MATT ELSON
11901 Sunset Blvd., Apt. #207, Los Angeles, California 90049
Messages: (714) 668-3717 Residence: (310) 471-4511 Cell: (310) 344-6052 Email:
SENIOR EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
DIGITAL PRODUCTION ~ ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS ~ PROJECT MANAGEMENT
CLIENT RELATIONS ~ PRODUCTION & TEAM MANAGEMENT ~ MARKET ANALYSIS
* Senior production management professional with progressive experience and an exceptional record in conceiving, designing, developing, deploying and institutionalizing digital visualization techniques for the animation, film, television, game and fine art markets.
* Experience transcends every aspect of production from artist, to project manager, to facility creative director, general management and in advisory roles to executive management teams in some of Hollywoodís most successful studios.
* Responsible for othersí careers and for determining corporate direction in the highly dynamic world of high technology.
* Highly regarded for ability in candid analysis completed in a thorough and timely manner and for work on institutionalizing ongoing education in institutions that thrive on the forefront of visual development.
ADDITIONAL KEY AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Negotiation Program Design Oil Painting
Digital Painting Photography Sales Support
Computer Graphics Design Situation Analysis
Digital Painting Photography Sales Support
Computer Graphics Design Situation Analysis
EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND / TRANSFERABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
SKIPAINTINGS, INC. - Los Angeles, California, 2004 - Present
A fine art production company utilizing traditional fine art production methods and state-of-the-art computer graphics and digital production technologies.
www.skipaintings.com
President
Plan and produce all artwork, develop and implement the companyís strategic direction.
* Developed patentable production methods for the paintings and supply chain for derivative product production.
* Developed and maintain internal systems including naming conventions, versioning and production management.
* Secured a production development and management contract with the Mammoth Ski Museum to produce a painting exhibition for the 2006/7 season. Completed and launched the exhibit in November 2006 with excellent initial press coverage and sales.
WALT DISNEY FEATURE ANIMATION - Burbank, California, 2000 - 2004
The company, a unit of Walt Disney Studios, develops and produces all animated films for the Mickey Mouse empire.
Project Manager
Facilitator of the Advisory Board. This board was created to re-conceive the studio and its production methods for the 21st century.
* Facilitated strategic planning sessions with the executive management advisory board resulting in increased communication and morale within the Feature Animation division with the added benefit that management was better informed and more effectively positioned to exercise decisions.
* Worked with Walt Disney Feature Animation to facilitate the transition from traditional animation to a digital facility. Responsibilities included the creation of training courses to introduce the top creative talent to the medium of computer graphics.
* Worked with executive management to demystify the field and to facilitate the decision making process.
* Formulated an educational program for the executive management team at Walt Disney Feature Animation that engaged their interest, exposed them to critical information and introduced them to the key production personnel. Within one year all productions were fully digital and using 3D computer animation.
* Worked with production supervisors to determine their showsí needs and to custom create curriculum, film producers to educate them on the new potentials and job roles their showsí required and film directors to demonstrate the aesthetic potential that the new medium provides.
* Designed courses for animators, modelers (digital sculptors), lighters, digital set designers and other production personnel.
XO7 - Los Angeles, California, 1997 - 2000
Animation and special effects production company.
Creative Director
Responsible for planning and production of animation and special effects projects and software.
DREAMWORKS FEATURE ANIMATION - Glendale, California, 1995 - 1997
A producer of computer animated features, including the box office hits Shrek and Prince of Egypt, DreamWorks Animation develops content that is distributed and marketed by Paramount Pictures.
Artistic Liaison
Facilitated the executive management team in the development of their digital production capacity.
* Assembled a team of highly skilled specialists from Bell Labs, Italy, Seattle, Denver and Los Angeles to conduct a test for Shrek that had previously failed. Through six weeks of careful and exacting work, radical improvements were made to the facilities character animation capacity and software infrastructure exceeding previous test results on all levels.
* Managed the development of a major software system for DreamWorks on-time and within budget.
**Early career includes progressive production management roles with Magnet Interactive Studios, The Post Group and Symbolics, Inc.
EDUCATION
MA, Communication Arts, Communications, with Honors, New York Institute of Technology, New York, New York
BA, Fine Arts, Painting, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York
CONTINUING EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Certificate, Executive Management, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
Siggraph ìMaking Computer Animation in the Dawn of the Golden Ageî (Panel Organizer and Moderator); Siggraph ìAnimation's Turning Tideî (Panel Organizer and Moderator); Siggraph ìMaking Multimedia: From Vaporware to Goldrushî (Course Chair and Speaker); Siggraph ìCharacter Motion Systemsî (Course Chair and Speaker); Broadcast Designer Association; ìPut a Little Character in Your Animationî (Speaker); Siggraph ìCharacter Motion Systemsî (Course Chair and Speaker); Imagina (Monte Carlo) ìThe Creation of ëVirtually Yoursíî; Siggraph ìThe Artist in Virtual Worldsî (Panel Speaker); Siggraph , Speaker: ìCharacter Animation by Designî; Speaker: ìThe State of the Art of Facial Animationî; Imagina (Monte Carlo) ìThe Creation of ëThe Little Deathíî; Broadcast Designers Association ìThe Creation of ëThe Little Deathíî BDA Address; British Effects Society ìThe Creation of ëThe Little Deathíî; Siggraph ìAn Introduction to Computer Animationî (Speaker)
Certificate, Executive Management, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
Siggraph ìMaking Computer Animation in the Dawn of the Golden Ageî (Panel Organizer and Moderator); Siggraph ìAnimation's Turning Tideî (Panel Organizer and Moderator); Siggraph ìMaking Multimedia: From Vaporware to Goldrushî (Course Chair and Speaker); Siggraph ìCharacter Motion Systemsî (Course Chair and Speaker); Broadcast Designer Association; ìPut a Little Character in Your Animationî (Speaker); Siggraph ìCharacter Motion Systemsî (Course Chair and Speaker); Imagina (Monte Carlo) ìThe Creation of ëVirtually Yoursíî; Siggraph ìThe Artist in Virtual Worldsî (Panel Speaker); Siggraph , Speaker: ìCharacter Animation by Designî; Speaker: ìThe State of the Art of Facial Animationî; Imagina (Monte Carlo) ìThe Creation of ëThe Little Deathíî; Broadcast Designers Association ìThe Creation of ëThe Little Deathíî BDA Address; British Effects Society ìThe Creation of ëThe Little Deathíî; Siggraph ìAn Introduction to Computer Animationî (Speaker)
KEY WORDS FOR OPTICAL SCANNING
Production, Production Planning, Production Management, Methods & Standards, Purchasing, Six Sigma, Quality Assurance, Lean Manufacturing, Warehousing, Warehouse Layout, Direct Sales, New Account Sales, Sales Promotion, Advertising, Market Research & Analysis, Strategic Alliances, Brand Management, New Product, Development, New Product Introduction, Packaging, Planning, Merchandising, Marketing, Project Management, Computer/Telecommunications, Interface, Technical Support, Systems Analysis, Design, & Development, Mgt. Information Systems, Computer Operations, Data Security, Training, Supervision, Project Management, Program Planning, Systems and Procedures, Purchasing & Distrib., Public Relations, Community Affairs, Association Relations, Research & Appraisal, Corporate Publications, Corporate Identity, Recruiting, Training, Evaluation, Selection, Orientation, Organization Planning & Development, Counseling, Employee Mentoring, Compensation, Benefits, Wage & Rate Analysis, Work Schedule Control, HR Allocation, Planning & Forecasting, Recreation, Safety, Outplacement/Industrial Relations, Patents, Incorporation, Board of Directors, Product Development, Process Development, Product Design, Product Testing, Communications, Research Planning, Systems Planning, Project Management, Technology Evaluation, Software Engineering, Basic Research, Applied Research, Product Re-engineering, Technical Writing, New Equipment Design, Testing Procedures, Hardware Engineering, Strategic Partnerships
