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Director Blair Vermette joins Smoke&Oakum
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Vermette continues to lead his own studio Rabbithole out of Toronto while joining Smoke&Oakum's roster for US representation.
Smoke&Oakum, the generative-first commercial production company built on traditional craft, today announced the addition of director Blair Vermette to its roster.
"When anyone can put anything on screen, voice is king. Blair puts a particular person on screen, with a particular face and a particular way of standing, and you know they existed before the film started," said Adam Witten, Creative Director and Partner at Smoke&Oakum. "He's not chasing anything, he understands why a shot works, so when he builds, it's thoughtful and specific. That's rare, and it's exactly why he is right for our team."
Vermette bridges the gap between traditional craftsmanship and the frontier of generative AI. He got his start at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Toronto, working his way from editor to producer to director before a twenty-year career as a sought-after commercial and television director, during which he sold an episodic series to Ovation and co-founded a global production house.
Vermette pivoted to AI in 2023, and what began as professional curiosity quickly evolved into industry-defining expertise. In 2024 his viral Adidas spec film served as a definitive proof of concept for the future of advertising, catapulting his work onto the global stage.
Vermette remains based in Toronto, where he continues to lead Rabbithole, his own hybrid AI-led studio, helping global brands including BarkBox, SharkNinja and VICE navigate a new creative paradigm where human instinct meets machine intelligence. Joining Smoke&Oakum's roster gives Vermette a home for US representation alongside the studio's growing roster, while Rabbithole continues to operate independently under his lead.
"Smoke&Oakum gets that generative work still has to be directed," said Vermette. "I wasn't looking for a partner that treats AI as a shortcut. I wanted one that treats it as an extension of film. That's what this team is building and I am excited for what this partnership has to offer to someone with my skillset."
Vermette's addition to the roster comes as Smoke&Oakum continues to grow its bench of directors pairing traditional production craft with generative-first process.
