Director Kimani Ray Smith talks about his new film ‘The Painter’

Charlie Weber and Madison Bailey in ‘The Painter.’ Photo Courtesy of Paramount Movies.

Director Kimani Ray Smith chatted about his new film “The Painter,” which stars Charlie Weber, Madison Bailey, and Jon Voight.

‘The Painter’

“I was actually a hired gun,” he said about this thriller. “This movie was actually the brainchild of our executive producer Steven Paul. He came up with this idea a few years ago when I was working as a stunt coordinator for one of his projects. He asked me to come and direct one of his films because they liked the way I work. We spent a year developing it and then, we went into production of it.”

Smith praised the cast of actors, which includes Charlie Weber, Madison Bailey, and Oscar winner Jon Voight. “It was amazing. It was a great cast,” he said. “Steven Paul cast all of these great actors.”

Lessons learned from ‘The Painter’

“All of the films I do teach me life lessons,” he admitted. “This one, in particular, taught me how to ground myself. The size, the scope of the film, and the amount of work that needed to be done in such a short schedule.”

“It taught me to be disciplined enough to fight for something and then, be able to let something go. You always want to put your best foot forward because the best idea wins. We filmed five to six scenes a day,” he said.

“I hope this movie teaches people that there is a bigger world there,” he acknowledged. “Hopefully, we will be able to make more of them. ‘The Painter’ is the first little introduction to it. It is definitely a world-building idea.”

The digital age

On being a filmmaker in the digital age, he said, “It’s funny because I feel like I was a little ahead of my time. I was always making content when I was younger, but I had nowhere to put it. We used to have screenings. We had a 16-foot screen and a digital project, and we would go out and shoot a bunch of content and make a night of it. This was before YouTube. We would come back to our studio, and we would show people shorts and funny videos. We would have an atmosphere about it.”

“Now there are so many platforms out there, it’s a blessing,” he acknowledged. “I wish it was that way back then. I would be way ahead of the game,” he said with a sweet laugh.

“On the other hand, it is also hard to find the content these days because there is so much of it out there,” he said. “It is so saturated these days. It’s not even our country, it’s all over the world. I have been watching Korean cinema and things that you would never find without the streaming services,” he added.

Advice for young and aspiring filmmakers

For young and aspiring filmmakers, he said, “We are in an age where you can do it yourself. If you are frustrated by going the normal route or the Hollywood route, everyone has a phone these days. Anyone can get a YouTube channel, and you can become your own content creator or your own artist and studio. Get a collective or community together and start making content.”

“Also, keep at it, and be persistent,” he underscored. “Be realistic. What is great about this business is if you can keep working and if you have a steady gig. It’s not about being the biggest star. If it doesn’t go that way, it will be a hard fall. Just feel blessed to keep working, and to keep going for your dreams.”

AI on the future of the industry

He shared his thoughts on AI on the future of the entertainment business. “AI is a major tool, but I think there will be a lot of carnage in the way of employment, where humans might get fired and not have any jobs because AI will do a lot of the work.”

“It’s a double-edged sword where it is going to help us but it’s also going to kill us, especially in this industry, and a lot of different industries,” he said.

Success

“Success means to be able to keep working,” he said about success. “Showing your worth, having value in what you do, being proud of your artistry. Keep going, keep working, and being happy. Feeling blessed that you are there. That’s my happiness.”

To learn more about director and filmmaker Kimani Ray Smith, follow him on Instagram.