About LS3 Studios

Preserving history is an act of love.

It says to those who came before us: you mattered. And it says to those who come after: this is where you come from.

Leonard Smith III, Founder

Leonard Smith III's crew filming an oral history interview with an elder in a church setting
On set: recording an oral history interview

Our mission

To preserve the stories of families, churches and institutions with award-winning documentary craft, honoring the past, serving the present and creating a legacy for generations to come.

Portrait of Leonard Smith III
Leonard Smith IIIFilmmaker · Researcher · Legacy Preservationist

The founder

The interview that changed everything

I was interviewing an elderly church member for a documentary project when she began sharing stories about her grandmother, a woman born into slavery who lived to see her grandchildren graduate from college.

They were stories of resilience, faith and triumph that had never been written down. Stories that would have disappeared forever if no one had thought to ask.

Documentary filmmaking wasn't just about capturing images. It was about rescuing history.

For more than two decades I've dedicated my career to one mission: helping families, churches and institutions preserve the stories that define them. I grew up in New Orleans' Desire community in the 1960s and '70s, and that neighborhood taught me that the most important history often lives in ordinary homes, pews and photo albums.

The journey

Five decades in the archive

From genealogy and photography to broadcast documentaries, every chapter built on the one before it.

  1. 1975

    The research begins

    Leonard starts working across historical research: genealogy, photography, technology, storytelling and music.

  2. 1978

    A single word in a census

    While servicing microfilm equipment at the New Orleans Public Library, he finds one word in an 1880 census record. It starts the search that becomes The Story of Louise.

  3. 2007

    First national honors

    A Legend in the Classroom: The Life Story of Yvonne Busch wins a Platinum AVA Award, followed by a Hermes Creative Award and a Bronze Telly.

  4. 2008

    LS3 Studios is founded

    A multimedia studio for video biographies, legacy documentaries, photography and archival storytelling.

  5. 2009

    A parish centennial

    Blessed Sacrament–St. Joan of Arc Parish, 1909–2009 earns two Bronze Telly Awards.

  6. 2020

    A Place Called Desire

    A feature documentary about the community where Leonard grew up, built on 60+ interviews. It wins Best Documentary at the Black Film Festival of New Orleans and airs on WYES-PBS.

  7. 2024

    The Gulfside Assembly Story

    Two Silver Telly Awards and a Communicator Award of Excellence.

  8. Today

    The Story of Louise

    The book is published, and a documentary and the Finding Louise course are in development.

How we work

What every film is built on

The same standards apply whether the story belongs to one family or a hundred-year-old congregation.

01

Research first

Census, court, church and Freedmen's Bureau records, verified against primary sources before a single scene is cut.

02

The community's voice

People tell their own stories. A Place Called Desire was built on more than 60 interviews with the people who lived it.

03

Broadcast-quality craft

Archival restoration, narration, music and editing to the standard that has earned Telly, AVA and Communicator honors.

04

Cultural authenticity

A deep understanding of Black church tradition, Louisiana heritage and communities whose histories have been underrepresented.

1975Researching history since
16Industry awards
35+Organizations served
352Sweet teas, and counting

Client list

Trusted by the institutions that keep history

Museums, universities, parishes and genealogical societies, as well as families and local businesses.

Museums, archives & libraries

  • Louisiana State Museum
  • The Cabildo
  • New Orleans Public Library

Universities

  • Xavier University of Louisiana
  • Dillard University
  • Tulane University
  • Ohio State University

Churches & faith

  • Gulfside Assembly, Waveland, MS
  • Blessed Sacrament–St. Joan of Arc Parish
  • St. Raymond–St. Leo Parish
  • Second Mount Calvary Baptist Church
  • The Josephites
  • Black and Indian Mission Office, Washington, DC
  • Roots of Faith on Catholic Life Television

Genealogy & heritage

  • National Genealogical Society
  • Iberia African American Historical Society
  • Terrebonne Genealogical Society
  • OW Dillion Preservation Organization
  • Friends of Joe W. Brown Memorial Park
  • Peonage Detective

Schools

  • New Orleans Public Schools
  • Louisiana Recovery School District
  • Algiers Charter Schools Association
  • Treme Charter School Association
  • Robert R. Moton Charter School
  • Fannie C. Williams Charter School

Media, arts & business

  • NPR
  • Narrative Network
  • Herlin Riley, musician
  • Blueprint Marketing & PR
  • Ruby's Restaurant, Lafayette
  • and other local businesses

Speaker & teacher

Teaching families to tell their own stories

Leonard is a favorite speaker at genealogy seminars, archives and conferences, showing people how to research their families and bring those stories to life on screen.

  • GenFest 2025New Orleans City Archives & Special Collections · A Place Called Desire
  • Ancestor's Footprints podcastThe Story of Louise: From $500 to Priceless
  • African American Genealogy SeminarConverting Your Family History into a Documentary
  • What's Your Story? workshopsFamily photos, research and digital storytelling
Invite Leonard to Speak

Leonard Smith III, a favorite speaker at seminars in the past, again brought his humorous and interesting knowledge of genealogy and technology to encourage everyone's challenge of protecting their family's history for future generations.

Seminar attendee

Ready to preserve your story?

Let's talk about the story you want to keep.

Tell us about your family, church or organization. Consultations are free.