behind xx
XX is the service, Benjamin Smlatic is the man behind it. I moved to Los Angeles at the tail end of 2022. Like many, my dream was to work within the film business. I’ve had a great career so far filled with amazing chances to sharpen my craft and go to some really amazing places.
But the dream was always to direct and as I started working more jobs, I came to realize that producing was something I was very good at too. My unique approach to building projects utilizing strategy and leaving no stone unturned led me to want to make XX the premier company for top of the line work.
I want the moniker of “Produced By XX” to be something audiences and professionals within our business recognize as a symbol of dedication towards perfection that upholds creativity and diligient planning.
My career
I come from humble immigrant parents who worked very hard to give my sister and I a life. From them, I learned that anything is possible, the sole question you have to ask yourself is how hard will you be willing to work for it?
For the start of my career, I had to take the bus and my bike to every single job I took and I took as many as I could. Plenty of PA gigs, many unpaid, many more going well over 15 hours. I find pride in how low I had to start and despite not knowing anyone or anything, I kept going. The director I became was birthed from those conditions.
From my PA jobs, I went into gripping and electric departments and slowly started directing my own projects. My well rounded experience on the PA side, into the G/E departments and now directing gave me an eye to view productions both creativly but also, logistically.
Paired with my 12 years of content creation on YouTube and my time freelancing, I felt that launching XX officially was the next step. Using those same roots that made me the man I am today with the jobs I worked to make me into the worker I am, I feel fully ready to undertake projects and help build ideas with XX.
