Artjail, with studios in New York and Toronto, has tapped Matt Greenwood as its new design creative director while also hiring Jonathan Lee and Weichieh Yu as CG Leads. All three will be based out of Artjail’s New York studio, but will pitch in on selected projects in Toronto as well.
John Skeffington, managing director and EP at Artjail, noted that Greenwood’s hire represents a new position at the company. “We’ve always offered design services, but Matt is the first CD we’ve brought on to run the design team. He’s got a well-rounded skill set, a strong eye and great leadership abilities. We see him playing an important role in the future development and growth of the department.”
Greenwood, who most recently was with Nice Shoes, has already contributed to a number of key Artjail projects, include spots for Doritos, directed by Henry Schofield of Reset, and Peloton, directed by Los Perez through Caviar.
Artjail founder and creative director Steve Mottershead added, “I was familiar with Matt’s work and reputation in the industry, and was keen to loop him into our growing team. He’s one of those rare talents who’s not only an amazing artist, but an even better person. His calm demeanor and confident artistry puts both the team and clients at ease, knowing that they’re in great hands.”
Greenwood said of his new roost, “Their work is top notch, with a high level of precision and sophistication that shines through. I love the idea of helping develop and grow the motion design side of the studio, and I’m excited by the prospect of contributing to their amazing work.”
CG leads Lee and Yu bring a wealth of experience to Artjail, having worked on both staff and freelance roles at top animation and VFX houses. Collectively their resumes include stints with The Mill, Psyop, Framestore, Taylor James, Buck and Zoic, among others. Lee has taught computer art at New York’s School of Visual Arts for the past seven years, while Yu’s hire signals a return to Artjail, where he’s freelanced in the past.
Ross Denner, Artjail’s head of 3D, noted that since their hire, both Lee and Yu have been working several days a week at Artjail’s New York office, which is operating under a hybrid setup. “We assess our workload, our R&D needs and everyone’s lifestyle and personal situations, then block out the week in the office based on milestones,” he explained. “We’ve found this approach is very effective, as ultimately we’re both maintaining and building on our company culture while still being able to resolve creative problems quickly.
Denner continued, “What we are doing at Artjail is building a highly concentrated, supremely talented CG department that can flex with job demands and expand and contract when needed. The experience both Jonathan and Weichieh have fits perfectly into this philosophy. By working at the big companies, they’ve been exposed to a wide range of jobs of varying complexity, and have held different roles within those teams. All this, combined with the existing senior staff at Artjail, will make this a very nimble and dynamic environment.”
