I fell in love with design when I saw my first skateboard deck. The film, music, and skateboard culture was a heavy influence on my decision to attend art school. I recognized the shift being made from handmade fine art and print to computerized animation as an opportunity to be at the forefront of a new medium called motion design.
After graduation, I started my career in broadcast news in the promotions department. I quickly advanced to Art Director and realized television was a thriving medium and a viable career choice for my creative passion. After three years in a small market, I made the move to New York City. I freelanced and worked for a couple of small companies working night and day. My experience in those four years gave me the knowledge of how to run a studio and the confidence to follow my entrepreneurial drive to start my own company.
In 2002 I co-founded nailgun* – a motion design collective serving the needs of ad agencies and broadcast networks. Our cutting edge work was recognized with international awards from Type Directors Club and PromaxBDA for our clients Weiden & Kennedy, Crispin Porter, McCann Ericsson and for broadcast projects we created for companies like ESPN, Spike, and Nicktoons.
It’s been pointed out that I have a dry wit and a skewed perspective on life and art. In 2012, this seeming grasp of comedy led me to the comedy network, TV Land where as Creative Director I oversaw all aspects of the network’s visual identity as well as all On-Air/Off-Air and digital campaigns. I directed shoots with TV Land talent like Betty White, Jim Gaffigan, and Hillary Duff. In my spare time I teach motion graphics at Parsons The New School for Design in the Masters program. Teaching young talent allows me to give back and also stay fresh in my own work.
Five years ago I was promoted to SVP Creative Director Brand Design of Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Nick@Nite, and the Nick+ networks. In that time Nickelodeon has become not only become the #1 TV Network for kids but also the premier entertainment destination for kids from the ages of 1 to 11 years old. It’s been great to work with such great brands and teams every single day.