On the forty- seventh episode of All the Film Things, I had the pleasure of interviewing educator Art Smith jr.!
Art Smith jr. has been working in the industry for over 50 years and has mentored over 400 individuals and counting. He has worked behind the camera in various roles such as a production assistant, project manager, and prop master for well- known feature films such The Way We Were, Good Morning, Vietnam, and The Bucket List and also under the direction of acclaimed filmmakers including Brian de Palma, and Martin Scorsese. Art is a member of several prestigious organizations in the industry including the American Film Institute and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences TV. He is also the owner of the production company No Budget Movie Company and is a producing partner of Code7 Films. Art has worked in several different mediums including film, television, and music videos, one of which, for the song “Talking to the Wall”, earned him both a Telly Award and Aurora Award in 1999. Just last month, Art was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Orlando International Film Festival. Aside from his work on set, Art is a proud retired veteran who served in the US Army for 30 years.
Art has been the Principal Secretary and on the Board of Directors of the Florida chapter of the non- profit organization Women in Film and Television (WIFT) for nearly twenty years and three exciting new programs, the Veterans program, Handicapped program, and Screening program, were recently launched. Go to WomeninFilmFL.org to learn more about the organization as well as grants, programs, and upcoming events. And if you’re not in Florida, go to https://www.wifti.net to find your local WIFT chapter!
This is Art’s first time on ATFT! I’ve known Art for nearly three years now through attending WIFT events. At the first event I met him at, he stayed back for a few hours to chat with students answering their questions. Not long after meeting him, we had a phone call that lasted over three hours. I always look forward to seeing and talking with him at WIFT events because I always learn so much and have greatly benefited from his advice. Last spring, I asked Art if he’d be interested in coming on ATFT and he said yes instantly. Even so, this episode came together quickly but I was thrilled to finally have him on! This episode was originally 2 hours and 22 minutes so I unfortunately had to trim it down. I apologize if the audio quality is not like previous episodes, it was a challenging edit to complete in less than two weeks. This episode was recorded on July 9, 2025.
In this episode, Art tells unbelievable star- studded stories from his career, from Sean Connery tracking him down to what happened when Jack Nicholson heard Art’s impression of him to his friendship James Brolin, as well as the incredible opportunities Art gave his TV production students through the years. Art also talks about the business behind filmmaking at length including deals that fell through and guiding young filmmakers to success. All this and much more on the latest episode of All the Film Things!
Background music created and used with permission by the Copyright Free Music - Background Music for Videos channel on YouTube.