Mr. Rowen Smith
CURRICULUM VITAE 2017 rowen.work@gmail.com, +27(0)79 647 0077, www.cignalhill.com
Goeiedag. Hello. Bonjour. ﻋﻠَﯾ ُﻛم َ ﺳﻼ ُم َ ( اﻟal-salāmu ʿalaykum) My name is Rowen Smith. I am a 27 year old screenwriter. creative director & Independent Film Producer, Freelance Photographer & Filmmaker from South Africa. I graduated with an Honors Degree in Motion Picture at AFDA Film School in Cape Town in 2013 and have been observing, conceptualizing, visualizing, writing, pitching, producing, directing & shooting film & photographic content ever since. I love thinking of creative concepts and enjoy writing screenplays, learning technical & creative skills as a young director and taking part in the local & global media sector as a digital content producer. My goal in life is to never settle for mediocrity. To make the world a better place through thinking of ideas that can benefit others, serving my gift to the world. Trying my best to understand, capture & entertain.
Natural born leader. project manager. Hard working. Extremist. Extreme Sports Films Travel. Journey. Healthy. Swimming. Sailing. Movies. Music. Commercial Entertainment Task Orientated. Focused. Perfectionist. Professional. Personal. Prepared
Photography. Writing. Typing. Reading. Nature. Soccer. Spiritual. Productive. Effective. Funny. Reliable. Punctual. Religious.
Re-invent. Co-Exist. Emotional. Relationships. Loving. Committed. Friendly. Team Player. Emotive. Understanding. Underestimated Inspiring. Innovative. Highly Influence-able. Highly Convincing and Highly Hypomanic. Wacky. Weird. Basketball. Comedy. Laughing. Liberal Clean. Considerate. Insightful. Individual. Weird. Artistic. Accountable. Cognitively Improving Calm & Cool & Compassionate.
Not Perfect. Don't know Everything. Not always right.
NAME & SURNAME: Rowen Smith D.O.B: 13 January 1990 AGE: 27 YEARS OLD NATIONALITY: South African CHILD EDUCATION: St. Helena Nursery (1994-1996) PRIMARY EDUCATION: Naudeville Primary School (19972003) SECONDARY EDUCATION: Matric Certificate at Goudveld High School in Welkom. My subjects were: Mathematics, Economics, Accounting, Afrikaans English, Science & Chemistry & Life Sciences. I was a 5-time SA Schools Chess Player & 2-time SAB Nationals Swimmer (2004-2008) TERTIARY EDUCATION: MCA Approved Yacht Rating Certificate (2009) STCW’95 Sea Survival, Fire Fighting Level 1, First Aid Level 1, MCA Approved Tender License.
HIGHER EDUCATION: Bachelors Degree & Honors Degree in Motion Picture Medium at AFDA Film School in Cape Town, studying on a full NFVF Bursary. (2010-2013) My majors were: Screenwriting, Film Directing & Producing.
In 2009 During the World Economic Recession, I took a gap year to the South of France ,Region Provence Alpes Cote D’Azur, where I travelled the coast of France, Italy & Monaco, working on Super yachts, Motor yachts and Sailing Yachts ranging from 30-200 feet.
During the year I worked on various yachts in from Antibes to San Remo, being a nomadic day worker and chartered deckhand. At a young age of 19 years old, I was left to the big wide European Coastline to live as an independent man and it was at the 62nd Festival de Cannes when I realised that I wanted to be a film director.
I returned to South Africa in November 2009, to embark on an incredible creative filmmaking journey ...a life-long journey for the love of Motion Picture.
I went on to study a Bachelor’s degree in Motion Picture Medium in screenwriting & film directing and during my second year, I received a full Bursary from the NFVF (National Film & Video Foundation) which funded my studies up to the completion of my Honors Degree in Motion Picture Majoring in Screenwriting, Film Directing and Producing. At AFDA I directed an Advert PSA for PRIMEDIA & SterKinekor. I wrote & directed a 24 minute Afrikaans Romantic Comedy, a 5 minute viral documentary on the fears & expectations on South African Youth, a 12 minute screwball comedy and an 8 minute Experimental Narrative on Repressed Racism among other short form film projects. Four of my film projects got into International Film Festivals from 2012-2014 and as a creative director, I had the privilege to experience cameras like the; Pinhole Camera, ARRI 16mm , ARRI 35mm, Canon & Nikon DSLR 5D/7D, RED One/ Epic/ Mysterium X/ Dragon, ARRI Alexa, ARRI Phantom Gold, Panasonic AVCHD , Sony X3, Sony FS700, Sony F57, Black Magic Design 2.5K and my favorite, the Canon 500D DSLR
Right after Graduating in 2013, I went into Development of the second season of The Shores (Clifton Shores) where I cowrote, co-directed and assistant produced 13 X 24 minute Reality TV Drama Episodes, directing more than 100 scenes with a cast and crew of approximately 10-30 People during the course of production. From Post-Production to Distribution I served as a post-production supervisor and project manager, delivering screening cuts to Executive producer, music licensing, setting up meetings with broadcasters and communicating with the post-production crew involved. I consider The Shores as my first long form project which took over 11 Months to complete. The Shores is South Africa’s first Reality TV Drama to be exclusively broadcasted via YouTube & Social Media & Digital Marketing. (www.theshores.tv)
The Mill Park Series is a Series of skateboarding films and photographic content to promote Urban Culture in South Africa.
During 2014, the Building Trust International and the Urban Design Branch of Cape Town won the Play Scapes International Design Competition and began construction of the Mill Park under the Gardens Bridge in Cape Town. I started a social marketing campaign promoting the launch of the skate park with a series of skateboarding films and photographic content to promote South African Pro-Skaters where I produced three films, which got into International Film Festivals namely; The PPC Imaginarium Awards 2014, The Wavescapes International Surf Film Festival 2014 and The 36th Durban International Film Festival and Durban Film Mart. This was the first project I attempted to develop & produce and distribute as an independent producer where I learnt a lot about the Business Canvas Model and the various Project Managing that goes into running a Content & Social marketing campaign.
I was self-employed during 2015, where I had various short term internships, independent projects and film industry related conferences where I learnt a lot about the South African Film Industry the field of Producing & Delegation. In January, I produced a short documentary for Discovery Digital Network’s newly launched Seeker Network with project called How “We Move-Pantsula”. I interned at Velocity Films in Johannesburg as a creative researcher and did freelance photography work for The Jaguar Land Rover Experience in Pretoria, South Africa. Throughout 2015, I attended a few South African Film & Media conferences namely: The Durban Film Mart, The Durban International Film Festival, The Mercedes Benz Bokeh Film Festival both in Johannesburg & Cape Town, The ATFT Cannes South Africa Factory and The NFVF Audience Research launch in Hill Brow and for a few months I served on the WGSA Council (Writers Guild of South Africa). In September 2015, I attended the Los Angeles Story Expo where I had the opportunity to present my screenplays to Studios and Film Executives in The USA while attending master classes from the UCLA Extension Writers Program (University of California, Los Angeles). In December 2015, I was selected to serve as a Judge on the 2016 South African Film & TV Awards (SAFTAS2016) judging the Best TV Drama and Best TV Soap & Best achievement in Screenwriting as part of the Writers Panel of Judges.
Writer: I have the ability to write short & feature length screenplays. I can also co-write and edit scripts. My strengths as a writer is structure, plotting and dialogue & commercial comedy.
Director: I can direct short films, branded content, adverts &
commercials, features, documentaries & music videos. I have yet to direct my first feature film.
Producer: I can produce short films, short documentaries, viral
videos and low budget film projects, having produced several short films from Pre-Production to Post Production.
Photographer: A good director has a good eye, and I’ve invested a lot of my energy into knowing my lenses & understanding the context behind photography.
Researcher: I have knowledge on creative research, creative
directors treatments and doing research for creative & production.
Film Production: On Set Production Assistant, Camera Assistant,
VT Assistant, Office Production Assistant, Unit Crew, Assistant Director Crew, Production Stills Photographer & Videographer.
Filmmaking Software & Computer Literacy : -
Screenwriting Software (Celtx, Final Draft, Fade IN) Adobe CC (Photoshop, Light room, In Design, Premiere Pro) Keynote ( Treatments & Presentations) Microsoft Office & One Note Basic Word press & Website Coding Power Point Presentations
24th Aguilar De Campoo International Film Festival, Palencia Spain – 2012
34th Durban International Film Festival – Official Short Film Selection 2012
2014 Viewster Online Film Festival – Official Short Film Selection
2014 Shnit International Film Festival Official Short Film Selection
2014 PPC Imaginarium Film Competition Official Runner’s Up
2014 Wavescapes International Surf Film Festival – Official Selection
2015 Turbine Art Fair – Official Screening
2015 Durban International Film Festival – Official Short Film Selection
2015 100% Design Johannesburg – Official Screening
2015 Shnit International Film Festival - Official Short Film Selection
2015 Design Indaba – PPC Imaginarium Screening
Escape, a skating film I produced was screened on North bay TV’s Vimeo Platform
Film Production Experience: I’ve worked on a lot of productions, small and big; as a PA,AD,2nd & 3rd AD, VT Assistant, Stills Photographer, Office-PA etc. I understand the dynamics of being on a film set and I always consider the director and his team. The last movie I worked on was The Giver from The Weinstein Company. Creative Researcher: I interned at Velocity Films in Johannesburg for two months as a creative researcher, helping the director with creative insights in Advertising & TV Commercials. Documentary Filmmaker: I produced a 6 minute documentary for Discovery Digital Network entitled; How we move - Pantsula, as part of their newly launched Seeker Network.
Skateboarding Film Producer: I launched a series of skateboarding films called The Mill Park Series, to promote urban culture in South Africa, and I am still working on the development phase of this project. Co-writer/Director/Assistant Producer, Q-UP Entertainment: I worked on a Reality TV Drama called The Shores (www.theshores.tv) as Co-Director, Assistant Producer and Cowriter. We shot from February to April 2014 where I directed about 100 scenes and worked from Preproduction to Distribution. South African Film Industry Producer Participation In 2016, I supported the NFVF with the South African Film & TV Awards as an official judge, judging Screenwriters for the Best TV Soap and TV Drama, I am also an Elected Member on the KwazuluNatal Film, Commission Panel Of Evaluators Committee. Higher Education Lecturer: Boston Media House Durban, Film & TV Lecturer Year 1-3, (2016-2017)
In 2016, I registerd a business called Cignalhill (Pty) Ltd (www.cignalhill.com), a digital media agency based in Ballito, Kwazulu-Natal. In 2016, our clients included Thirst Project Organization: Produced & Directed for SAV Studios in Los Angeles as part of the Thirst Project, Swaziland Documentary. Mercedez Benz Bokeh Festival: Produced a 2 minute fashion film for the Mercedez Benz Bokeh Festival 2017 International News Media Association: Stills Photography for The Global Media Summit in Cape Town 2016.
To whom it may concern. I really appreciate you taking the time and effort to read my CV. I am always open to communicate via email, skype or a direct telephone call to discuss Movie ideas, Freelance Work, Film Development and Upcoming Media Projects.
Please have a look at my company website & it's various digital profiles for more of my portfolio work.
Company Website: www.cignalhill.com
Dankie. Thank You. Merci.