,Volvo andVW Polo.

He was a pioneer in the field of pre-visualization, becoming the second ever head of layout in cinema history on the 1998 filmAntz, using that skill set to create PDI's Layout/Pre Viz Department which became an integral part of PDI's filmmaking process. Smith was also instrumental in helping to set up a CG layout department forAardman Animation for the production ofChicken Run. Known for his work on the award-winning pop video "Go West" for thePet Shop Boys, Smith also received the first everGold Leaf Award for his 3D directorial work on the commercial "West Lites". Smith supervised the layout department on PDI/DreamWorks' first animated featureAntz, serving as the head of layout inShrek. He then directed theUniversal Studios Theatre experienceShrek 4-D, followed by the shortFar Far Away Idol. His first feature film as a director was in 2007, withBee Movie. He then directed another DVD short,Megamind: The Button of Doom, before co-helming, withEric Darnell, the comedy/spy action spin-off from theMadagascar series,Penguins of Madagascar.

He then created, wrote, and directedBaymax Dreams for Disney. A joint Unity/Disney production to prove that a real time engine could be used to make broadcast TV content. Smith won an Emmy for the project. He is currently^[when?] executive producer/showrunner on the animated superhero children's television seriesBatwheels starringEthan Hawke for Warner Bros.

• Simon J. Smith atIMDb

• 1968 births
• Living people
• British animated film directors
• British animators
• British cinematographers
• British film directors
• British male voice actors
• DreamWorks Animation people
• Warner Bros. Animation people

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