Since joining Phoenix Editorial in 1997, Sheila Smith has steadily assumed greater responsibilities as a producer and editing assistant. She has also become Phoenix’s chief researcher, drawing, in part, on what she calls her "encyclopedic knowledge of TV and film trivia." Smith is a prime resource for Phoenix clients seeking stock footage, music or sound effects, or suggestions for movie scenes in creating ripomatics.

"It’s a relief to my mother," she says, "that all those hours spent in front of the boob tube were not in vain."

Smith previously worked as a camera operator and editor on two independent features. A native of Santa Cruz, California, she graduated from UCLA in 1992 with a BA in cultural anthropology.