Nathan Smith

Background

About Nathan Smith

If you asked me 10 years ago, I would have guessed I’d still be on a purely visual art track. But a funny thing happens when you actually step into your career: you encounter people and opportunities that help you see your own potential. I started out pursuing my passion for animation and 3D work through game development and expanding that further as the Multimedia Director at Softway. Through Softway's evolution over the years my role continued to adapt, and now as an Associate Creative Director I've gained proficiency in creative direction, communication strategy, and marketing, while furthering my leadership development beyond the creative team. Throughout my journey, I’ve learned that a career is about more than a specific kind of output. While I’m still a visual artist and storyteller at heart, I’ve found that my real passion is helping teams succeed. Working with clients As someone who interacts with clients and internal stakeholders as part of their daily job it is critical to have empathy. The client's business, goals, market conditions, and even what is happening in their life, all affect the partnership and ultimately the project. Growing a studio Developing an in-house animation studio from scratch inside a technology company was a challenge, and doing it across 2 continents took a dedicated effort. When I joined Softway we had a small team of 3D artist in our Bangaluru office working on architectural and engineering renders. Over the course of 2 years the team grew into a full-service animation studio that included 2D and 3D animators, modelers, and illustrators in Houston - with a fully integrated 3D pipeline across both offices with a local render farm. During this time and after we produced several hundred minutes of animation, mobile games, educational material, and CBTs for major clients in the greater Houston area.