Sound designer Chuck Smith has joined Hank Smith Music, San Francisco. Smith’s most recent commercial roost was MacKenzie Cutler Editorial, New York, where he was the in-house sound designer until 1999. Some of his credits there included Ikea’s "Pit Crew" via Deutsch, New York; British Airways’ "Hospital," through M&C Saatchi, New York, and Outpost.com’s "Wolves" and "Gerbils" via Cliff Freeman and Partners, New York.
Smith graduated from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, with a B.A. in film production and fine arts in ’91. In ’93, he moved to New York to work in postproduction, and the following year, landed at Ian MacKenzie Editorial (now MacKenzie Cutler), New York, as a receptionist. "There was an open sound room that somebody had built and then left," Smith recalled. "So I started going into the sound room at night and learning how to use the equipment. After a year or so I started to do sound work." Smith also studied graphic design, and eventually his boss suggested that Smith choose between the two fields. Said Smith, "I told Ian MacKenzie I wanted to be a sound guy, and he built a sound room for me." Smith became the company’s in-house sound designer in ’96.
After leaving MacKenzie Cutler, Smith went freelance, working as the sound editor for the Discovery Channel travel series America After Dark: "It’s not as sexy as it sounds," Smith reported. More recently, he pursued the graphic design career he’d decided to forgo. But after a brief stint at New York design firm Dmind Interactive, in mid- 2000, Smith resolved to relocate and return to his former path: "Frankly, I wasn’t the best at graphics," he laughed. "And I am good at sound design, and I enjoy it much more. … I decided that I needed to get back into the postproduction world because it’s the place to be." He moved to San Francisco in September and started sending out his reel in hope of finding a sound design job.
This is the first time that Hank Smith Music has had a full-time sound designer on staff. Executive producer Mark Harrison pointed out, "My partner Blaise [Smith] is a sound designer, but he’s a composer first. We had never really pushed the sound design aspects of our business, though we’d talked about it." Harrison continued, "In November, we took on [longtime Hank Smith staffer] Michael Lande as a partner, and he’s also a composer. At that point we thought, ‘Look, we have to find a really good sound designer, because we want to expand the services that we’re offering.’ "
The timing was fortuitous: After attending the Mill Valley Film Festival, Mill Valley, Calif., in the fall, Smith contacted Lande, who had written the music for the festival’s opening credits. Chuck Smith offered to submit his reel, and soon he met the partners. Smith was especially intrigued when he heard that Hank Smith Music was set to expand: "I’m interested in a company that wants to grow," Smith told SHOOT. "Also, I’m really looking forward to learning about the musical side of things." Hank Smith is in the process of building Smith’s sound design suite, and Harrison said the company plans to add another composition room.
Hank Smith Music also consists of creative director/composer Blaise Smith (no relation), chief composer Lande and engineer/composer/producer Dale Everingham.
The company is repped on the West Coast by Los Angeles-based Rachel Finn and by San Francisco’s Mary Saxon of FinnSaxon Represents. Hank Smith Music is currently seeking representation in the Midwest and on the East Coast.
