Smith worked on some of his studio's first TV specials, including
A Cosmic Christmas (1977), which was broadcast on
CBC Television in Canada and syndicated in the
United States, proving to be Nelvana's breakthrough production. as well as its 1997 animated adaptation of the
Pippi Longstocking saga. Smith's directing credits also include "
A Wookiee's Christmas" (also known as "The Faithful Wookiee") for
George Lucas and eight episodes of
Family Dog for
Tim Burton and
Steven Spielberg. Smith retired from Nelvana in 2001, the year after he and his co-founders sold the studio to
Corus Entertainment. Smith was born in
London, England, in 1944 and was educated at the
Ealing School of Art, where he graduated with a degree in Design and Kinetic Art. In 1964, he joined the
Halas and Batchelor animation studio in West London, where he worked on animated series such as
The Beatles and
The Lone Ranger. In 1967, he moved to Canada and worked as a senior animator and designer on commercials and short films with Al Guest and Vladimir Goetzleman. It was during this time that he met Hirsh and Loubert, and later went on to co-found Nelvana. Since leaving Nelvana, Smith co-founded Musta Costa Fortune with
Melleny Melody. ==References==