The Work That Made Me: Will Innes Smith
Will Innes Smith is a passionate lifestyle director and film-maker. His style focuses on the aesthetic and the emotive, combining a stylish visual approach with a love for contemporary culture and a keen eye for detail. His work aligns captivating images with bold ideas - creating films that resonate with a modern audience. Will’s work straddles a range of media including live-action, CGI and animation, across a number of lifestyle subjects in youth culture, sport, food and fashion. As a creative Will has written and conceived a number of viral successes; including the well-renowned ‘4 The Players Since 1995’ launch film for Sony PlayStation. Will’s work has been recognised by D & AD, The Royal Television Society, Kinsale Sharks, Promax and BDA.
The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…
Will> Dunlop – Tested for The Unexpected by Tony Kaye
This spot! I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. I was a teenager when I first saw it, and I felt like I had stumbled upon some sort of forbidden fruit.
It's more like a psychedelic fever dream that gets under your skin and into your bones. And the fact that the director was able to bring his vision to life in this way, is incredible. Can you imagine anything like this being commissioned these days? Maybe everyone was just too afraid to say no to him.
It's these crazy, unpredictable, unforgettable pieces of art that stay with you.
Anyway, if I had the chance to see the original film projected in all its decadent glory, I would absolutely jump at it. It's a piece of cinematic history that deserves to be experienced in all its weird, wonderful, and yes, sometimes comical, glory.
The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…
Will> Football was my everything when I was a kid, and that included gaming. I was particularly obsessed with anything that crossed over between the two, like painting my Subbuteo figures in my team's colours or playing Sensible Soccer on the Atrai in the dead of night. One of my favourite things to do, though, was filming my very own fictional FA Cup games in the garden with my brother. We'd create our own commentary.
Although I don't play football as much as I used to, it's still a huge part of my life. I have a deep appreciation for the sport and its ability to bring people together. Sport features throughout my catalogue of work and continues to inspire and influence my films.
The creative work that I keep revisiting…
Will> I am a massive Terrence Malick fan. From the moment I watched Badlands, I was hooked. There's something about the way he captures the essence of human experience that just draws me in. I remember watching Days of Heaven and feeling like I was transported to another time and place. It's like his films have this transcendent quality that just pulls you in and won't let go.
When I watch a Terrence Malick film, I feel like I'm experiencing something truly unique and special. And let's face it, in a world where so much of what we see on the big screen is just recycled garbage, that's a pretty big deal.
My first professional project…
Will> It was a job for Sky Sports, and my task was to design set panels for the match between Barnsley and Newcastle United.
I was working on a brand spanking new piece of kit that was supposed to be the future of computing – the iMac G4. Of course, this was back in the day when we thought clear plastic was the height of design sophistication.
The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…
Will> As someone who's been in the game for a while, I've learned that there's always a lesson to be learned from any piece of work – even if it's just what NOT to do. I don’t tend to get angry very often when it comes to things to do with how we make a living. There’s little benefit to it and there are far more important things in life… then again Boris’ Brexit slogan on the side of that bus probably falls into the category of a blood boiling campaign. "We send the EU £350 million a week – let's fund our NHS instead." Yeah, because that's how budgets work, Boris.
The piece of work that still makes me jealous…
Will> Some of the early PlayStation campaigns still make me jealous. I am still awestruck by the sheer brilliance of the Double Life campaign and its stark visual style. It's the kind of thing that makes you want to throw your hands up and say, "Why didn't I think of that?!"
In this way they’re indicative of a lot of the brilliant work that was being made around this time – think Chris Cunningham, Michel Gondry or Spike Jones – where concept was king. In many ways I think this envy drove me and – in turn - transformed into determination to make something on par.
The creative project that changed my career…
Will> I had the chance to write and direct a film for the launch of the PlayStation 4. The film was called 'For The Players Since '95', and it was a real passion project.
We had complete creative control! No one was breathing down our necks, and we had the freedom to make the film we wanted. That allowed us to create something truly special, and the results speak for themselves. Within three weeks, we had 20 million views! Its success is testament to what can be achieved when a good idea is given space and you’re trusted to execute it with little compromise. It was a project that allowed me to make others of similar nature and established a large part of my visual style – high craft and heavy detail. I’d love to make a similar idea again though, only bigger and better.
The work that I’m proudest of…
Will> Most probably a recent car ad for Fiat featuring Jacob Collier. Not simply because of the finished result but because of what we were able to deliver with so little money, time or any real creative. It’s a real example of how hard work and the right team can elevate a production beyond what was envisaged or hoped at the outset. It’s also the first job where I felt strong enough to say ‘no’ and move past the pangs of imposter syndrome. The sun also came out on a shoot day in the UK after a two year sabbatical (long story)… makes a difference.
The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…
Will> Working on 'The Catch' for Booking.com was an absolute thrill! The scale and scope of the project were immense, and we had our work cut out for us. But that's what made it all the more exciting - the challenge. Booking.com and the team at Adam and Eve were amazingly supportive and backed all my crazy ideas.
As a director, that level of creative collaboration and encouragement is a dream come true. It was an unforgettable experience, and one that I'll always treasure.
