CHARLES ALLAN SMITH

Charles Allan Smith, or Charlie as he is better known as, is an award-winning filmmaker with more than fifteen years of experience as a producer, director, photographer and on-air talent. He has participated in almost every aspect of the media including print, television and film, working equally well behind the scenes and in front of the camera. Charlie has created, produced, directed, hosted and acted in many television shows and films that have aired throughout the world. He has also produced written and/or directed music videos and television commercials for the U.S. and international markets.

Smith has worked on productions for noted artists like Sidney Poitier, Puff Daddy, Ricky Martin, Joss Stone and Gloria Estefan. He has also produced programs for clients: Sony, CBS, Atlantic Records, EMI Records, Universal Japan, VH1, Molson Beer, The Discovery Channel, The Sundance Channel, Bad Boy Entertainment, HD Net, Videofashion, E! Entertainment Television, FHM Magazine, RDF Media, Virgin Records, The Sugar Hill Gang, The Bahamen, S-Curve Records, Malik Yoba, Keo Films and his own television show, Electric Air.

Aside from motion pictures, Smith is also an accomplished fine art photographer who has photographed significant portraits of presidents, celebrities, musicians and models for album covers, books and magazines. Many of these photographs have been shown in museums and are in national and international collections of photography throughout the world. Smith has produced a series of photographs of Lenny Kravitz; Joss Stone; the Bahamen (the group with the recent hit Who Let The Dogs Out); Presidents Clinton and Bush; Johnny Rotten (formerly of the Sex Pistols); Philip Michael Thomas (of Miami Vice); Rita Marley; Speech (from the group Arrested Development) and Notch (from the group Born Jamericans). Smith has also photographed album covers for Joss Stone, The Bahamen, Susan Cagle and Nathan Stone.

Recently Smith has produced an award winning documentary and a suite of photographs of the American painter, Jonathan Green. These remarkable images and documentary have been featured in a series of selected museum exhibitions worldwide, and will now be on view at Gallery Chuma in Charleston, SC.

Jonathan Green at Work

A Documentary by Filmmaker/Photographer Charles Allan Smith

Jonathan Green at Work is an award-winning documentary film by renowned Filmmaker and Photographer, Charles Allan Smith, of a day in the life and work of the celebrated and charismatic American painter, Jonathan Green. The film allows a rare glimpse into the unique way of life of this outstanding artist; a lifestyle that integrates his work, environment, Gullah heritage and culture, bringing together Greens acute sense of space, privacy and dignity with his creative genius.

The film begins with the start of Greens day, painting in the early hours of the morning while discussing his life, dreams and way of being. Following a natural rhythm of life that Green has created in his home studio, the audience is led through Greens world as the day unfolds. The documentary also includes a brief visit to Greens birthplace and the source of his inspiration, Gardens Corner, South Carolina.

Greens studio and home, nestled in 25 acres of beautifully gardened woodland in Naples, Florida, is a serene sanctuary for the artist, a place few people get to visit. But thanks to Smiths careful Zen-like production, with Green himself serving as host, it feels as though the audience is a welcome and privileged guest.

Jonathan Green at Work also incorporates a photography exhibit of Smiths candid images of Green. These rich, passionate photographs are filled with the textures, simplicity and grace for which Greens work and personality is recognized throughout the world.

JONATHAN GREEN’S SEEKING

A Documentary by Award Winning Filmmaker, Charles Allan Smith

A moving film by award winning filmmaker, Charles Allan Smith, that documents celebrated artist Jonathan Green as he brings to life on canvas the Gullah ritual of “seeking”. Drawing on his own experiences as a young man, he journeys back through his memories to paint Seeking, and in so doing also honors the African American slaves who lived and were buried on the grounds of the Mepkin Abbey in South Carolina. Filled with the spiritual sounds of famed singer Marlena Smalls, this film about the creation and presentation to Mepkin Abbey of Seeking also celebrates and acknowledges the contributions and sacrifices African Americans made to the settlement and development of the Lowcountry.

For further information contact Earthbeat Productions:
info@earthbeatproductions.com
www.earthbeatproductions.com
www.charlesallansmith.com

Smith’s videos and framed still photographs are available for purchase at Gallery Chuma and at the Gibbes Museum store.

 

CHARLES ALLAN SMITH | JONATHAN GREEN SEEKING WEBSITE