Born in Los Angeles in 1976, Bryan Smith's childhood fascination with monsters and horror movies, and his natural artistic talents led to him to pursue a career in the movie industry as a special make-up effects artist.

Shortly after graduating from Crescenta Valley High School in 1994, Bryan provided make-up effects for his first feature film The Tears of Heaven. Beginning in 1995 Bryan would come to work extensively over the next 10 years with the Chiodo brothers (best known for the movie Killer Klowns from Outer Space) on a multitude of features and television shows such as, Ninja Turtles: the Next Mutation, the Mr. Potato Head Show, Elf, and Team America: World Police. Bryan has also worked at a number of other FX studios including, ADI, Digital Domain, Alterian Studios, XFX, and others on films such as, Starship Troopers, Star Trek: First Contact, Batman and Robin, Dante's Peak, X-Files: Fight the Future, Zoolander, and Blade II.

In recent years Bryan has turned his focus towards production by first co-producing the independent feature Skip the Midget. He would then direct a series of experimental films (Into the Mind of Chris Clubb, Controllervision, and Your Future Message) before moving on to co-create and produce the movie review show Flick Off which aired it's 39 episode run on cable access from 2005 through 2006. In 2007 Bryan created and produced the comedic movie review show Movie Beef which ran for 7 episodes on cable access.

In 2008 Bryan directed the 3 part short web documentary American Idol's Excentric which detailed the exploits of Martik Manukian (a.k.a. Excentric) who had obtained some local fame for his memorable and extremely bizarre audition to be on American Idol. Later in 2008 Bryan directed a behind the scenes featurette for the DVD release of House of Flesh Mannequins detailing the creation of the movie's make-up effects.