9 minute read
Lights, camera, college!
Armani Smith walks the mall during the day and the red carpet at night
Madison Bell/ Roundup
The director yelled cut and the lights turned off. The production staff started clapping in the few seconds that followed the scene’s end. Almost as quickly as it finished, a new scene began.
The lights were dimmed. The cameras were adjusted and the director shouted again, “And action!”
This is just another typical day of work for Armani Smith on the set of his show “Hopelessly Awkward,” where he is surrounded by microphones, camera equipment, cords flooding the floors, clothing racks and the glorious food craft table that consists of energy drinks and junk food.
This is the life of an ordinary Pierce College student who juggles the everyday tasks of completing his homework assignments and showing up to glamorous Hollywood red carpet events.
“I look forward to seeing Armani accept an Oscar, Emmy or Tony or all three,” said RoZsa Horvath, Smith’s acting professor at Pierce. “He is multi-talented and can do anything he sets his mind to.”
Smith can be found in class in the morning. His remaining free time is dedicated to working towards his Mini Empire Entertainment production company. They have more than 20 different screenplays and television show pilots written that they pitch to Hollywood producers on a weekly basis.
Smith, 23, was born in Colorado and moved back and forth from Denver to Los Angeles because his father played for the Denver Broncos. He currently resides in the Hollywood Hills.
Before he began his career in the entertainment industry, he went to the Musicians Institute to become a recording engineer. He later realized that something was missing in his life.
“I felt [music] was something that I loved, but wasn’t what I was supposed to be doing for the rest of my entire life,” Smith said.
Smith left music school and enrolled at Pierce, looking for answers. He enjoyed his classes and got great grades, but he wasn’t passionate about anything in particular.
He decided to sign up for a beginning acting course, which is when his love for acting came to light.
“After I felt that rush I got from the stage I never looked back,” Smith said with a smile.
Horvath considers Smith one of the most outstanding and dedicated students in all levels of acting.
“As I continue to progress and make it in this business it will be all because of her help,” Smith said.
Smith met his best friend, Manni Adriano, at Pierce in a beginning acting course and from there they joined paths to work on their dreams of becoming Hollywood’s new hotshots.
“It feels great working together because we support, motivate and help each other,” Adriano said.
After learning the in’s and out’s of the business, Smith teamed up with his sister and a few friends to build a production company that encompasses screen plays, television pilots, movie trailers and comedy shorts.
“Hopelessly Awkward,” a show their production company started, has gained the interest of many Hollywood’s big timers. They have filmed a pilot and are currently filming episodes, which are online for viewers.
“We have some offers that we are considering right now, and people are really interested. We feel very blessed and lucky,” said Adriano.
The success of their show has landed them on the hottest Hollywood guest lists. They dress to impress, socialize with A-List celebrities, sashay down the red carpet and are surrounded by paparazzi galore.
Between attending school, building his production company, pursuing his acting career and attending these glamorous events, it can only make one wonder where Smith finds the time for anything else.
“It does get hard working long nights on scripts and filming then having to wake up for class,” Smith said. “Let’s say I sleep with my eyes open in a lot of classes and I have a huge addiction to caffeine.”
His philosophy is to sleep later in life. He says this is the time to act foolish and follow your dreams no matter what it takes.
“We have the same amount of time that some of the greatest minds, inventors and scientists have had, so let’s make the best out of it,”
