CAREER SUMMARY

ART | TECH | PROCESS | ANIMATION LEADER

(Los Angeles-based or remote)

With over 30 years of experience in animation, I blend technical expertise and artistic vision to deliver exceptional digital assets. My leadership style prioritizes clear, respectful communication, fostering team collaboration and productivity. My career highlights include:

• Seasoned Expertise: My work spans feature films, commercials, and AAA video games, and it has contributed to projects that have earned Oscars, Clios, and VES awards.
• Diverse Portfolio: Animated for 18 feature films, 75+ commercials, four television shows, and 38 AAA video games.
• Creative Leadership: Directed art assets to meet franchise standards and align with a show’s vision while inspiring artists to excel by leveraging their strengths.
• Team Management: Successfully bid, scheduled, and managed diverse teams, both locally and globally, ensuring a seamless mix of creativity and efficiency.
• Strategic Innovation: Reshaped animation production environments to balance short-term achievements with long-term objectives.
• Educational Contributions: Pioneered internal training programs and developed curricula for institutions like USC Film School, Gnomon School of VFX, iAnimate.net, and CG Spectrum.
• Problem-Solving Excellence: Collaborated with tech and creative managers to address production challenges and align with broader departmental strategies.
• Financial Oversight: Worked closely with CFOs, COOs, and CTOs to maintain fiscal accountability and drive profitability.

Recent Achievements

Led teams for high-profile projects, including:

• Riot Games: Valorant Cinematic – Unite Together
• Epic Games: Fortnite Cinematics – Paradise, Fracture, and Jonie the Red Crew Pack

My roles have included Director of Animation, Creative Director, Animation Supervisor, Lead Artist, Pipeline Consultant, Professor, and Author. These experiences span production, technology, education, and software development in the VFX and animation industries. I excel at identifying unique strengths in artists, ensuring optimal task alignment, and driving exceptional results. My passion for new media and innovative solutions keeps me at the forefront of the animation field.

Education and Teaching

• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Electronic Arts, The Atlanta College of Art, GA
• Master of Fine Arts in Painting, Laguna College of Art + Design, CA
• Authored three books on animation
• Teaching roles at leading institutions, including Gnomon School of VFX, iAnimate.net, and as an Assistant Professor at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts
• Developed a two-year diploma program for CG Spectrum and mentored students at Ecole Brassarts

Creative Pursuits

Beyond animation, I explore fine art as a painter in my Los Angeles loft, often accompanied by Bacon the Cat, my loyal (and brutally honest) critic. My work bridges traditional and digital techniques, pushing the boundaries of artistic expression.

Explore My Work

• Thinking Animation
• Stix and Jones
• FKYeah

Whether you need leadership, creativity, or innovation, I bring expertise to any project. Let’s create something extraordinary together. 🌟

My USC Students (Class 2015?) with LeSean Thomas – Guest Speaker

ANIMATION DIRECTOR AND ANIMATION LEAD

In January 2023, Angie Jones took on the roles of Animation Director and Animation Lead, overseeing high-profile projects with exceptional results. Her first primary task was directing a 4-minute cinematic for Riot’s Valorant: United Together, a challenging production with tight deadlines. Angie managed two teams—one based at The Mill’s Bangalore, India studio and another from external vendor Little Zoo. She conducted three daily check-ins to ensure seamless coordination across teams. Angie’s leadership significantly enhanced the quality of character performances at the Bangalore studio while providing detailed feedback to Little Zoo. She also collaborated with Riot’s creative team through weekly meetings to align with the project’s vision. During a pivotal moment when the studio’s internal Creative Director was away, Angie stepped up to maintain continuity and drive the project’s success.

Following the delivery of Riot’s cinematic in May, Angie directed and contributed to eight additional commercials for clients, including Pokémon, Activision, Frito-Lay, Meta, Samsung, Amazon, Zillow, and MailChimp. Her nine-month tenure at The Mill showcased her ability to collaborate with Rigging Teams and Technical Artists to optimize production pipelines and workflows, improving project efficiency.

As Animation Director at Imagemetrics, Angie led a team of 40 animators working double shifts on six AAA games and two music videos. Leveraging FACEWARE technology for facial replacement and dialog animation, she was instrumental in delivering acclaimed titles such as Assassin’s Creed 2, Army of Two: The 40th Day, Blur, God of War III, and Red Dead Redemption. Angie played a critical role in shaping workflows, pipelines, and infrastructure while mentoring animators and designing innovative training methods for facial animation.

Her experience spans diverse mediums, including film, games, and commercials, utilizing industry-standard tools such as Maya, Max, XSI, and Houdini. Angie developed the studio’s creative approval process, including expression sheets, style guides, and dailies, while setting clear goals to enhance productivity and efficiency. She also provided expertise in rig reviews, identified technical challenges, and established best practices for team roles and organizational structures.

As a seasoned Animation Director, Angie consistently delivers high-quality animation through exceptional leadership, innovative strategies, and a deep commitment to nurturing talent and optimizing workflows.

ANIMATION DIRECTOR AND SUPERVISOR

As an Animation Director and Supervisor at Digital Domain from 2004 to 2007, Angie Jones led animation teams across various high-profile commercial and feature film projects. She was pivotal in creating four Disney 50th Anniversary commercial spots, seamlessly transitioning between the commercial and feature departments. Angie’s contributions included animating the jackrabbit in the opening sequence of The Hitcher, crafting stealth fighter jets for Stealth, and adding cartoony superpowers to characters in Zoom Academy. She effectively managed teams ranging from 3 to 12 members across diverse productions, ensuring creative excellence and on-time delivery.

Angie worked closely with VFX Supervisors and Directors to elevate the quality of all assets, engaging in constructive client discussions to address revisions with innovative solutions. She interpreted detailed art direction for the Disney commercials, conducting daily team reviews to ensure precision and alignment with the client’s vision. She motivated team members by assigning tasks tailored to their strengths, fostering a collaborative and productive environment. Additionally, Angie partnered with production teams to define departmental tasks, ensuring all projects adhered to tight schedules and budget constraints.

As an Animation Director, Angie’s ability to manage multidisciplinary teams, deliver exceptional results, and align with creative visions highlights her expertise in leading animation for commercial and feature productions.

PERFORMANCES

Angie Jones began her journey in feature animation production in 2001 as a character animator at Sony Pictures Imageworks (SPI). Her first project was the acclaimed Stuart Little 2, where she skillfully animated the lead characters, Stuart Little and Margalo. Over the next decade, Angie honed her expertise in feature-quality character animation, contributing to iconic films such as X-Men 2, where she animated Nightcrawler’s tail, and Freddy vs. Jason, where she crafted the memorable Freddy-pillar. Her talents extended to bringing life to various characters, including the cat in Garfield, a dog in Scooby-Doo 2, a beaver in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and the beloved gecko from the GEICO commercials.

In 2004, Angie expanded her role to include VFX and creature animation, leading a six-person team for The Cave. Her contributions included animating a 16-foot bat, a feat that highlighted her ability to blend technical precision with artistic flair. At Luma Pictures, she collaborated with the VFX Supervisor and Animation Director to deliver client feedback through animated daily updates. Angie adeptly interpreted client art directions and worked closely with her team to achieve the desired creative vision.

Continuing her journey in creature animation, Angie contributed to National Treasure and National Treasure: Book of Secrets, as well as animating faeries and a stick bug for Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth. Her work extended to I’m Here, a short film by Spike Jonze, and in 2010, she returned to SPI to animate iconic characters such as Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Grouchy, and Clumsy for The Smurfs movie.

In 2022, Angie took on a unique challenge, creating bespoke keyframe animations for Avatar 2. She shaped the movement of new creatures featured in the film, showcasing her adaptability and dedication to advancing creative boundaries. Angie’s extensive career exemplifies her expertise as an Animation Director, blending technical innovation with artistic storytelling across a diverse range of projects.

CONSULTING

Angie Jones has leveraged her expertise in consulting roles to enhance animation production, technology, and creative workflows across various projects and studios. At Imagemetrics, she was key in revitalizing software and technology development, focusing on artist-friendly solutions, tech product marketing, and business strategies. Angie worked closely with client studios in Canada and Los Angeles, fostering partnerships and driving growth by collaborating with producers and the CFO on efficient fiscal management. Her strategic contributions extended to profit-and-loss accountability, which she reviewed regularly with the COO and CFO.

Angie also directed a team of four artists to create eight minutes of game cinematics for Powerpuff Girls: Relish Rampage. This project required the innovative challenge of translating the franchise’s signature 2D aesthetic into CG. Angie trained her team in the necessary technology, tools, and asset creation processes while maintaining daily communication with clients to seamlessly adapt 2D assets into a CG world.

Her consulting expertise extended to productions like Disney’s Gnomeo and Juliet, where she assessed the feasibility of production methods and provided a comprehensive analysis comparing the 3DS Max and Maya pipelines. Angie also collaborated with Side Effects Software to enhance the user-friendliness of Houdini Software, contributing to its V9 release in 2007. She developed a refined UI and character toolset showcased at SIGGRAPH, participated in panels addressing animation production challenges, and worked with interns to create an animated demo for Houdini 9, highlighting tools designed explicitly for character animators.

Angie’s consulting work at Motion Theory focused on strengthening the animation department, elevating animation quality across CG and 2D projects, and developing IP content to attract new business. She oversaw teams, refined workflows, and pipelines, and contributed to projects like Adele’s debut music video, Chasing Pavements. Her role included building and staffing initiatives, ensuring adherence to schedules, and expanding the studio’s computer-animated character work scope.

In her collaboration with the Virtual Human Group on SimCoach at the Institute of Creative Technologies, Angie provided creative direction to enhance the appeal of AI-driven virtual humans. SimCoach benefited from Angie’s expertise in character animation pipelines, including modeling, rigging, and animation, designed to assist veterans and their families with post-traumatic stress disorder. She directed the development of AI-driven facial expressions, oversaw asset creation, and conducted daily check-ins with animators to achieve desired results. Her meticulous oversight ensured the integration of new technology to maximize the creative impact of AI characters.

Angie’s consulting roles demonstrate her ability to elevate animation production, optimize workflows, and deliver innovative solutions across diverse projects and industries.

PREVISUALIZATION

Angie Jones has a proven record of creating high-quality keyframe previsualizations for feature films and commercials. Her expertise spans the entire process, from initial storyboards to final animated sequences, ensuring projects are visually compelling and aligned with creative goals.

One standout project was Asura, where Angie meticulously choreographed and animated a 3-minute segment featuring six characters on horseback engaged in a high-energy deer chase. At Day For Nite, she contributed to Bloodshot by delivering photorealistic previsualization for the bionic-legged character Corporal Jimmy Dalton, showcasing dynamic and lifelike movements. Angie’s skills were also on display in a Super Bowl commercial for Bon & Viv Seltzer, where she created photorealistic keyframe previz and creature animations, including swarms of fish, mermaid tails, and four realistic sharks.

Her commercial previz portfolio includes work for prominent brands such as Breyers, Smurfs, Kia, Hatsune Miku Toyota, and Disney’s 50th Anniversary Spots. Angie’s ability to craft detailed previsualizations enhances storytelling and brings a high level of artistry and precision to every project she undertakes.