BIOGRAPHY

D.CHRIS SMITH

“Sound is arguably half, if not more, of the experience. I’ve always been captivated by the process of constructing and sculpting an entire world of sound, starting from nothing—from complete silence. Through sound and music, I tell stories, creating a world that’s only limited by my imagination. Each day, I approach my work with an exhilarating sense of anticipation.”

Chris grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and moved to Los Angeles in 1989 to pursue a degree in recording engineering. Fresh out of school, he landed a job at Hollywood’s Post Logic Studios and simultaneously assisted Grammy-winning record producer David J. Holman.

In 1995, Chris joined Stephen Dewey’s “Machine Head” as a staff sound designer. Since then, he has designed over 500 commercials for prominent agencies, including Chiat Day, Publicis, Ogilvy, Saatchi, Wieden+Kennedy, Deutsch, McCann Erickson, and many others.

Chris has collaborated with renowned studios such as Disney, Universal, Warner Brothers, Sony, Paramount, and the award-winning Formosa Group. He has worked on Academy Award-winning and nominated feature films like “Anora”, “The Revenant,” “Twister,” and “Fences,” as well as cult classics like “John Wick: Chapter 2,” “Ghost in the Shell,” “Talladega Nights,” “Jackie Brown,” “Spawn,” and “Dumb and Dumber.”

In 2001, Chris founded ECLIPSE SOUND DESIGN. He has supervised and mixed the sound for over 150 short films, independent productions, and documentaries, many of which have premiered at prestigious film festivals such as Sundance, Toronto, Tribeca, Berlin, Dublin, Los Angeles, and SXSW. Chris has been involved in numerous special projects, presentations, events, and installations for esteemed organizations like IMAX, Apple iTunes, The Academy Awards, SDDS, Playstation, and CocaCola. Notably, he recently created two immersive VR360 experiences at the SXSW and Tribeca film festivals.

 In 2025, Chris joined forces with composer Logan Stahley to establish DARKSTAR, a Hollywood feature film trailer music company.

Chris has a proven track record of live concert tours, contributing sound design for iconic events like AC/DC’s “World Tour ’08,” Metallica’s “Live Shit,” Binge & Purge’s “’93,” Michael Jackson’s “Bad World Tour ’92,” Madonna’s “Girlie Show ’93,” Katy Perry’s “World Tour ’11,” Pink’s “World Tour ’09,” and many others.

Currently, Chris resides in Marina Del Rey, California, where he continues to pursue his passions and contribute to the entertainment industry.