Partner Pictures Inc. is a creative services company representing the direction and design work of mine: Trevor Smith. Reflecting a mix of motion pictures, graphic design, and film art direction, this site is a sampling of my continuously growing output in the arts community here in Alberta, Canada. Never one to be pigeon-holed, I can pretty much do anything you ask of me. Quitting is rarely an option and once I'm in, I'm in all the way. Ideas are plentiful but unless someone's willing to roll up their sleeves and execute, the hot air dissipates. Trevor Smith is the top to bottom package: the biggest, most ambitious thinker, the first to grab a corner and lift, and finally, the boldest to decide when something is too heavy to continue with. Accountability is paramount. Without it, we're all liars and forever failures.
Partner was meant to reflect the collaborative nature of filmmaking and the comradery necessary to bring visual media to life. It's as much about the people as the process. I'd rather not leave a scorched earth behind me but instead enable everyone involved in a project to get their good and bad ideas out early, then focus and deliver on the ones that stand up to critique. Nobody's an island and no project is so precious that it can't be adjusted. "Dream" is one of the most overused idioms in the language of movies and arts culture. It's a passive and utopian concept. Expressing oneself is as much about standing in the cold, when the sun's about to go down, and knowing everyone is there, right then, committed to creating the best shot under those circumstances. Usually, when you see it later in the edit suite, it's the most perfect thing you never imagined.
I believe firmly in admitting when I don't know where to put the camera, spray glue, shooting an alternate, ninja-accurate trimming when making props, using a dry fly even when they're nymphing, and always going five hole within four feet of the net. Everything else works itself out if you've got the right team--- and most importantly, leader. Follow me. I'm always looking for partners.
October 2010
I've been fortunate enough to be nominated for Avenue Magazine's Top 40 Under 40. Thanks to all the crew, co-programmers, friends, and supporters that gave me the catalogue of work and reputation to (I suppose) justify this spotlight.
July 2010
The music video for Dan Mangan's "The Indie Queens Are Waiting" has picked up an Eye Candy Award from the Calgary Folk Festival's online Music Video Competition/ Songwriting Competition. My video for Corb Lund's "Hard On Equipment (Tool For The Job)" was also nominated. It's a nice coincidence that both guys are also playing at the Folk Fest this year--- on the same day and stage.
April 2010
John Kerr and Crowsnest Films picks up the AMPIA award for Best Music Video for "The Indie Queens Are Waiting"---which I directed under my Partner Pictures banner. It's a real honour to win this award amongst such strong efforts from my Albertan colleagues and peers. On top of the "Indie Queens" Best Editing Award (Drama Under 30) for Darren Bierman and Craig Wrobleski's deserving nomination for Best Cinematography (Drama Under 30), this little video did OK! Add on the three Best PSA nominations for JPMF (Fire, EMS, Police: produced by Joe Media Group), and my personal associative tally for AMPIA nominations on work I produced, directed, wrote, or art directed is up around 35.
March 2010
AMPIA nominations! 3 for the work I directed with Joe Media Group on the John Petropolous Memorial Fund PSAs and 3 for Dan's newest video I directed: "The Indie Queens Are Waiting". I guess I'll need to make the trip. Hats off to John at Crowsnest, Matt and Missy at Joe, and Maryanne and Ian at JPMF. Together we hopefully pick up some hardware for the shelf.
Trevor Smith is an independent filmmaker, prolific designer, and pervasive presence in the media arts scene in Calgary. Pictures, in all their manifestations, are his passion and he loves to make things look better. Having studied film academically at the University of Alberta and then technically at SAIT's Film/Video Production program, he has learned his biggest lessons in the trenches as an Art Director for features and television while ever carving out a local name for himself as an emerging director and writer to monitor. With a larger focus on actualizing feature films and realizing ideas of his own 100 percent of the time, Trevor recently signed on to be the Program Manager for the Calgary International Film Festival and immerse himself in the world's finest cinema to spurn his imagination further. Plus, if he ever decides Edmonton is the place to return to, he can always dive back into the 20,000 plus title collection of films housed in his boutique video store: Sneak Preview. That being said, Calgary is definitely home. He likes the fish in this particular pond a lot and hopes in his small way to make the city's filmmaking landscape a little more captivating.
Developing features, pitching music videos, juggling design work, and now picking films for the festival, Trevor's diverse expressive efforts reflect a work ethic, desire, and creative integrity essential to surviving and making noise in the Canadian cultural climate. He hopes you notice and appreciate the work.
