Smaran Alva
since 2014 // mangalore → worldwide
Smaran grew up in Mangalore and trained as an architect, which taught him that design is more than how a thing looks. He picked up a camera in 2014 and taught himself the rest.
First came travel films, which found hundreds of thousands of viewers. Then came commercials, music videos, 3D and motion for brands across India and beyond: MAX Fashion, Zoya, Zostel, WazirX, Kraken and more, often with Pixelated Egg.
As CFW (Chapters From Within) he makes digital art: the Pillheads, the chapters series, editions on Ethereum and Bitcoin, and lately AI films, one of them an official entry to the Higgsfield AI Global Film Festival.
- years
- 12+
- pieces
- 500+
- photographs
- 750+
- clients
- 44+
Open for films, campaigns and collaborations. Based in Mangalore, working everywhere.
001 // Recognition
- 2022Rolling Stone IndiaCover art for Frizzell D’Souza’s The Hills Know of You, one of the 10 best Indian EPs of 2022source ↗
- 2021The HinduFeatured with The Urban Weaver collectivesource ↗
- 2023NFT.NYCCommunity Artist Showcase, Javits Center, New Yorksource ↗
- 2026Higgsfield AI Global Film FestivalUNPAINTED, official entrysource ↗
- 2020ArtlistArtlist Partner
- 20189GAGEscape Yourself: Ladakh, shared on 9GAG’s travel channel
- 2021WazirX NFTCreator’s Spotlightsource ↗
- 2020Let’s Beat MediocrityPodcast guest
- 2020The Digital BrunchSpeaker
- 2019India Film Project50-hour filmmaking challenge, Season 9
- 2018IMDbCinematographer, Antharya
- 2021adidas LondonDigital Pop-up showcase
002 // Worked with
- 14B
- AUM Animation Studios
- Big Bollywood Adda
- Calvin Henric Architects
- Chinese Wok
- CIRC
- Dakshin Adyanthaya
- Darla Ceramics
- Dazzles
- delorean Protocol
- docXBT
- Ethinos
- Exotica
- Follis
- Frizzell D’Souza
- GoCharge
- Half-Eaten Donut
- Higgsfield
- Knight Bite
- Kraken Pro
- Locals
- Mana Wizards
- MAX Fashion
- Nexstar
- onplug
- OSBRAH
- OTIUM
- pachinko
- Palette
- Pixelated Egg
- RTFKT
- Satyanath Silks
- Schoolers
- Sideways
- SkyTrip
- Spark EMC
- SuperRare
- SVDP
- Tata
- The Urban Weaver
- UNI
- WazirX
- Zostel
- Zoya