Kim Smith is an American artist and former visual effects professional known for her work at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and Tippett Studio. She contributed to all three films in the Star Wars prequel trilogy as a model maker and digital effects artist. She has since transitioned to a career in painting, sculpture, printmaking, and graphic arts.
Biography
Early Life and Education
Smith was raised in a creative family with a strong artistic background. Her mother was half French, and many of her relatives in France were artists and artisans. She pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts from Syracuse University and later took additional courses at Arizona State University, USC, UCLA, and the College of Marin.[1]
Career at Industrial Light & Magic
Smith began her career at ILM in 1989, initially working on Body Wars, a film for Epcot. She was hired due to her experience in miniatures, painting, sculpting, and set construction, skills she had honed while working at Landmark Entertainment.[2]
At ILM, she worked as a model maker for The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. Her work included constructing highly detailed physical models of ships and environments used in filming.
For Revenge of the Sith, Smith transitioned into digital effects, applying texture painting and look development techniques to CGI models. She described the shift from practical to digital effects as a major industry change, noting that working with real materials gave her an edge in understanding how to make digital models look more realistic.[2]
During her time at ILM, Smith also portrayed an extra in the Geonosis arena crowd scene in Attack of the Clones. However, she mentioned in a 2021 interview that she had never looked for herself in the final film.[3]
Other Notable Work
Beyond Star Wars, Smith contributed to several high-profile ILM projects, including Starship Troopers and Star Trek: Generations. She worked alongside some of ILM’s most renowned model makers, including John Goodson, Lorne Peterson, Steve Gawley, Larry Tan, Bill George, Charlie Bailey, Barbara Affonso, and Randy Ottenberg.[2]
After leaving ILM, she worked at Tippett Studio, where she continued to refine her digital effects skills. She described Tippett Studio as a smaller, more intimate environment compared to ILM but one that was equally dedicated to high-quality visual effects work.[2]
Transition to Fine Arts
In 2021, Smith retired from the visual effects industry to focus on her personal artistic pursuits. She now works primarily as a painter, sculptor, printmaker, and graphic artist. Her art has been exhibited internationally, including a solo show at Green Collections Multiple in Tokyo, Japan. She has also participated in major exhibitions such as the de Young Open 2023 and the Crocker Kingsley Annual 2022-2023.[1]
Sources
Modeling a Galaxy on StarWars.com (original site is defunct)- "Industry, Laughter, & Magical Times" — Star Wars Insider 206
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
Background on Kim Smith Studio (backup link archived on March 25, 2025)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Behind the Scenes with Kim Smith: From Practical Models to Digital Art by Santens, Tim on Tales From The Collection (backup link archived on March 13, 2025)
- ↑
"Industry, Laughter, & Magical Times" — Star Wars Insider 206
