Recommendations For Jon Finch Sony Pictures Imageworks - Character /Environment/ Prop Modeler - "Hotel Transylvania" “I had the pleasure of supervising Jon at SPI on Hotel Transylvania. His can-do attitude, flexibility, and knowledge of the craft made him a very valuable asset to our team. He understands the needs of production making him an artist that needed very little supervision. I could always trust his judgement. I highly recommend Jon and look forward to working with him in the future.” Mark Krentz, Senior Modeler, Sony Pictures Imageworks managed Jon at Sony Pictures Imageworks “Jon was a great modeler to work with on Hotel T... he was one of the few people that actually took the time to stop by and talk out problems in person, which helped get issues sorted out very quickly. Of course when rigging it is key to have clean models to work with, and Jon definitely delivered. He also was very open to any suggestions or changes that other departments required and didn't take things too personally. Overall I enjoyed working with Jon very much!” Luis Villanueva, Hotel Transylvania - Associate Production Manager, sony imageworks managed Jon at Sony Pictures Imageworks “Jon was a great modeler to work with on Hotel T... he was one of the few people that actually took the time to stop by and talk out problems in person, which helped get issues sorted out very quickly. Of course when rigging it is key to have clean models to work with, and Jon definitely delivered. He also was very open to any suggestions or changes that other departments required and didn't take things too personally. Overall I enjoyed working with Jon very much!” Joe DiLallo, Lead Character TD, Sony Pictures Imageworks worked with Jon at Sony Pictures Imageworks “Jon did a great job for us on Hotel Transylvania, modeling environments, props and characters, with very tight deadlines.” Peter Nofz, DFX Supervisor, Sony Imageworks managed Jon indirectly at Sony Pictures Imageworks Bird Brain Studio clients “Jon is an excellent 3D artist and I always appreciated the ease of working with him. He was an integral part of our team and in helping to make the Bionicle Series a success.” Victor Corbera, hired Jon as a Graphic/Web Designer in 2005, and hired Jon more than once “I have worked with Jon on and off for almost 10 years now. I have hired him first as a CG artist and then Technical Director while working for the Krislin Company. During this time we worked very closely on the Universal television series Sitting Ducks and development of multiple other properties. Since then I have worked together with Jon numerous times on multiple projects as the owner of 310 Studios. Jon's skill set is very deep and he is an incredible asset to have on any team. Jon's experience with pipelines ranging from very small to the very large and complex make him a first choice for us when looking for talent. I have nothing but the highest regard for Jon both as person and an artist.” Billy Jones, Producer, 310 studios managed Jon at Bird Brain Studio “Jon is incredibly talented CG artist, easy to work with and completely reliable. The work he did on our feature project exceeded our expectations. I look forward to working with him again.” Seth Hurwitz, hired Jon as a CG for feature film in 2003, and hired Jon more than once “Jon worked as part of a small team producing a 3D animated safety video as a td/rigger and texture artist. He was a hard working multiskilled team member, developing character rigs in association with the animator and texturing the props/aircraft interior. Jon has that rare quality of staying patient when faced with mounting delays and unexpected technical difficulties on a project - he stays calm, goes that extra mile and thinks up a solution. The client was very pleased with the final video.” Richard Barsby, hired Jon as a 3D production in 2005 “Jon is an excellent artist and definitely an asset to any team. He's easy going, intelligent, and highly talented. What most impressed me about Jon was how dedicated, relaxed and accessible he was throughout the duration of the project. I look forward to the next opportunity I have to work alongside him.” Abel Salazar, Lead CG Character Animator, 310 Studios worked directly with Jon at Bird Brain Studios “Jon is an all around super talent. From modeling to texturing to lighting to rigging. He knows it al,l does it all, and consitently blows me away with just how talented he is. On top of that he is very easy to get along with and a very hard worker, always meeting deadlines. The last project I hired him for was to create an animated character that needed to live in a live action world and he did, seemlessly. I always look foward to working with him again. Craig Russo Vfx Supervisor 310 Studios” Craig Russo, hired Jon as a Lead Modeller and TD in 1999, and hired Jon more than once “We first hired Jon when we were developing Maya Animation Model for my feature film, SWARM of the SNAKEHEAD, a 16mm Creature Comedy. He supervised the digitizing of our practical 3D model to fantastic results then brilliantly created all the assets required for a fully rigged, multifaceted, superb 3D model of our practical. The results were fantastic. Once he created out "monster" he was asked to create several animation scenerios based on storyboards and his consultations. Not only is he technically superior he has a fine sense of characterization for his creations, comedy and the ability to make his characters "act" he is timely, collaborative and commited to a stellar job. He essentially breathed life and a personality into his creation. Without Jon's creative and technical artistry our film would not have had the professional "hollywood" touch in it's animation sequences it now has thanks to him. I would recommend Jon for any Maya based character creation and animation work and value his skills and integrity and commitment to the project immensely. I honestly can't recommend him highly enough. Frank A. Lama Producer Ten Pound Films 443-362-0130 - February 23, 2007 Frank Lama, hired Jon as a 3D Designer Animator and Render Consultant in 2005, and hired Jon more than once “Jon was a great help to us for the short time we worked together. Highly recommendable!” Bernie Wempe, character modeling supervisor, bardel entertainment, bfc managed Jon at Bird Brain Studios “Jon worked with Creative Capers on a pre-production video for Electronic Arts' Command and Conquer franchise. One of the many things that I enjoyed about Jon is that I could trust him completely. His work was always polished to an excellent level. Basically, whatever the assignment was he "nailed" it on the first try. Great personality and a very warm sense of humor. I recommend Jon for great all around CG work. Duane Loose, hired Jon as a Computer Graphics and Animation in 2003 “Jon helped me design my company logo and to put it into a graphical format I use for all my media. It is one of the most critical aspects of any business and his creativity and professionalism showed in delivering exactly what I had asked for and then some. I would highly recommend him.” Paul McIntyre, hired Jon as a Graphic/Web Designer in 2005 Warner Bros. Studios - CG Modeler/Designer “I met Jon when he joined the PEPFAR modeling team at Warner Bros.. He brings an artistic eye, technical know-how and a positive attitude to everything he does. Jon is professional, collaborative and a pleasure to work with. I look forward to working with him again. Your project will benefit from his experience, creativity and ability" Henry Darnell, Modeling Supvervisor, Warner Bros. Animation managed Jon at Warner Bros. Studios “Jon brought a wealth of modeling techniques to the project and adapted with ease to our special requirements given the alternative artistic direction and abstract look dev. He was great to have around, I confidently recommend Jon to any studio.” Graham D. Clark, CG Supervisor, Warner Bros. Entertainment Group of Companies managed Jon at Warner Bros. Studios “Jon is not only a great modeler but he exemplifies what a team player is. He is a dedicated to his craft and he has a good attitude. I enjoyed working with him.” Jennifer Williams, Modeler, Warner Bros. Studios worked directly with Jon at Warner Bros. Studios iMAGi Animation Studios - CG Designer/Generalist - ASTRO BOY “I would like to recommend Jon Finch as one of the most talented and professional Artists I have had the great fortune to work with. Jon was one of our Visual Development artists within the Art Department on Imagi's second Feature Animated Film, "Astro Boy." He was one of our lead designers using both CG and traditional means and I was constantly amazed at how varied Jon's skills are. He is extremely proficient in CG but can also create very strong Traditional sketches to help realize designs. Jon was always self motivating and very thorough with every assignment. On Astro Boy, we had the opportunity to truly combine both Traditional 2D art and CG art into one and Jon helped make this new process a huge success. As a person Jon was a pleasure to be around and he was a source of inspiration for myself and others. I can't speak highly enough of Jon and it is my sincere belief that he would be a valuable asset to any studio. I know hundreds of artists within the Animation Industry and Jon Finch is among the best I know. I consider myself very lucky to have worked with him. Sam Michlap, Production Designer, Imagi Studios managed Jon at Imagi Studios “When the Production Designer and I first sat down to put together a team of artist for a hybrid art department, Jon was one of the first people I thought of for the CG-design aspect of the team. I worked with him in the past and remembered him to be a multi-faceted artist. Jon is very self-motivated and enthusiastic about his profession, and possesses many strengths, both artistic and technical. His position on "Astro Boy" was special in that we came to consider him our "X-Factor" guy because we had many look development technical assets that needed the kind of attention that Jon's expertise provided. With Jon I knew I could assign him a project and it would be done to the highest level within the time allowed. Jon also helped with RnD for early hair and cloth designs and could always be counted on to give fresh perspective on any artwork/designs. I look forward to working with him again on future projects.” Jake Rowell, Art Director, iMAGi Studios hired Jon as a Visual Development Artist in 2007 Nickelodeon Animation Studios - Character Technical Artist - "Tak and the Power of Juju", "Penguins of Madagascar", "Fanboy and ChumChum" and "Kung Fu Panda" “Jon is a highly skilled character TD, and he’s a joy to work with. He’s got a great attitude and years of varied experience to draw from. He did some really complicated character setup when he was with my department and had great ideas. I hired Jon at Nickelodeon and I’d be happy to work with him in the future.” Josh Book, CG Creative Director, Nickelodeon Animation Studios managed Jon indirectly at Nickelodeon Animation Studios. Bardel Entertainment Inc. - Character modeler/UV artist - Happily N'Ever After “While I only worked with Jon for a short time, his positive attitude towards the project and solid 3D skills were a refreshing change on an otherwise tense production.” Steven Melchiorre, CGI Producer / CGI & Post Production Supervisor, Bardel Entertainment managed Jon at Bardel Entertainment Inc. The Krislin Company - CG Generalist/Consultant “Jon Finch mentored me in 3D and I will always appreciate all that he taught me. To clearly see the production priorities and to intuitively what problems must be solved first to to keep a production operating smoothly is abilities very few artist possess.Jon marries this with a wonderful aesthetic to make the most of every design element. I use many things that I learned from Jon every day in supervising two 3D series here at GIMC, 'Pom Pom and Friends' and 'Cloud Bread' (which just received an ANNIE nomination for Best Childrens Programme). I will always be gratefully for the education and guidance he has given me. Best Wishes! Woody” Woody Yocum, Director/Designer, Little Blue Monkeys worked directly with Jon at The Krislin Company “Great designer & production guy. Jon had a knack for anticipating what I wanted and yet gave it all a wonderful spin of his own. I'd love to work with him again.” Gary Selvaggio, Principal, Nasty Wolf Media Group managed Jon at The Krislin Company Walt Disney Animation Studios - CG Look-Dev Modeler - "Tinker Bell and The Mysterious Winter Woods" “Jon is a very good modeler, and a great guy to work with. He's reliable, hard-working, and would make a great member of any modeling department.” John Park, Front End Lead, DisneyToon Studios managed Jon at Walt Disney Animation Studios