DOUG SMITH
- VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR
Douglas Smith is one of Rhythm & Hues’ leading creative talents. The Academy Award®-winning visual effects supervisor recently led a team of hundreds in the creation of animation and effects for “Alvin & The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” for 20th Century Fox. Doug was also the vfx supervisor on “Alvin & The Chipmunks: the Squeakuel.”
Since joining R&H in 1998, Doug has contributed his deep expertise in visual effects to a wide array of films, including “Evan Almighty,” “The Longest Yard,” “Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat,” “The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas,” “Liberty Heights” and “The Out of Towners.” In addition to VFX duties, he also serves as 2nd unit director as needed, as he did for “Aliens in the Attic,” and “Dr. Dolittle 2.”
Doug shared the Oscar® for Achievement in Visual Effects for his work on the 1996 blockbuster “Independence Day.”
Doug was hired at the startup of Industrial Light and Magic for the original “Star Wars: A New Hope.” Beginning as a production assistant, he transitioned into working for Richard Edlund, ASC, as his camera assistant on the revolutionary motion control camera systems developed for the project.
As a partner with Apogee Productions, Doug tackled a variety of projects, enlisting as both cameraman and head of the camera department at Apogee, creating effects for “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” “Coming to America,” “Never Say Never Again,” “Caddyshack,” “The Natural” and “Firefox.” Doug headed up the visual effects teams for “Blue Jean Cop” and “The Grand Tour,” and contributed to several Clio award-winning commercials, numerous television projects, (including the original “Battlestar Galactica”), as well as theme park venues for Euro-Disney and Luxor Las Vegas.
Formerly a long time member of the Cinematographers Guild, Doug also served as VFX director of photography on many projects including director James Cameron’s “True Lies,” as well as a number of national commercials.
Doug is currently a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, (AMPAS), the Directors Guild of America, and the Visual Effects Society.
Born in California, Doug is a self-proclaimed “military brat” who was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as Morocco and Puerto Rico as a child.
