Musician: Composer, Arranger, Conductor, Performer, Studio Engineer

Filmmaker & Media Producer: Videographer, Editor, Photographer, Graphic Designer, Fountain and Light Show Designer

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William Austin Smith is an American composer, arranger, and filmmaker with a Master’s degree in Film Music Composition from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and a degree in Business Management from Valdosta State University. He combines artistic vision with business acumen to produce immersive audiovisual experiences that not only captivate audiences but also align with clients’ goals. Experienced in project management and recognized for expertise in recording, engineering, conducting, producing, and editing, he is also a skilled writer and communicator who helps stakeholders articulate their messages clearly and concisely, then elevates them through the emotional power of music and compelling visual storytelling.

His creative work bridges both music and visual media, taking him from concert halls to recording studios around the world. His compositions and arrangements have been performed in the United States, Europe, and China. His film scores have been featured at the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival, the Beaufort International Film Festival, the Comic Con Wizard World Film Fest Philadelphia, Dragon Con Independent Film Festival, the Doobious Film Slam in Atlanta, GA, and the Emerging Filmmakers Forum in Beverly Hills, CA.

Among his many projects, Austin arranged and recorded a big band/gypsy jazz album in Paris in 2013, collaborating with world-renowned artists Bireli Lagrene, Didier Lockwood, and Jeff Hamilton. Featuring the original music of singer-songwriter Julie Rose Wilde, Bohemian Dream Cabaret was recorded at the historic Davout Studios with Ron Meza’s Parisian High Definition Big Band, and later inspired a live cabaret performance at La Petit Journal in Montparnasse.

As a videographer and editor, between 2016 and 2024, Austin documented the transformation of Savannah’s Plant Riverside District, producing a feature-length documentary and a series of educational videos for the District’s Natural History Museum and the Gretsch Musical Instrument Museum.

From 2019 to 2023, he was commissioned to design fountain and light shows for Plant Riverside, creating choreography, lighting, original music, and contemporary electronic arrangements of Johnny Mercer songs, the Christmas favorite "Carol Of The Bells," and classical works by Bach and Tchaikovsky.

His orchestral arrangement of “Proud Mary” was performed by the Savannah Philharmonic in 2020 and broadcast on WTOC’s “Picnic in the Park.” Earlier, in 2016, his arrangement of “I Only Have Eyes For You” was featured on PBS as part of the “Jeremy Davis and the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra” special, and his arrangement of “Josephine Swing” was performed by the Savannah Philharmonic and Velvet Caravan. He has also composed and arranged for the Camel City Jazz Orchestra, the Savannah Jazz Orchestra, the Savannah Arts Academy Jazz Band, and Eric Culberson.

In 2013, Austin was commissioned by the Kessler Collection hotels to produce an album of contemporary jazz-lounge arrangements based on Johnny Mercer classics.

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Austin has filmed and edited music videos for singer-songwriters Ella Rogers and Sarah Palmer.

As a live performer, Austin has played snare drum with the University of Georgia Redcoat Marching Band and trombone with The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra, The Storks, The Sapphire Bullets, The Ron Meza Big Band, and jazz ensembles at The North Carolina School of the Arts, Valdosta State University, and the University of North Texas. He has also performed as a bass guitarist in several jazz and rock bands.

Austin’s versatility shines across genres, with work spanning marching bands, orchestras, wind ensembles, chamber ensembles, and big band—always guided by a commitment to artistic integrity and innovation.