Meet Camille Smura | Director & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Camille Smura and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Camille, how do you define success?
The concept of “success” is a funny thing because it really separates into two avenues: the accomplishment and the outcome. The accomplishment is the easy part: “finish writing a book”, “make a short film”, “get a new job”. The daily ins and outs we as humans universally endure. The second part- the outcome- is a bit more difficult to capture.

As a young director, I used to set my goals and aim primarily for career-related accomplishments. “Develop a commercial style”, “Direct narrative projects in my free time”, “Get an agent”, “Book a music video”. The further I progressed, I was surprised by how much less… better (?) I felt. Though I was accomplishing the things that made me more successful, the outcome wasn’t joy or calm. The constant restlessness and yearning for the next project became a feature, not a bug, and I found myself unable to find peace in the quiet. Maybe the whole film career thing wasn’t ever going to “make me happy”? Or was the nature of artistic pursuit simply that one may never be satisfied?

Whichever it was, the thing that I started changing was my perspective. I began to look for ways to see stillness instead of stagnance, comfort instead of anxiety, peace instead of pursuit. My downtime between projects have become filled with non-work activities (though ones that still had an end goal, I haven’t progressed THAT far) and I also took the advice of a mentor to stop working on every project. Only agree to projects that serve a purpose: whether it be to have fun, learn a new skill, or develop my style further. It all feels tied to a concept I learned in therapy- mindfulness. Doing everything with clarity and intention and being in the moment vs. looking to something new to occupy your mind.

It’s still a work in progress and I can’t say I’ve completely changed my life or anything. But- I finally found success in defining success for myself. It’s just not where I thought it would be.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve always heard that there is no set path for becoming a director. Unlike a doctor or a lawyer, you cant just get a degree and begin. Unlike writing or painting even, it’s quite hard to produce your own art as a director. There are a lot of resources required (money, equipment, people) that make it a difficult solo artistic pursuit.

In short- I’ve done a little bit of everything and have no clue how I ended up here (besides the universe’s good graces). I’ve been an assistant, dogwalker, college TA, post coordinator, and summer camp counselor. Eventually, I started working in-house at marketing agencies and began that path into the world of commercials. I had to learn to do everything myself (write, produce, direct, edit) which has left me with the ability to do and oversee all of these currently through my production company, Wiseacre Creative. It’s hard to see the forest for the trees sometimes, especially when predicting the outcome of choosing one job over another.

I’ve learned a lot along the way, mostly from observing bad bosses and learning what not to do when I am in a position of power. I’ve learned to surround myself with people who are smarter and more talented than me. I’ve learned to trust my gut over my (constantly over-thinking) brain. And I’ve learned to listen more than I speak- listen to your crew (they often do know better than you), hear out your talent (directing is about communicating effectively), and hold your tongue when negotiating (it gives the illusion of power).

I still haven’t learned to write succinctly, unfortunately.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If there are two things I love more than working, it’s tacos and dive bars. I’m also terrified of geese.

LA is a culinary tapestry that has no equal in this country, in my opinion. Yes, even over NYC. The sheer amount of hole-in-the-wall restaurants, weekend pop-ups, and food trucks make it a very accessible environment for up-and-coming chefs. In no particular order, my absolute go-to’s are: Yellowpaper Burger, Beijing Pie House, Angel’s Tijuana Taco’s, Hotville Chicken, Northern Thai Food Club, Birria x Gods, Ramen of York, and whatever is parked in front of Sara’s Market on any given day.

To wet one’s whistle- I recommend hitting up Permanent Records in Glassel Park for great drinks, some vinyl shopping, and maybe even catch a live show. Other favorites include La Cuevita, Johnny’s on York, Bigfoot Lodge, Gold Diggers, and Lowboy (killer food too).

My favorite thing about LA is the last thing most people think about- the nature. I’m a big hiker and cyclist so I love hitting the pavement around town, climbing up to the lake at Ernest E. Debs park, cruising up the Angeles Crest Highway to snowshoe in the winter, and hiking rescue dogs at Griffith Park (you’ll catch me there most Sunday mornings, year-round). There’s a lot of nature in and surrounding this city, you just gotta look deeply to find it.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are too many people who deserve a shoutout for helping me along the way, but I’d like to dedicate this one to my mom.

Back in high school, I was having a rough time getting my act together and it culminated in me having a breakdown that I wouldn’t be able to get into the school I wanted. My mom, without missing a beat, turned to me and told me that I am the only person holding myself back and it will be no one else’s fault but my own if I don’t get in.

That was the kick in the pants I needed and ever since then, it’s been a guiding rhetoric in my life- to never assume help from anyone else and always be your own biggest source of motivation. No one is going to do the work for you.

And if you’re wondering- no, I did not get into my dream school, there was no hope for my grades at that point lol.

Website: www.camillemura.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/camille.smura

Other: Flasher “Sideways” music video out now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9Hkt_KtleM