SHADAE LAMAR SMITH

ABOUT

I'm an American-British multidisciplinary artist with Jamaican roots, raised in Miami—a place that shaped my love of bold visuals and sound. I grew up geeking out over music videos by Hype Williams and crafting projects with my mom, who could make anything on a budget. By high school, I was deep into acting, dance, and theater design, hooked on the thrill of making people feel something—whether through movement, image, or style.

I trained at the Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Broadway Theatre Project before earning my B.A. in Theatre from Fordham University and an M.F.A. in Film Directing from UCLA. My film The Resort, shot in Tobago, screened at the Havana Film Festival, Zimbabwe International Film Festival, and Munich Festival of Film Schools.

One of my favorite narrative projects is Miss Famous, starring Kristen Wiig, Jimmy Kimmel, and Tony Cox. It premiered at Palm Springs ShortFest, won the Slate Award at the California Independent Film Festival, and played in-flight via Tribeca’s All Access program.

Beyond film, I’ve built a career directing and leading creative for artists and brands alike. I served as creative director for Grammy-winning artist and entrepreneur will.i.am and his tech company i.am+, shaping visual storytelling across music, product, and culture. I've directed projects for A$AP Rocky, Slick Rick, Nicole Scherzinger, serpentwithfeet, and more. My branded credits include campaigns for Bose, Uber, PrettyLittleThing, Liquid I.V., and the Golden State Warriors.

I make art that sells. My aesthetic is globally informed, my approach is scrappy and collaborative, and my career path has been anything but traditional. I learned brand storytelling as a Marketing Fellow for Cirque du Soleil, and later as a resident in the Goodby Silverstein Diverse Directors Program.

Now, as a DGA member, I create to move people—visually, emotionally, and culturally.