Meet Imanuel Smith

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Imanuel Smith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Imanuel below.

Imanuel , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I was born with it. Even at a young age I realized I was in control of my own universe and that there was nothing I couldn’t find a way to get close to if I wanted to. I remember in first grade at 5 years old, the entire school was about to take a country wide standardized test called the California Achievement Test. A few days before the test the teacher, Mr. DiFrancisco was attempting to talk about the test and I was noticeably not paying attention. He called me out and said that if I didn’t pay attention that I was going to fail the test. I boldly told him I was scared of a test and in fact I was going to do better on the test than anyone in the class. He told me basically that I was delusional and bet me that I couldn’t do it. Weeks after taking the test, Mr. D, called me to the front of the class. His announcement was brief. He said that not only did I get the best score in the school but I was in the 99th percentile in the entire country. He gave me a hand painted Norman Rockwell cup inlaid with gold. I still have it like 40 years later. From that day on, I decided to listen to my heart and no matter what people told me if I thought it was possible, I went for it. My confidence, determination, and resolve has been a testament to my longevity in my career and an example to my children.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

For the last 25 years I have been in film and television. That means so many things to so many people. It is the one of the last collaborative art forms left in our world. It is the celebration of people coming together to build something from nothing. That is the spirit that has carried me from Production Assistant to Camera Assistant to Producer and Director of Photography. I have reached a point in my career where I am now finding ways to tell my own stories and to build productions that inspire and enrich all who acquiesce to the artistic morals that I’ve come to incorporate on my path. I’m hoping that 2025 is a year in which my company, The Brothers Smith Productions, will have the resources it needs to pursue that path.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The most important skill for any career is Study. If I was not diligent in pursuing the fundamental aspects of film making, I would not be as successful as I have been. Patience is the close second. Learning to listen and wait should be the easiest thing to do but it is often the hardest for most people. Human beings of late want everything right away. The truth is there is no success in instant gratification. It was only when I stopped caring how long things would take that I saw my aspirations come to pass. The third is a cousin of the second, Graciousness. With patience you can then learn to temper your expectations and work with people you wouldn’t normally. My father always told me that it takes all kinds to create a world. The kindness and temperament that is needed to build bridges with alternative perspectives from your own is the catalyst to manufacture the world you wish to live and work in. My advice to my own children and to anyone who would care to ask is this, “Life doesn’t get better. Things usually get worse. It is you who must get better in order to deal with the endless trials of life.”

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

For me, ‘Tales of Power’ by Carlos Casteneda was the book that taught me to manage the unnecessary details of my life. There is a power in focusing on what is truly important to your goals and learning to let go of the things that keep you from ascending to a hight plane of existence.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3902507/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_imanuel%2520sm
• Instagram: @bearentertainment_15x