Stef Smith’s first work for Young Henrys earlier this year won the following applause from the client, “We’re stoked at the reception of our Lady Beer ad. We’ve received a lot of virtual pats on the back and a lot of ‘well done lads’. Which is great, but really that support should be channelled directly to the team of “lady creatives” who really owned this project. Here we meet just one of the awesome women behind the ad – uber-talented director, Stef Smith.”

The Playtime director has just completed her second Young Henrys commercial. It’s just as distinctive, just as off-the-wall, just a humorous and just as likely to be a hit with the brand’s target market of under 35 year old drinkers.

“Combining blundering slapstick, idiosyncratic art direction and the kind of stilted, self-deprecating narration that Australians do so well, Stef Smith has delivered a side-splitting spot that marks her as a comedy director on the rise,” Photoplay commented.

Smith came to Playtime in July with a handful of short film awards, including Best Australian Short Film at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) 2019, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Audience Choice Award at Freshflix, Vivid Sydney 2019 for Joy Boy, after being chosen for the 2018 Australian Director’s Guild Commercial and Content Mentorship program and MIFF Accelerator Director’s Lab.

The writer and director has also directed an observational documentary campaign series for National Disability Services, a mockumentary comedy series for Westpac, an inclusion and diversity campaign for Commonwealth Bank and Rio Tinto, and factual campaigns for Down Syndrome Australia and Family Planning Australia.

Here is Smith’s work for Young Henrys Lady Beer:

Credits:

Production Company: Playtime

Director: Stef Smith

Producer: Tom Slater

Executive Producer: Oliver Lawrance

DOP: Jack Saltmiras

Production Designer: Elizabeth Gadsby

Editor: Lily Davis

Post Production: The Editors

Sound Designer: Timothy Bridge

Sound Post Production: Sonar Music

Composer: Jonny Higgins