S M I L E Y _ S T E V E N S

Creative Director of the RYOT Innovation Event series. In Fall 2018, we were asked to put together a concept around the intersection of technology, innovation and entertainment in Los Angeles. Together, RYOT and Verizon Media Group hosted, produced and created a series of events, pop-ups and sponsorships that explored this intersection.

Coinciding with Verizon’s launch of the 5G Network, we highlighted the five industries that will be transformed by the revolutionary tech: film; music, sports, fashion and art.

We partnered with:

+ Doug Aitken

+ Karen O and Dangermouse at the Marciano Art Foundation

+ Marshmellow Laser Feast at the Saatchi Gallery in London

+ David Lynch’s Festival of Disruption & Sigur Ros’s Soundbath

Creative Direction, Graphic Design, and Platform Design for streaming channel DOCUMENTARY+ – www.docplus.com

CLIENT: VERIZON MEDIA

Creative Direction for campaign: AVOID REALITY.

Photography: Charlottle Rutherford

Director: Philippa Price.

Global Billboard Campaign for RYOT. The image was shot by Vienna-based photographer David Scherrmann.

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN:

The astronaut is the ultimate explorer – blazing a trail towards the future. Similarly, RYOT is a pioneer of their industry – forging new ways of storytelling, utilizing novel technologies and emerging formats to tell these stories.

We launched the campaign digitally, as well as in NYC and Los Angeles and across Verizon Media Group’s global offices. The campaign is now become synonymous with RYOT and Verizon’s 5G Studio of the future – currently located in Playa Vista.

Concept for Prevail Boxing in Los Angeles.

Branding for TESSA MAC – Relationship Coach.

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Creative Direction, Art Direction, Graphic Design and Web Design.

Creative Director & Set Design: Smiley Stevens.

Director : Angel Manuel Soto.

I was asked to create a five part ad series that played during the Sony Crackle’s show: Start-Up – the result was five educational short ads on explaining the history of hacking.

Creative Direction for with Willa Agency for the video launch of ClearStart by Dermalogica, aimed at GEN Z consumers.

The RYOT Films FIlm Club was launched at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

In 2017, I went down to a disappearing island off the coast of Louisiana to direct a short VR documentary for Hulu. The island is home to just 25 families and it’s coastline is rapidly falling into the sea as a result of climate change. The piece follows the Brunet family – Chris, Howard and Juliet – who have lived on the island their whole lives.

In March 2018, Louisiana State Officials announced that everyone living on Isle de Jean Charles will be evacuated and relocated to drier land, against their wishes. They are America’s first climate change refugees.

Facebook asked RYOT to create content for the launch of their 360 Platform – so I directed a piece on the Mars Desert Research Station – a full scale analog facility in Utah.

The MRDS is an experiment that promotes Earth-based research in pursuit of the technology, operations and science required for Human Space Exploration.