CREATIVE LEAD
In my day to day as a Sr. Art Manager, I lead brainstorms, brief out concepts, assign projects to artists, review and approve assets and meet with various teams and individuals to keep things fun, creative and running smoothly.
I've been very fortunate to lead teams of incredible artists within my career, people who impress me every day with their creativity and inspire me to always be growing and challenging myself within my craft as well.
As a team lead, I believe in true collaboration, checking egos at the door, creating a space where any idea is worthy of listening to and giving the artists (and others) opportunities to bring their own passions to the work. For me, if the artists are excited about the work, the work in turn reflects that, which pays it forward to the audience.
As a manager, it is vitally important to me to be someone who listens, who cares and who is always striving to help the artists reach their goals. For me, respect is not given, it's earned, so I take the role and responsibility of being a manager very seriously and am always mindful that we are all human beings and should treat each other as such.
Lastly, when it comes to my creative approach, in short, I am always looking for something new. I like to keep things light, keep things fresh and challenge the artists to constantly think outside the box. While using data to inform and guide us is important, you will often hear me say "Let's try it!" to new ideas or avenues, as I believe exploration is the key to evolution, discovery, and creating that ad or campaign that is going to take us to that next level.
USER ACQUISITION
UA is an interesting space. I first came to it when I joined Jam City and quickly saw that it was a unique area full of opportunities to be creative and build off of what works for the audience.
I truly enjoy the challenge of producing tons of work within a short amount of time, as it keeps things fresh and I love the reminder to always be thinking outside the box to discover and create that next ad that is going to connect.
Within our team, we've produced all manner of ads, thousands of videos and statics, but with my filmmaking background, I take great pride in the live action ads we've produced that have also performed well for us.
For me, it's about bringing your own interests and passions to the work, so I make it a point to let each artist have a voice and showcase thier abilities whenever possible. This mindset has led us to many top performers and creatives that I think are truly remarkable given the time allotted.
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Brand
Under the Brand umbrella, I have worked on and have contributed to many trailers, teasers, spotlight videos, as well as overseeing banners, posters and other activations.
I love crafting trailers and have had the opportunity to be an editor, storyboard artist and creative lead for a number of amazing game titles.
Working with top tier companies such as Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, Activision, DC Comics, Disney and collaborating with animation houses such as Tippett Studios and Gizmo, I've had the amazing privilege to experience what it takes to craft something at a high industry level and work alongside, and learn from, some of the industries best.
Whether it's a poster for Universal CityWalk, a promo on Wheel of Fortune or a big budget game trailer, I always consider the audience, and as a fan of all of these IP's myself, I try to think what would inspire me? What would pull at my heart strings or give me that excitement that I felt when first experiencing these worlds?
From Hogwarts to Crash Bandicoot to Jurassic Park, for me, it's about knowing your audience and trying to craft something that makes them stop and say, "Wow."
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aso & publishing
Within ASO and Publishing, I am often requested to lead brainstorms, craft new concepts and guide the overall creative direction for our titles.
Crafting images for the app store is always a pleasure, as I love coming up with concepts and ideas that then evolve through testing and working with our amazing artists.
Working alongside our product marketing managers, it's always fascinating to see what connects with the audience and to craft imagery that not only pops and reflects the spirit of the game, but makes people pause and tap download.
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Social
With Social, I oversee a myriad of assets that come in day to day and ensure that the creative quality meets our standards.
It's always fun to engage with your audience directly and social has been a great place to not only celebrate the games I've worked on, but to have fun, reach new players and craft images that stand out.
We have amazing artists and community specialists that work tirelessly for all our titles and it is my privilege to help contribute to that output for our audiences.
Samples
Storyboards
When given the time and opportunity, I love crafting storyboards to communicate my ideas and vision. I've been fortunate in that I've been asked to storyboard for a number of trailers and promotional ads, but included here are some pitches and explorations in addition to storyboards that made it all the way to full production.
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Animatics & Pre-vis
If I have the time or opportunity, I love crafting animatics to further clarify the idea and give stakeholders a stronger feel for the concept. It's still a rough idea, but giving folks a sense of the vision for it, the pacing, how it will sound, I believe helps people see that the concept can work and catch areas for improvement before we begin production. And, for fully animated sequences, it's essential to save cost and time.
