Warren Smith
Content Creation & Critical Thinking
For business inquiries please email wsmith045@gmail.com
A Collection of full films by Warren Smith
Warren Smith wrote and produced his first feature length film in 2013 after receiving his BFA in Film Producing from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. At UNCSA he wrote 5 short films, produced 3 and directed one. He received his MFA in filmmaking at Emerson College where he wrote and directed Harvard Zero, a short film about the untold story of Harvard’s role leading up to America joining World War 2. At Emerson he designed his first class: How to make a living with a camera. He began teaching professional studies courses and digital filmmaking workshops. This has led to the course From Script To Screen, which he shaped from his experiences working as a writer, producer and independent videographer.
Warren is now a teacher and volunteer firefighter. He is developing his next feature film: The Secret Scholar Society.
My second short film. Junior year at UNCSA.
Unfortunately the Final Cut of this short film was lost. This is all that is left.
My first real short film & and possibly my favorite to this day.
The first feature film written & Produced by Warren.
This 20 minute short was just an experiment we made for fun while we develop the feature length version. It breaks many of the rules of screenwriting such as “show don’t tell” but it was a fun experiment that greatly helped the development process.
The short film I made for my MFA thesis about Harvard during WWII.
The Secret Scholars YouTube channel
This week’s full episode
From Script To Screen
The next class will be offered this spring, 2024 at Emerson College
Course description
In this class students will gain a clear understanding of the steps involved in screenwriting and production, while creating short professional quality, independent video projects. Footage can be captured using digital cameras, webcams or even cell phones to create projects such as traditional narrative shorts, promotional videography for real-world clients, or personal website content. Through an exploration of the "traditional" filmmaking production model, students will learn about the roles of those involved on a professional film set, re-thinking these concepts in a way that can be applied to individual workflows. The goal is to achieve more autonomy as a videographer, as well as a high level of production value with the equipment available to you. So much is possible in this exciting age of video field production technology. With a camera, or with a cell phone, this class is about YOUR vision, YOUR voice and YOUR independent video project!
Development on the SECRET SCHOLAR SOCIETY film with Warren Smith
The 1940s was a decade that transformed the lives of millions in the U.S. Advances in technology, including the use of radio and television for news and entertainment, forced Americans to think more about the country's role in global affairs.
After years of struggling through the Great Depression, the U.S. resisted joining the war in Europe, even as the European democracies fell one at a time. American isolationists watched FDR’s e very move, ensuring he did nothing more to help England than "lending" 50 older destroyers for “leases” on British bases. This was the bullshit known as the Lend-Lease program.
Opposition disappeared after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. But there is an entire story missing from the History books. One of the most elegant tales of espionage, and science. It begins with the President of Harvard flying into London in the middle of the Blitz to meet secretly with Churchill on behalf of FDR,
It only gets wilder. There was no CIA. Only a network of gentlemen spies recruited from the major 4 Ivey league colleges, where secret labs were building the first radar and sonar systems.
“What happens now behind the closed doors will never be told.” - James B Conant, President of Harvard, 1941
“Now we are telling it.” - Warren Smith
George Washington began the tradition of always having a member of the secret scholars in the White House to serve as an advisor. - Book of Lore
Police had no jurisdiction on campus at Harvard in the 1940s.
Attending class was optional.
The first rule for Harvard men was “keep your name out of the newspaper.”
A secret society has existed for hundreds of years… interconnecting the oldest colleges in the world. They exist to protect ancient knowledge lost to history.
Hitler believed the venus theory would make it possible for the Nazis to engineer an entire generation for Germany. He ordered his top scientists to try and solve it – no one ever did – instead they bent science to their will – and in 1933 the Lebensborn program was born. Woman were selected and paired to reproduce with top Generals from the Nazi army.
Shorty after Nazi spies discovered intelligence that revealed the theory had been fake the entire time – designed and planted so the Nazis would take the bait – spending years trying to solve something that was never possible to begin with – and in doing so Germany revealed their true intentions to the American government in an elaborate work of espionage genius.
Decades later a student at Harvard stumbled upon a journal containing a set of strange calculations – written by a mathematician who claimed the theory had been real the entire time. Whoever wrote the diary claimed to belong to a secret society that interconnects the oldest colleges in the world – since the days of Davinci, they exist to protect the ancient knowledge. For some things are not meant to be understood.
The Secret Scholar Society (Episode 1)
Kallet, a sixteen year old with a brilliant mind works with a street magician who was once a mathematician. He discovered an ancient form of mathematics which cannot be explained, it can only be understood. For a mysterious reason he must now remain on the move, running from someone or something.
One night Kallet opens his diary while he is sleeping. She sees a strange theory – which allows her to predict the stock market. But this draws the attention of those pursuing them.
It is no longer safe.
The story of the ancient knowledge was all to sell an illusion. But those chasing him believe it is real. Kallet can do what he only pretends to. She has always had this ability within her. He recognized it when they first met – and used the story to get her on board. At the end of the day it was all just about money. A group of students at Harvard published the book as a prank – not expecting it would change so much.
Years later – Kallet is now at Harvard, but she is not a student. As an outsider she makes money from students, taking payment in exchange for taking tests and completing assignments. A student brings a strange problem to her – with a reward attached to it. She recognizes it from the magician. She translates it – realizing it is a mathematical explanation for beauty. She offers it to the Billionaire in an effort to discover where he got it.
He tells her the story of how the Nazis believed the legend of the ancient knowledge – and believed it would allow them to use mathematics to engineer the next generation. It turned out to be a trick – or so everyone believes. He has spent millions in the pursuit of discovering the truth. Kallet realizes he was responsible for the death of the magician. He is the one who set the police on them. He has been looking for her.
With the help of an associate professor she is able to make it out of the city. He belongs to the secret scholar society – who are the only ones who can keep her safe. They must reach the safety of a hidden college. The magician prepared her for this, without her even realizing it.
Jasper Reed is a mysterious inventor and scientist. Reclusive wealthy, he lives in a mansion is Tuxedo Park that once belonged to Alfred Loomis. He is visiting campus for an alumni dinner at the exclusive Harvard Club restaurant in Back Bay. Somehow he knows Christopher is the one really behind the theory. When he researches Christopher’s background there is no record that he even graduated high school. All Jasper finds is a criminal record and detention at a Juvenile detention center as a young boy.
Jasper tells Christopher the truth -- he left the journal for Langdon to find. He has tried for years to crack the cypher. When he realized what Christopher was capable of he knew he had found the person he was looking for. In exchange for his help he will give Christopher what he has always wanted – entry into the most exclusive college in the country... to be accepted as a real mathematician.
Jasper shows Christopher an article from the archive that was written in Life Magazine in 1940. It is about a student, Langdon Marvin JR, who was president of the student council and godson of President Roosevelt. The diary belonged to him:
