FAST-RISING Jamaican film-maker, Los Angeles-based Ruel Smith has joined the team of artists at Stept Studios and their post division, Lockt Editorial as head of animation and visual effects, Post Magazine reported.

The announcement from the studios said Smith, who has been a long-time collaborator, “brings a combined passion for storytelling and more than 16 years of experience in VFX [visual effects] and animation to his new role”.

“As an animator, Smith has extensive expertise with creative works that involve epic CGI [computer-generated imagery] worlds. He has worked on projects for top directors such as Ryan Coogler, Jon Favreau, David Fincher and Clint Eastwood.

“His film credits include Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Flags of Our Fathers, Riddick and The Jungle Book, while his game credits include Disney’s Tron Legacy, Medal Of Honor, Resident Evil 5, Mortal Kombat X and Gears Of War 4.

“As a director, Smith has completed several short films, with a number of others currently in development,” the company said.

Smith was instrumental in bringing Stept’s recent campaign for Riot Games’ League of Legends World Championships to life as co-director and VFX supervisor.

“The ambitious film promoted the 2020 e-sports competition, with more than 95 per cent of the project completed in CG and done with everyone physically distancing and working from home. His latest work is a powerful animation campaign for Best Buy featuring the stories of six teens from marginalised communities who have big dreams for their futures.”

“I’m ready to jump in with the great team at Stept in this new capacity,” Post quoted Smith as saying.

“Over this past year I’ve had a great time creating exceptional story worlds with them. The sky’s the limit when everyone is so dedicated and talented. It’s my honour to lead the VFX and animation department and continue making impactful work.”

— Compiled by Desmond Allen and Kevin Wainwright