Constance Schwartz-Morini and Michael Strahan’s SMAC Leisure has employed NFL Media content material exec and producer FredAnthony “Anthony” Smith as vp and head of non-scripted growth, Selection has discovered completely.
An Emmy and NAACP Picture Award-winning director and producer, Smith takes over for Ethan Lewis, who lately departed the expertise administration agency and enterprise incubator to function unscripted chief for Barack and Michelle Obama’s Greater Floor. He’ll lead unscripted present growth underneath the SMAC Productions umbrella and be based mostly in Los Angeles.
Smith’s appointment comes at a time of super momentum for SMAC, as the corporate is at the moment airing new episodes of “Coach Prime,” a documentary collection targeted on Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and the Jackson State College Tigers soccer staff. The collection affords publicity for HBCUs through Sanders’ mission to degree the taking part in area, and showcases the wealthy variety, custom and tradition solely skilled at an HBCU.
Moreover, SMAC Leisure is at the moment in manufacturing with HBO Sports activities, Adam McKay’s Hyperobject Industries, Boat Rocker’s Matador Content material and The Athletic on a function documentary on the Bishop Sycamore youth soccer scandal. Smith will lead manufacturing on the Untitled Bishop Sycamore Venture and different tasks to be introduced.
“We’re extremely excited to welcome Anthony to the SMAC household,” Constance Schwartz-Morini, co-founder and CEO of SMAC Leisure, informed Selection. “Like Michael and me, Anthony obtained his begin on the NFL — and all of us recognize the unimaginable alternatives supplied by the protect. After attending to know Anthony as we labored collectively on particular tasks through the years, it turned clear that his expertise in content material growth and manufacturing can be of serious profit to SMAC. He brings a brand new, distinctive perspective to the highly effective, journalistic storytelling for which we’re identified.”
Smith added: “I’ve admired SMAC’s work from afar for a few years and am grateful for the chance to convey my hustle and keenness for sports activities, movie and leisure to the corporate. Collectively, we are going to proceed to find and inform impactful, untold tales that need to be shared with the world.”
Smith spent 17 years at NFL Media, most lately serving as authentic content material lead and senior coordinating producer, overseeing manufacturing for the leisure & initiatives division. On this function, he directed and produced particular programming round trigger initiatives and leisure partnerships; of notice, he served as a lead producer for NFL Community’s Tremendous Bowl 50 authentic content material. Moreover, he was the lead producer overseeing NFL Media’s authentic content material manufacturing for “NFL 100,” surrounding the league’s one hundredth season celebration.
Smith additionally directed and produced quite a few long-form and documentary tasks for the NFL, together with: “Jim Brown: A Soccer Life,” “Fritz Pollard: A Forgotten Man” and “Sport Changer: The Journey of the Black Quarterback.” He additionally produced “Breaking Floor,” an exploration of HBCU soccer and the NFL, directed and produced “The Story of 9/12,” commemorating the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, and gained a Webby Award for guiding and producing “The L.A. Marathon,” a movie on Las Vegas Raiders broad receiver DeSean Jackson’s relationship with the late Nipsey Hussle.
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