About me

To Whom It May Concern,

I am inquiring about the vacancy for After Effects Designer advertised online.

I enclose a CV and links to various examples of my work but I shall just start by telling you a little about my background.

I am, at present, represented as a freelance director/designer by Annex Films, here in London, as one half of a directing team known as FAQ.

I work predominantly in the advertising industry, directing commercials (Guinness, Ford, Twinings and Adidas) TV Idents (Guinness and BBC) and film and TV title sequences (Snatch and Curse of the Golden Flower). I have also directed several short films for TV and the festival circuit. (ACE and Channel 4). I have won numerous awards for this work including D&AD Silver, Creative Circle, and BTAA.

I have over 10 years of experience working in the film and TV industry as a director and as an animator, working closely with advertising agencies, creatives and clients, and can direct in several different disciplines such as performance, animation and FX heavy work. My role begins with the initial pitch stage, creating visual and conceptual treatments, then working closely with production staff to successfully bring to life that vision.

A large part of my role includes directing teams of animators, operators, editors at the production stage, right through to final picture grading and sound mix.

I have a good professional knowledge of After Effects, FCP, Photoshop and Illustrator and have employed these skills on many of my jobs. A selection of my AFX work can be seen here */

I have directed many animated 3D jobs and have a good knowledge of the process.

In 2011, between July and November I worked as Creative Director for a Motion Graphics company called Samba Creative, where my role ranged from the creative concepts, and directing a small team of permanent and freelance 3D and After Effects animators on a number of projects for clients in the news broadcast industry. These can be presently seen on the recent work section of Samba's website at - */

In my work, I value clarity of ideas highly and a strong creative breadth in the execution of those ideas. I think attention to detail is important and tackle every creative challenge head on with enthusiasm and in a professional manner.

I was very excited by the job description and enjoyed my role as Creative Director at Samba recently. I believe this is a project I could bring my talents to and would love the opportunity to work with you.

Kind Regards

Ian Cross

Skills

I have been working as a director for over 15 years, with work ranging from TV Commercials, TV Brand Idents, Title sequences for Film and TV, logo design and animation, and several short films for TV. Skills and styles range from directing large scale live action shoots, motion graphics, typography, 2-D animation and directing small teams of FX operators and 3D animators.

Sector Experience

I have been represented as a director and animator since 1995, starting at the animation company Picasso Pictures, then Spank Films, and presently at Annex Films. I have gained valuable experience working from concept stages all the way through production to the post production stage, working with some of the best advertising agencies in London. I have worked on big and small budget projects alike, and pride myself on giving my full attention and commitment regardless. I have worked abroad on many occasions. I have won numerous awards including D&AD, Creative Circle, BAA and Art Directors Club Of Europe.

Awards

D&AD Silver Pencil - Guinness RWC Sponsorship 2000, Creative Circle - Guinness RWC Sponsorship 2000, British Arrow Awards - Guinness RWC Sponsorship 2000, Art Director's of Europe - Guinness RWC Sponsorship 2000, D&AD Book - Snatch Title Sequence 2001, Creative Circle - BBC2 Station Idents 2007

Clients

Adidas, AKQA, AMV BBDO, and COI and brands would include Guinness, BBC, British Army, Brooklyn Bros, Fallon, Ford, Heineken, HSBC, Lowes, National Lottery, Ogilvy, RKCR, Sainsbury, Twinnings, Walkers, William Hill