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Steven Douglas Smith

Cinematographer · California, USA

Steven Douglas Smith is an American film and television cinematographer born in Southern California. He has a double major in Media and Communication from UC San Diego and a Master's Degree in Film Production from the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts.

Biography from TMDB.

From
California, USA
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
16 on MovieCove · 22 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 36% in 30 days

What are Steven Douglas Smith's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Genres

Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 26th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 5th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 9th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Family2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Family movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
31%
Survival
20%
Ideas
17%
Morality
14%
Society
8%
Self
8%
Power
2%
Family bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 6 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 4

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 4 · Charged 7 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 7 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Joyful
4
Warm
4
Absurd
4
Melancholic
3
Other
14

How their films linger

Hopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet4
  • Ambiguous2
  • Other1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Steven Douglas Smith's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 16 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Steven Douglas Smith's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

22 credits, 16 with a MovieCove page.

  • Lilly's Light: The Movie(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • A Boy Called Po(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • '51 Dons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Cinematographer

  • Scary Movie 5(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Crazies(2010)

    VFX Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Lilly's Light(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Net 2.0(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Inside Out(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Coronado(2003)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Black Cadillac (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Cinematographer

  • Contagion(2002)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Leela (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Cinematographer

  • Swimming Upstream(2002)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Dinosaur(2000)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Heaven or Vegas(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Stormy Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    "A" Camera Operator · Cinematographer

  • Joyride(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • 78 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Cinematographer

  • Sometimes They Come Back... Again(1996)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • No Easy Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Cinematographer

  • The Secret Agent Club(1996)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 20 titles from 1996 to 2020.

Biggest box office

Dinosaur (2000)

$350M worldwide

Highest rated

Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible (2010)

Midcredits 88th

Most popular right now

Dinosaur (2000)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography18 of 20: 17 only cinematography, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score36thOther crew3 of 20: 2 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1990s6 · crew2000s8 · crew2010s5 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Steven Douglas Smith's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 21st percentile, the median of all 16; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 26th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

26thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Approval · how many liked their films

22ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Midcredits score across 16 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th8

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 16 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Universally Panned1
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · cinematographer

Lilly's Light: The Movie (2020)

99th percentile spread · 44% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible (2010)

Midcredits 88th · 81% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 51/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles; fans 63, detractors 29. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Steven Douglas Smith's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 12 · minimalMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Steven Douglas Smith work with?

People who share at least 2 of Steven Douglas Smith's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Daniel Carrey shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Editors

Producers