Apple TV4 VLC sees SMB but folder empty
I had a similar issue - VLC would only show empty folders once connected - this was happening from the first time I opened VLC on my Apple TV.
My shares are also on a Mac Mini (2012 model) running 10.13.4
I got it to work by turning off file sharing, then disabling AFP sharing and only using SMB.
Once I turned file sharing back on, VLC could see all my shared folders.
To change sharing options, go into System Preferences, Sharing.

Oh, and I use a password-protected account called 'media' for accessing the shares from networked devices. I don't use anonymous logins.
Hope this helps, or you got the issue sorted already.

I'm also trying out the app 'infuse' and it looks nice, but with some videos it wants me to buy a subscription to use the app to continue, so not sure yet if it's something I'll stick with.