Work Experience

Executive Creative Director, Optimus
Jan 2012 – Present

As ECD of Optimus, I am responsible for providing creative leadership to our company, one of Chicago’s leading and longest-lasting production and post-production companies.

Internally, I provide leadership at project ingestion - assessing proper pathways for client needs based on budget, time, and creative resources.

Externally, from our website / social media,to pitch books and all aspects of marketing. I strive to put our top creative work out where it matters most - in front of our clients. It’s my job to elevate our work and showcase our talent in ways that enhance our professional reputation.

I work collaboratively with our producers, reps and marketing to do just that, and I coordinate efforts within our own teams and outside vendors to help our company reach its goals.

I also serve as a partner with other company leaders as we define and refine our business strategy in an ever-changing landscape.

I maintain connections with peers in my industry, meeting regularly to gauge the state of play for our company and our community.

Creative Director, Optimus Design
2004 – Present

I initiated the launch of Optimus Design to more quickly and efficiently bring ideas to life for our agency partners.  I have worked to build our department from a small group of After Effects designers into a full team of 2D and 3D artists capable of pitching and winning work against the best in Chicago and beyond. As we grew, we made it our goal to become nearly self-sufficient and capable of executing start-to-finish projects across all disciplines, from storyboard to software to screen. While I primarily lead the creative team as a project manager and producer, I often draw on my skills and experience to jump into different roles when necessary: designer, writer, animator, editor, compositor, website builder or director.

Additionally, I am responsible for building and maintaining our network of 2D and 3D artists who provide support to us remotely or in the studio. No studio can possibly offer expertise in every specific discipline, but to be competitive, we must be able to rely on talent near and far to augment our visions and help us meet our goals.

I take my role as mentor incredibly seriously. I seek out training, conferences and tutorials for artists who want to improve. I like doing performance reviews. I expect the highest level of creative output, and I work to provide every resource available (including myself) to each artist so we can exceed expectations together.

Autodesk Flame/Inferno Compositor, Optimus
2000-2004

As an Inferno Artist I learned the importance of being a creative problem solver. Whether I was tracking and corner-pinning cereal box art or comping dozens of layers of CGI elements, I had to find the best way to maximize the balance between time & money. I worked to bring a design sensibility into my compositing work, and built valuable client relationships in my room and on set as an effects supervisor.

This was my first opportunity to have my own room for clients, and I learned quickly that while people pay you for your eyes, they respect you for your ears. The most underrated ability for any collaborative process is listening.

Directing Intern, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

I spent a valuable summer in Los Angeles working on not one, but two fairly mediocre television shows, and saw first-hand just how much professionalism it takes just to finish work on time and under budget. Highlights included walking down Sunset Blvd. to bring Christopher Lloyd back to the set from a coffee break and being responsible for knocking on Dick Van Dyke’s trailer when his mandated nap time was over.