"That's what turns me on," elaborates Smith, "the out-takes of life; the ones that don't make the cut. The beat within the beat; the moments between moments; the glance, the little gestures, the minutiae of life."

Observing human behavior in food courts across Southern California or riding the subway in New York City, Smith's fascination with the human condition is tempered with a sense of humor that has produced memorable spots for Heineken including "Austin Powers," "Premature Pour," and "Tragedy," in addition to Sprite's "Movie Makers," and Volkswagen's "Sunday Afternoon," a commercial which arguably put the carmaker back on the map in the United States. Lowe Lintas & Partners executive VP, creative group head CJ Waldman and executive VP, director of broadcast production Bob Nelson regard the director's understanding of consumerism as essential to the success of the Heineken campaign. In fact, Waldman credits Smith with the current tag line: "It's all about the beer."

"I was talking to Baker about the spot and I said, 'Focus on the beer,'" recalls Waldman. "Baker said, 'Yeah, it's all about the beer,' and I told him to hold on while I called my boss."

"Obviously we're working with him on repeat business because the initial wave of commercials we did with him was successful," says Nelson. "Baker's not just out to make a great film; he's out to create a piece of advertising communication."

Heineken recently contracted the agency to produce commercials overseas. Recognizing Smith's role as integral to the formula, the agency awarded the director an additional six spots.

A native of Illinois, Smith grew up the son of a stoic soy bean farmer and a free-spirited mother who had her own bail bond business before becoming the deputy coroner. This may account for the director's solid work ethic and appreciation for the absurd.

"I was in junior high and I'd ride out to the middle of cornfields and look at dead bodies with her," laughs Smith. "She'd be extracting fluids, taking Polaroid's of the insides of their mouths, poking and prodding them, and zipping them up in body bags. She was not your typical mom. She was filled with stories and always wanted to embellish them."

While Smith did not formally study film at college he did make a few shorts and decided to move to Hollywood soon after graduation. Unfamiliar with the workings of Tinseltown, the 22-year-old headed over to Columbia Pictures where he hoped to meet with the president and negotiate a three-picture deal.

"I thought that's what you did," chuckles Smith. "It was naiveté at its grandest level and there is something beautiful about that because there's always hope. After a week, I wised up really quick."

Accepting an unpaid position as a PA for the Discovery Program rather than work as a tour guide at Universal Studios, Smith received a formal education on set. Between projects he partnered with various crew members and began writing and directing spec spots in the spirit of Nike's revolutionary "Just Do It" campaign.

The PAs "borrowed" equipment in between shoots and even broke into a well-known production house to edit and steal tape stock. They commissioned the talents of fellow newcomers, trading services in exchange for the promise of much needed experience.

Calling themselves "Bliss," the directing team of Scott Bibo, Charles Wittenmeier and Baker Smith signed with Harmony Pictures and two years later disbanded. Smith went on to shoot an edgy campaign for Airwalk and then landed the VW project. "That propelled me into more lines of people," remarks Smith.

In 1998, the director received a number of Clios and the Grand Prix at Cannes for three Nike commercials that showed golfers, tennis players and runners being hassled by police. It posed the question: "what if we treated all athletes the way we treat skateboarders?"

When Smith's not shooting Heine, you'll find him in the kitchen.

"To stay fresh, you have to stay fresh as an individual in the sense of how you look at life and what you do outside of this medium," says Smith. "I love to cook, and particularly I like to cook Thai food." He confides: "If you ever have my green chicken curry, you'll stalk me."

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