Smiling Sun

Smiling Sun SMILING SUN is an Australian based branding and content studio. We work closely with a bunch of passionate, forward thinkers.

Helping them grow, share their stories and embrace their inner quirk and soul.

Meet Murray.A photographer, surfer and one of the familiar faces behind Manly’s morning culture.Most mornings you’ll fin...
29/06/2026

Meet Murray.
A photographer, surfer and one of the familiar faces behind Manly’s morning culture.

Most mornings you’ll find him at the beach before sunrise, camera in hand, documenting the people who choose to start their day in the ocean. For more than a decade he’s been quietly capturing the rituals, friendships and shared moments that make this community so special.

Beyond the beach, Murray is part owner of The Frame Room, where the team prints, frames and shares the stories he’s collected over the years. It’s also become a place where local artists, photographers and the community come to preserve and celebrate the work that means something to them.

Like many of the people featured in Livelihood, Murray has built a life around what he loves. Not just documenting a community, but being an active part of it.

Meet Kelly.A designer, outdoor enthusiast and the founder of Pony Rider. What started with a love of camping, hiking and...
17/06/2026

Meet Kelly.
A designer, outdoor enthusiast and the founder of Pony Rider. What started with a love of camping, hiking and time spent in nature has grown into a brand creating thoughtful products designed to last. From recycled materials to initiatives that support national parks, everything Kelly does is connected back to the places that inspire her. Like many of the people featured in Livelihood, Kelly has built a business around what matters most to her.

Link to full film in bio.

Meet Jack.Spearfisherman, ocean educator and one of the legends featured in Livelihood.We spent the day with him at Fres...
11/06/2026

Meet Jack.
Spearfisherman, ocean educator and one of the legends featured in Livelihood.
We spent the day with him at Freshwater Beach chasing fish, sharing stories and learning why helping people build confidence in the ocean has become his life’s work.

Not only did Jack take us out on an epic dive, he also caught all the seafood for the final cookup, feeding every feature and crew member involved in the project. Slimy mackerel, Aussie salmon, bonito and a few turban snails all made their way from ocean to table.

This project extended beyond film, with custom illustrations, animation and editorial design helping tell each story in a richer way.

Link to full film in bio.

Livelihood was one of the biggest creative projects we’ve undertaken.Alongside the 30 min episode we created illustratio...
05/06/2026

Livelihood was one of the biggest creative projects we’ve undertaken.
Alongside the 30 min episode we created illustrations, animations, a magazine, a launch event and a whole collection of stories celebrating food, adventure and the people building a Livelihood around what they love.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing more from the project, including some of the work that’s been sitting quietly on our hard drives since launch.
For us, Livelihood became a case study in how storytelling can extend beyond a single film and into a complete creative experience.
If you haven’t watched the full episode yet, head to our YouTube via the link in bio

Inside the Projectworks campaign A few BTS moments from our recent campaign series for Projectworks. Blending documentar...
26/05/2026

Inside the Projectworks campaign
A few BTS moments from our recent campaign series for Projectworks. Blending documentary storytelling, archival assets, animation and sound design to create software stories with a little more humanity.
Portrait photography by .beattie

Inside the Projectworks campaign A few BTS moments from our recent campaign series for Projectworks. Blending documentar...
26/05/2026

Inside the Projectworks campaign
A few BTS moments from our recent campaign series for Projectworks. Blending documentary storytelling, archival assets, animation and sound design to create software stories with a little more humanity. Portrait photography by .beattie

26/05/2026

A documentary style video campaign for Projectworks.

Most software case studies end up feeling like software case studies. Projectworks wanted something different.

Projectworks came to us wanting to move beyond the usual software testimonials and create something with genuine human connection.
So instead of treating this as a content shoot, we approached it like a documentary series. By combining archival material, mixed media, animation and cinematic storytelling to explore the people behind the systems.

The first story follows Oculus, whose award-winning team were losing huge amounts of creative energy to spreadsheets and manual project management.
A reminder that the right creative approach can transform even the most operational stories into something emotional, relatable and worth watching.

Client: 
Creative concept, direction & edit: 
DP:
Animation:
Sound design & mix:

Here are some of our favourite shots from our short doc celebrating  70th anniversary.We loved diving into the history o...
19/05/2026

Here are some of our favourite shots from our short doc celebrating 70th anniversary.

We loved diving into the history of this incredible family business. It’s the classic Aussie dream. Starting something in the garage at home and building it into something truly special. For 3 generations, Bennetts have helped shape Australian surfing, putting hundreds of thousands of surfboards under people’s feet over the years.

Full vid on their YouTube 🎬

How we started and the journey to get here
27/01/2026

How we started and the journey to get here

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Newport, NSW

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