Bruce W. Smith
Encyclopedia
Bruce W. Smith is an American
character animator, film director
, and television producer
, best known as the creator of Disney
's The Proud Family
.
He studied animation in the Character Animation program at the California Institute of the Arts
.
One of the few Black animators working in the industry, Smith got his start as an assistant animator for Bill Meléndez
's 1984 Garfield
television special
Garfield in the Rough. He went on to animate for Baer Animation on Who Framed Roger Rabbit
, and in 1992 directed his first feature, Bébé's Kids
. Other notable work for Smith during the mid-1990s included supervising the animation for The Pagemaster
, serving as director and character designer for Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
, designing the characters for A Goofy Movie
and C Bear and Jamal
, and co-directing the animated segments of Space Jam
. He was also was the creator of Da Boom Crew
along with John P. White and Stiles White.
In 1998 he joined Walt Disney Feature Animation
, Smith served as a supervising animator on four of its films: Tarzan, The Emperor's New Groove
, Home on the Range
and The Princess and the Frog. In 2000 when he still worked for Hyperion Pictures
, he piloted his series The Proud Family
to Nickelodeon
, who passed on it. Disney Channel
eventually picked the series up the following year and ran it until 2005. The series was the first to be produced by his production company Jambalaya Studios.
Smith grew up in Central Los Angeles.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
character animator, film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, and television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
, best known as the creator of Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
's The Proud Family
The Proud Family
The Proud Family is an American animated television series that premiered on Disney Channel from September 15, 2001 to August 19, 2005.-Production:...
.
He studied animation in the Character Animation program at the California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
.
One of the few Black animators working in the industry, Smith got his start as an assistant animator for Bill Meléndez
Bill Melendez
José Cuauhtémoc "Bill" Meléndez was a Mexican-American character animator, film director, voice artist and producer, known for his cartoons for Warner Brothers, UPA and the Peanuts series...
's 1984 Garfield
Garfield
Garfield is a comic strip created by Jim Davis. Published since June 19, 1978, it chronicles the life of the title character, the cat Garfield ; his owner, Jon Arbuckle; and Arbuckle's dog, Odie...
television special
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
Garfield in the Rough. He went on to animate for Baer Animation on Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters...
, and in 1992 directed his first feature, Bébé's Kids
Bebe's Kids
Bébé's Kids is a 1992 animated comedy film produced by the Reginald Hudlin and Hyperion Pictures, directed by Bruce W...
. Other notable work for Smith during the mid-1990s included supervising the animation for The Pagemaster
The Pagemaster
The Pagemaster is a 1994 adventure fantasy film starring Macaulay Culkin, Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Welker, and Leonard Nimoy...
, serving as director and character designer for Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child is an American animated television series that premiered March 26, 1995, on HBO. Narrated by Robert Guillaume, the series aired 39 episodes from 1995 to 2000, and is currently airing on the HBO Family digital cable television channel in the United...
, designing the characters for A Goofy Movie
A Goofy Movie
A Goofy Movie is a 1995 American animated musical comedy film, produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, Walt Disney Animation France S.A. and Walt Disney Animation Australia , and released in theaters on April 7, 1995 by Walt Disney Pictures...
and C Bear and Jamal
C Bear and Jamal
C Bear and Jamal is an animated children's television show that premiered on the Fox Kids programming block in 1996. It features an African-American elementary-aged school kid named Jamal, whose constant companion was "C Bear", a hip hop teddy bear who sings. Film Roman co-produced the show.-...
, and co-directing the animated segments of Space Jam
Space Jam
Aside from Jordan, a number of NBA players and coaches appeared in the film. Larry Bird portrays a friend of Jordan who joins him for a game of golf. When the Monstars steal the NBA players' talent, they invade a game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, causing the Knicks' Patrick...
. He was also was the creator of Da Boom Crew
Da Boom Crew
Da Boom Crew was a childrens' television series, first shown on the American network, Kids' WB. It received the network’s worst ever 11:30 am first show audience for boys 6-11, females 9-14 and males 9-14. In the US, the show was canceled after four out of the 13 episodes made...
along with John P. White and Stiles White.
In 1998 he joined Walt Disney Feature Animation
Walt Disney Feature Animation
Walt Disney Animation Studios is an American animation studio headquartered in Burbank, California. The studio, founded in 1923 as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio by brothers Walt and Roy Disney, is the oldest subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, Smith served as a supervising animator on four of its films: Tarzan, The Emperor's New Groove
The Emperor's New Groove
The Emperor's New Groove is a 2000 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures through Buena Vista Distribution on December 15, 2000. It is the 40th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics...
, Home on the Range
Home on the Range
"Home on the Range" is the state song of Kansas, U.S.Home on the Range may also refer to:* Home on the Range , a drama directed by Arthur Jacobson* Home on the Range , a Disney animated feature film...
and The Princess and the Frog. In 2000 when he still worked for Hyperion Pictures
Hyperion Pictures
Hyperion Pictures is an American film production company founded by Thomas L. Wilhite, who had previously been the head of motion picture and television produced for and owned by Walt Disney Productions, and writer/director Willard Carroll...
, he piloted his series The Proud Family
The Proud Family
The Proud Family is an American animated television series that premiered on Disney Channel from September 15, 2001 to August 19, 2005.-Production:...
to Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
, who passed on it. Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
eventually picked the series up the following year and ran it until 2005. The series was the first to be produced by his production company Jambalaya Studios.
Smith grew up in Central Los Angeles.