Owen A. Smith

Born Owen Anthony Smith, the son of Keith Wesley Smith & Pamela Smith. Owen was the son of a West Indian Jamaican family and was born in North West London England. However, due to his mother dying at the young age of just nine days old, Owen was privately fostered to a white upper-middle classed family from the age of two weeks old. His foster father was the Rev Kenneth Vaughn Jones a Cambridge academic clergyman. From the early age of four years old, Owen moved with his privately arranged foster family to leafy green Leatherhead Surrey in the home counties South West of London growing up in the affluent prime stockbroker belt of Surrey England. Owen attended Therfield School Leatherhead before gaining a scholarship to Epsom School of Art & Design in 1979 which is now known as the University for Creative Arts (UCA) based in Epsom Surrey. Owen went on to work in London's West End in the world of media and advertising commercials starting as a studio floor runner for Adam B colour services at Adam B studio's later progressing to a still's Photography Asst, Setting the lighting and arranging the subject matter to be shot in the studio. In 1984 Owen left England to be reunited with his natural father and other family members who were living in Westchester New York. Aged just twenty-one years old. Owen worked as a researcher and magazine writer for a Media company in Manhattan called Telegenics under Marketing Director Colin Medlock before returning he says to his home back in Leatherhead in Surrey. Owen returned to working in media and advertising as a creative executive before changing his career moving to the world of civil aviation where he trained as a Pilot and Aircraft Engineer before joining Dan-Air Services (a UK based regional airline) as a Flight Loadmaster & Flight Mechanic, operating on night cargo flight as technical aircrew. Owen went on to gain a Queen's Commission as a Commissioned Officer in The Royal Air Force Reserves as a Pilot Officer and went on to reach the Rank of Flight Lieutenant and Commanded an RAF Training Sqn of 70 people as well as worked as a Flying instructor teaching basic flying skills to RAF cadet Pilot's. Owen returned to his passion of working in music & media and set up a media production company called Red Skin Media Productions ltd after working for several music production studios and three record labels and several media production companies and developed his skills as a lighting camera operator shooting in house music promos for Red Skin Records Ltd part of the Red Skin Media group before moving to Documentaries and later film and TV Drama work as a Director of Photography. Owen is today a Writer, Director & Producer and Casting Agent. He has been a full member of the Guild of Television Cameramen and whilst he is less likely to be seen on set as a Camera Operator or DoP these days, he still looks back at his time working in the Camera & Electrical department with fond memories.