Meet Nathan Smith II | Screenwriter & Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nathan Smith II and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nathan, why did you pursue a creative career?
My life revolves around experiencing joy. That realization made me really think about what kind of career would actually give me a fulfilling life. I came to the conclusion that a creative one was the only one for me because it allowed me to express myself in various ways and create these in-depth connections through the work I create and the work I connect with from others. These experiences provide me immense amounts of joy because they allow me to connect with people on a real level. Not only that, but even as a child, creative mediums have always spoken to me. I’ve always had some sort of obsession with some form of creative media, from music to anime to games to films. There’s always been something that I’ve watched or heard and emotionally resonated with, and it’s always pushed me to want to do my own thing (shoutout Across the Spider-Verse), to create my own stories. As of late, I’ll say One Piece (anime), Midwxst (musician), Resident Evil (game franchise), and Sinners (film) have been my hyperfixations that inspire me to be more or stand firm in who I am and explore my own creativity.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
At my core, I’m a screenwriter. I love building stories from nothing, crafting characters, and shaping worlds. When I was a kid, I had a lot of toys, and I would make these huge, intricate storylines with my toys alone. I sometimes think about that now and just laugh at it because it’s funny to remember. As I grew up, even with some of my friends (Caleb, David, & Ian), we would just make up absurd stories at times, and it’d be so fun to do. It took me a while to exactly capture what I wanted to do, though. I thought about writing novels vs. screenwriting, but filmmaking is something that I got deeply into and fell in love with, so I ultimately chose screenwriting. I love filmmaking at every level, though not just screenwriting. Every film I’ve worked on, I’ve taken on multiple roles like producer, 1st AD, key grip, gaffer, script supervisor, boom operator, sound mixer, sound designer, and editor. I’m proud to say I can jump into any of those jobs. I’m excited to do even more with hopes of directing a screenplay I’m currently writing called Paths to War. It wasn’t easy doing all of this. At times I messed up and limited myself by not asking questions or missing learning opportunities. I can say that I made it work by persevering and learning on my own at times or from other people outside of a classroom. Experiencing all of this, though, what I’ve learned is that filmmaking brings me great joy. There have been moments when I felt like I was suffering, moments when things didn’t work and it felt like the world was ending, but those moments always came to an end, and I look back and think I was having the time of my life. I want the world to know that joy that I was looking to experience in a career I found it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’d say a trip to the plaza and Tara Theater’s I love those places, they’re always playing great films. Ponce City Market and Little Five Points would also be pretty cool. The GA Aquarium and Botanical Gardens as well, always a cool, peaceful experience. I’d also say Fellini’s Pizza and La Vaquerita(Carrollton). Heavy on La Vaquerita, I love their birria tacos.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There’s a lot, first off God, because I wouldn’t be anywhere without my Lord and Savior. My family: Shonda and Nathaniel Smith (parents) and Malcom and Josh Smith (brothers). My lifelong friends, who I consider to be my brothers, Caleb Wood, Malachi Mahaffey, Ian Allison, and David Freeman. All the friends I made during my time in the UWG Film program, but specifically shouting out Christian Campbell and Derek Bolden, who helped me get started and get over my anxiety issues when we made The Big Split for a UWG film race in 2023. The UWG film program, specifically my professors, Deon Kay, Patrick Clinton, and Christopher Renaud. I also want to express my love for the genre of Horror. It’s definitely what drives my passion for film. Halloween, The Evil Dead II, Rosemary’s Baby, Coraline, and most recently Sinners have got to be my current favorite 5 horror films.

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Image Credits
Derek Bolden