Sebastian Smith
agent: Camilla Chiverton - camilla@sternwild.com
When Sebastian was 6 years old, he saw a film that thrilled, terrified and traumatised him like nothing he’d ever experienced. That film was Watership Down and from that moment he knew he wanted to tell stories.
Sebastian began his career as an editor. He has cut numerous high-end documentaries and drama docs for major broadcasters on both sides of the Atlantic. These years in the edit suite proved invaluable when he came to make the transition into directing.
In 2007 Sebastian directed the award-winning horror feature Dead Wood, which was bought by Lionsgate in the US and sold internationally. Since then he has carved out a healthy career as a highly sought-after drama-doc director, working for companies such as Raw Television, October Films, Arrow Media and Voltage.
His Netflix debut, Get Gotti, hit the number one spot in 14 countries and was in the top 10 in 44 countries.
Sebastian understands what is needed and, equally importantly, what is not necessary to create an engaging narrative. He has a strong vision for his films and is decisive and efficient both in the field and the edit suite. A jack-of-all trades, Sebastian has excellent technical skills, often enhancing his films with home-brewed special effects, GFX, self-shot material and even specially composed music. The result is films that are visceral, cinematic, stylish and compelling.
When he is not busy working, Sebastian likes to unwind by sketching and making music (playing the cello, piano, guitar, bass, synthesizers and currently learning the banjo). He has over 1,000 dedicated followers on his YouTube channel and has exhibited in local galleries in Whitstable. Just don’t ask him to put up a shelf.