About

Jeff Smith

With a background in television production, graphic design, and copywriting, Jeff's focus is creative communications. From concept development to directing, Jeff's talents are as broad as he is well-traveled, with experience in 15 countries and cities, ranging from Florence to Dubai.

Jeff Smith studied Marketing Communications and Creative Writing at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, and graduated a semester early in December 2009. As an undergraduate he spent a summer with Harvard University in Abruzzo, Italy, and semesters at New York University in Florence and the American University in Dubai, where he also worked at the Dubai International Film Festival.

After graduating, Jeff went to the Università per Stranieri in Perugia, Italy to study Italian. He then moved to Hollywood, where he worked as a freelance graphic designer, completing work for Billboard Magazine and The Hollywood Reporter, and as a photographer’s assistant, working on the 2010 iPad campaigns. He’s studied French in Paris, worked Milan Fashion Week as a freelance photographer, and has done freelance videography for MTV/Logo Digital.

Jeff’s works range from short stories to short films, and maintain a minimalist aesthetic. His most recent project is a television pilot High Class, No Cash, a hipster chic travel guide for 20-somethings, which has filmed in New York City and Paris. He is also an avid travel photographer, with a portfolio including over fifteen countries. His creative inspirations include Ennio Flaiano, Paul Bowles, Fleur Jaeggy, Edward Hopper, and Hedi Slimane.

Jeff lives and works in New York City.

Work Experience

Download CV

Graphic Design Portfolio

production

Freelance Videographer, Modelinia.com NYC, NY November 2011 - present
Shoot and edit backstage content focused on models.
Covered the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

Digital Consultant, StyleCoalition.com NYC, NY October 2011 - present
Create presentations, case studies, and provide other digital and video production services.

Videographer, MTV Networks / Logo Digital NYC, NY October 2011 - present
Direct and edit webisodes for NewNowNext.com, MTV Network/Logo Digital’s hub for latest in music, TV & movies, fashion, design, travel, beauty and health.

Writer/Producer/Host, High Class, No Cash www.highclassnocash.com August 2010 - present
A hipster chic travel guide for 20-somethings looking to travel well, without breaking the bank.

Writer/Producer/Director, The Yard www.giafrese.com/theyard May - September 2009
A webisode series pilot for a fictitious docu-soap spoof of MTV’s “The Hills.”
Follows the lives of six Harvard undergraduates through the dramas of life in the Ivy League.
One of Harvard Undergraduate Television’s most well-received efforts.

Writer/Producer/Director, The Amalfi Coast, From Rome to Sicily 2006 - 2007
Didactic, hour-long visual narratives created for passive learning in high school Italian classes, focused on the unique geographies of Italy.
http://vimeo.com/377456

Associate Producer, The Adventures of CMYK November 2006
Assisted with scheduling, maintained crew morale on set, and managed food donations.

Writer/Director, The Future of the Italian AP Exam, Harvard College November 2006
90-minute documentary on the creation of the CollegeBoard Italian AP Exam
Highlights the exchange of teaching methodology amongst teachers and presentations by internationally lauded academics.
http://vimeo.com/15193104

Writer/Producer/Director, La Donna Neri 2004-2006
A comedic story of love between two sixty-somethings, utilizing the farce and inherent joy of misunderstanding in learning a new language.
Italian language narrative created for use in high school Italian classrooms, emphasizing colloquialisms, vocabulary, and culture.

work

Concierge, 81 Beacon Street Boston, MA August 2010 - August 2011
Assist residents with requests while maintaining security and atmosphere of a luxury residence.

Freelance Design, Studio Scaramuzza, www.studioscaramuzza.com Los Angeles, CA April - July 2010
Designed full-page ads featured in Billboard Magazine and Hollywood Reporter
Modernized web site in accordance with preexisting brand identity.

Photographer’s Assistant, Pierre Auroux Los Angeles, CA April 2010
Assisted on photo shoot for the Summer/Fall 2010 iPad print and billboard campaigns.

Office Assistant, Graduate Studies, Emerson College Boston, MA June 2008 - December 2009
Coordinated Student Orientation for 300 students.
Orchestrated Facebook and blog for department, and created a guide to student life in Boston.
Updated the Student Handbook and Course Catalog following strict style guides.

Guest Concierge, Dubai 5th International Film Festival Dubai, U.A.E. December 2008
Quickly and effectively resolved festival related issues while aiding with guest requests.

Peer Advisor, New York University in Florence Florence, Italy January – May 2008
Coordinated social and cultural events to foster student involvement in the community.

Web Management, Ufficio Scolastico di Boston, Italian Consulate Boston, MA 2006 – 2007
Revitalized web site to streamline content and make site more user accessible.

Celebrity

Tim Blanks, Kanye West, Margherita Missoni, Stefano Tonchi, Vladimir Roisten Roitfeld, Giovanna Battaglia, Franca Sozzani, Anna Dello Russo, Lazaro Hernandez, Scott Schuman (The Sartorialist), Missoni Family Party

Graphic Design

Billboard Magazine, Hollywood Reporter

Video

LOGO, NewNowNext.com, Modelinia.com, StyleCoalition.tv

Travel

England, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, France, Morocco, Tunisia, Italy (Sicily and Sardinia), Malta, Slovenia, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Montreal, USA (California, Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts, New York)

Runway

Rebecca Taylor, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Frankie Morello, Philipp Plein, Silvio Betterelli

Backstage

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Marchesa, Proenza Schouler, Rag & Bone, Herve Leger, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Porter Grey, Joy Cioci, Silvio Betterelli

Assisting

iPad Print/Billboard, L'Officiel Ukraine

education

Emerson College 2006 - 2009
B.Sc. Marketing Communications
and Creative Writing
Minor in Visual Studies: Semiotics

Langue Onze
Paris, France February 2011

Università per Stranieri di Perugia
Perugia, Italy Spring 2010

American University in Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates Fall 2008

New York University in Florence
Florence, Italy Spring 2008

Harvard Summer School
Vasto, Italy Summer 2007

Scuola Palazzo Malvisi
Ravenna, Italy July 2005

skills

Photoshop, InDesign, Microsoft Office, HTML/CSS, Mac/PC, Final Cut Pro, Videography, Photography

Native English, Advanced Italian, Conversational French

Lived in New York City, Boston, Dubai, Florence, Los Angeles, Paris. Extensive travel experience in Europe. Country of specialty: Italy.

awards

William Jefferson Clinton Scholar (American University in Dubai)
Amelia V. Galucci-Cirio Scholarship for Italian Studies

Latest Tweets

Video

The Budget Babe, Starbucks Frappuccino

Gala Darling, Starbucks Frappuccino

College Fashion, Starbucks Frappuccino

Fashion Reel, Spring 2012

3rd Annual Fashion 2.0 Awards, StyleCoalition.tv

Rebecca Taylor Trends, StyleCoalition.tv

Herve Leger Backstage, StyleCoalition.tv

Porter Grey Presentation

BCBGMAXAZRIA Backstage

Joy Cioci Backstage, StyleCoalition.tv

Fashion Week 101, StyleCoalition.tv

Marchesa Backstage

Rag & Bone Backstage

Proenza Schouler Backstage

Erin Wasson Interview for NewNowNext.com and Modelinia.com

Jacquelyn Jablonski, for Modelinia.com

Ruby Aldridge, for Modelinia.com

Coco Rocha, for StyleCoalition.tv

Joan Smalls, for Modelinia.com

Hanne Gaby Oliele, for Modelinia.com

Duckie Brown Casting

Duckie Brown Interview 1, NewNowNext.com

Duckie Brown Interview 2, NewNowNext.com

Duckie Brown Popmate

Duckie Brown Interview 3, NewNowNext.com

Duckie Brown Interview 4, NewNowNext.com

Porter Grey, for NewNowNext.com

Carlos Campos, for NewNowNext.com

Brooklyn Flea, for NewNowNext.com

Jacquelyn Jablonski, for Modelinia.com

Karlie Kloss, for Modelinia.com

Caroline Winberg, for Modelinia.com

Toni Garnn, for Modelinia.com

Anja Rubik, for Modelinia.com

Liu Wen, for Modelinia.com

High Class, No Cash is a hipster chic travel guide for 20-somethings looking to travel well, without breaking the bank. Filmed in NYC and Paris.

Le Fumoir, Paris

Murray's Bagels, NYC

Musee de le Chasse, Paris

Le Progres, Paris

Bistrot de Peintre, Paris

Laduree, Paris

Merce and the Muse, Paris

Musee de l'Orangerie, Paris

Chelsea Market, NYC

Shakespeare & Co., Paris

Il Quartino, NYC

The High Line, NYC

Smith & Mills, NYC

Gem Hotel, NYC

:30 San Pellegrino Ad Concept

The Amalfi Coast, a travel narrative

AP Italian Exam Creation, at Harvard University

The Yard, a docusoap spoof of MTV's "The Hills," set at Harvard.
Getting in isn't the hard part -- your social life is.

"Sullied," The Yard

"A Breakfast Date," The Yard

"Girl Talk," The Yard

"Plans at the Fox," The Yard

"Bro Talk," The Yard

"Bro's Apology," The Yard

"Confrontation," The Yard

"We Don't Really Talk," The Yard

"The Fox," The Yard

Books

Boston in B&W

Boston in B&W by Jeff Smith

Growing up in central Massachusetts, Boston has been my hometown city. I finished my undergraduate degree at Emerson, located downtown on the corner of Boylston and Tremont, and I've lived and worked in the Beacon Hill, North End, and South End neighborhoods.

This collection of photos centers around the locations that make Boston, well, Boston, for me. The brickwork and brownstones; the Esplanade and its sailboats; the quaintness of the Commons; the quiet charm of the South End.

These are the things I love about Boston.

Paris: Solitude in the City of Light

Paris by Jeff Smith

I lived in Paris for the month of February 2011, spending mornings learning French at a small non-profit in the 11th Arrondissement, and afternoons exploring and taking pictures. My time was largely spent alone, rendezvous with friends interspersed between my schedule of class and photos.

When organizing the photos for this collection, I gravitated towards images of solitude -- the quiet moments of the individual in the city. I was also drawn to textures -- the old, the new, the crumbling, the ornate -- and the ways in which light interacted with these surfaces, the effect giving the city a human imperfection.

This book is dedicated to my Mom. Forever supportive, she's been an inspiration, and always believed in my wild adventures and ideas. It was also the quiet details of Paris -- tiny bakeries, gardens at sunset, musuems, antique stores -- that reminded me most of her.

Boston Snow

Boston Snow by Jeff Smith

Winter in Boston is always an experience; beautiful at first, the initial flurries of snow are generally a welcome start to the holiday season. But Boston weather isn't the nicest, and the winter of 2010/2011 was particularly heavy.

On January 12th, 2011, we had a magnificent storm. Epic in proportion, it shut down the entire city. I seized the opportunity for adventure, threw on my boots, and grabbed my camera.

What awaited outside was an entirely different place than the city I knew, unrecognizable through a screen of white. I stomped to my usual favorites -- the South End, the Public Gardens, the Commons, and Beacon Hill -- taking pictures along the way, piecing together the story as I saw it unfolding.

Tunisia

Tunisia by Jeff Smith

I went to Tunisia in the Spring of 2008, and fell in love with the landscapes of the country. Colors seemed brighter, nature more alive, and history more tactile.