Company Founder - Robert F. Smith

2popdigital.com was founded in 2006 by Robert Smith, who has close to 32 years of hands-on experience with every aspect of the Media & Entertainment and Computer Science industries.

 His career started in 1980 while working for the University of Southern California’s Information Science Institute, where he gained valuable knowledge of computer operations and software management. ISI was a forerunner in the development of TCP IP-based networking standards and technology. From 1982 until 1992 Robert followed a successful freelance career as a musician and recording engineer, handing record sessions, playing live venues and handling live-sound mixing, while securing valuable knowledge of the Arts & Entertainment industry.

 1993 Robert joined AMEK Systems and Controls as a customer-service representative and repair technician, during which time he learned the art of customer support. “Dealing with Media & Entertainment professionals came very easy,” he recalls, “and is the foundation of 2popdigital’s business.” In 1993 he moved to AMS-Neve, another very well respected company active in the professional-audio marketplace, and was involved in over 75 console installations within North and South America with a focus on the broadcast, music, scoring and post-production industries.

 In 2002 Robert joined Fox Television KTTV Channel 11 in Los Angeles, an experience that gave him a different view of the industry, with experience of HD-SDI, digital and analog audio routers, satellite, RF and microwave technologies. “I used this valuable knowledge of broadcast technology to enhance my skill set for post production,” he recalls. In 2003 Robert went to work for Ascent Media at its Pacific Ocean Post facility in Santa Monica, where experience within the facility’s 12 rooms and central machine area provided additional practical knowledge of large-system topologies.

 In 2004 he went to work at Sony Pictures Entertainment in Culver City as a dub-stage engineer. Quickly realizing that the post industry was changing from film to digital picture and a file-based workflow, Robert set out to transform Sony’s Post Production Facilities into a truly digital sound department. Using previous knowledge combined with extensive R&D, he created a media backbone using Ethernet, fiber-channel storage, HD-SDI and SAN management software. “As a result, Sony became a force to be reckoned with in the Hollywood post-production community,” he considers.

 In his final two years at Sony Pictures Entertainment, Robert also enhanced the post-production facility’s security standards to the highest possible level while securing digital assets for such third-party companies as Paramount, Disney, 20th Century Fox, Marvel Studios, Bay Films and Bruckheimer Films. “State-of-the-art data security as well as physical protection has now been added to my list of accomplishments,” Robert concludes. “At 2popdigital I look forward to providing not only excellent service but to also bringing all of my knowledge and experience to my clients’ operations.”