Noted animation director Paul Vester has joined Hollywood-based Class-Key Chew-Po Commercials as creative director, digital and mixed media. Class-Key Chew-Po is the spot division of Hollywood animation studio Klasky Csupo, which is known for such entertainment fare as the Rugrats TV series and movie.
Vester comes over from Rhythm & Hues, Los Angeles, where he spent the past three years helming spots for such advertisers as Xerox, Listerine, Hershey, Twizzlers and Geico Direct as well as a Grammy-nominated music video for the Oasis song "All Around the World."
Vester first established himself at his now defunct London studio Speedy Films, which he maintained for 23 years before moving stateside to become director of animation at Rhythm & Hues in ’97. However, he made his directorial mark in the U.S. long before relocating here, most notably with the classic Hershey’s "One of the All-Time Greats" mixed-media campaign produced in ’85 by Speedy for Ogilvy & Mather, New York. Through Speedy, Vester later forged U.S. representation relationships with now defunct Broadcast Arts, R/Greenberg Associates and (Colossal) Pictures.
In his endeavors on both sides of the Atlantic, Vester gained a reputation for his work in traditional cel and mixed media animation. At Rhythm & Hues, he meshed those sensibilities with the studio’s core business of CGI and computer character animation.
Now Vester comes aboard Class-Key Chew-Po Commercials as it continues to broaden into 3-D computer animation. "I’ve been discussing our goals in the CG and mixed-media areas with Paul for some time," related executive producer John Andrews, who heads Class-Key Chew-Po along with executive producer Elizabeth Seidman. Said Andrews of Vester, "With his strong background in traditional animation techniques, and his up-to-date experience with computer animation, he is the perfect candidate to oversee our expansion."
Vester said he’s happy to be working with John Andrews, "who I have known since his days at MTV when Speedy was a producer of IDs and a contributor to [the series] Liquid Television." Beyond spots, Vester has also garnered recognition for his independent films, including Abductees, a combination of interviews and animation exploring close encounters with aliens; and the shorts Sunbeam and Picnic.
Class-Key Chew-Po Commercials’ directorial roster includes Bonita Versh, Tom Decker, Raul Garcia, Voltaire, Corky Quakenbush, Sally Cruikshank, Debra Solomon, Michael Johnson, Jim Blashfield, Stig Bergqvist and John Haugse.
