Please be advised you can download a very clean PDF version of this resume from this link.
Download Jon Tojek resume from Google Drive in PDF format
Also you can download a clean PDF version of the Reel Shot List 2016 from this link.
Shot List that goes with VFX reel
Robot Programmer
Robotic Arts, Los Angeles CA, Aug 2014 – Present
Using Maya animation tools and proprietary software Robot Animator I am designing robot choreography for complex robot movements. The first project I have worked on is for Royal Caribbean, animating a team of 6 huge ABB robot arms with massive Daktronics LED mounted screens. Additional projects include programming moves for the live Asian Music Awards show, Vegas signage trade show, and music videos. The types of robots we program can be anything, but most commonly are ABB, Kuka, and Yaskawa.
3D Generalist, on set VFX Supervisor, CG manager
Fullframe Filmes, Rio de Janeiro Brazil, July 2012 – Aug 2014
Working as a CG Supervisor and 3D Generalist I helped the staff at this young and growing studio to improve Lighting and Rendering workflow. We did a number of high end commercials for Gillette, Nike, and Tim, where I would Supervise and work on set shooting VFX reference, and HDR panoramics for lighting. On set Data Wrangler for the 2016 film Pele, Birth of a legend.
Lighting Technical Director
Weta Digital, Wellington New Zealand, Oct – Dec 2012
For the final push to finish The Hobbit I went to New Zealand, trained in the Weta pipeline for a couple days, and proceeded to knuckle down on the workstation and final a good 10 shots weeks before the film was released. We worked in Maya, rendered in Renderman using many proprietary Weta tools, along with always testing bash comps in Nuke.
Senior Lighting and Compositing TD, Cloth/Hair TD
Sony Pictures Imageworks, Los Angeles CA, March – July 2012
Hotel Transylvania – Working in the Culver City studio I used Katana, Arnold, and Nuke for lighting a variety of sequences, followed by creation of the Stereographic 3D version of each shot. Early on in this job they asked for volunteers to help with the cloth and hair workload, so I finished the last 2.5 months of the show doing simulations and cleanup with Maya and Tango the very powerful SPI cloth simulation software.
Lighting Technical Director
Industrial Light and Magic, Los Angeles CA, March to June 2011
For this job I learned the ILM lighting pipeline and completed shots for the film Super8. We were remotely located in Playa del Rey but spoke with and had dailies over skype with the rest of the team in San Francisco. Here I finaled 15 shots for the film and did slap comps with Nuke.
Lead 3D Generalist and Compositor
Hydraulx, Los Angeles CA, Jan 2007 to present
Working here for the past 4 years I have alternated between two positions, first as a 3D Supervisor on commercial projects leading teams of 10+ people through all stages of production from tracking and modeling to lighting and final renders. Secondly I work as a 3D Generalist on films such as 2012 and Knight and Day where I take on more complex sequences doing all the parts including water simulations, smoke and fire effects, look development, lighting, and compositing.
Lighting Technical Director and Compositor
Animal Logic, Sydney Australia, July to Oct. 2006
Academy award nominated Happy Feet was in production for Warner Brothers here for years and near the end of production I was hired as a lighter to push shots through the already built pipeline using Maya, Mayaman, Renderman, and Fusion to composite. Here I finalled many shots for the film, approved daily by director George Miller in a high intensity environment of productivity and successfully achieved deadlines.
Senior Lighting Technical Director, 2D compositing, Shader Look Development
Sony Imageworks, Los Angeles CA, March 2003 to June 2006
Polar Express, Monster House, and Beowulf are the movies I worked on here as a Lighter and Look Development artist. At the beginning of these productions I work with a team creating standards for the style, look and feel of all 3D objects by creating and tuning materials and shaders. After this initial design phase the work changes to lighting and compositing shots that get approved by the director and appear in the finished film. On the Steven Spielberg produced Monster House I was a Sequence Lighting Lead who decides the initial light setup and look for other artists to take and final shots.
Visual Effects Supervisor
Estudios Mega, Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Oct 1999 to June 2002
Working and training people at a large post house doing 2d/3d commercials, films, and music videos. Here I was managing a team of 6 graphics artists using both SGI and PC platforms in the full range of post house work from meeting with clients, bidding for jobs, supervising FX film shoots, creating all manner of graphics, and delivering product on time. We used Maya, Composer, Flame, and general Adobe software.
Product Specialist Maya, Film and Video department
Silicon Graphics (Alias/Wavefront), San Francisco CA, Oct 1997 to Sept 1999
This job allowed me to work with Maya software long before public release and involved extensive bug testing, interface/usability suggestions, and in-depth use of all software features. Working primarily on the West Coast I did large audience presentations, made demo animations, and trained new Maya users at all the large studios including ILM, PDI, Pixar, Manex and others. During these two years I was also able to learn with professionals everywhere creating character animations and film effects allowing me to complete a 35mm short film “Let’s Get Medical” which won effects awards and played in film festivals worldwide.
Manager of computer graphics department
Post Effects, Chicago IL, Sept 1995 to Oct 1997
Leading a team of three other Alias animators and two compositors to produce all of the graphics needed for the output of one of Chicago’s largest post production houses. Working directly with in-house and agency art directors this place produced a large volume of lush professional graphics work for corporate, ad agency, and broadcast clients. The tools here include all Alias 2d/3d software, Wavefront 3Design, Side Effects Ice/Action, Flint, and an endless variety of analog hardware.
FREELANCE WORK
VFX course creation, Maya, Mental Ray, and Nuke
Digital Tutors, Oklahoma City, OK, Feb – Oct. 2012
When I have freetime between jobs I enjoy creating these 2 hour VFX training courses in advanced CG topics. They are sold online and have both been accessed over 10,000 times. The two classes I created are HDR Lighting with Panoramic creation, and Advanced Subsurface Scatter shader network creation.
3D Generalist, Animation, Look Development and Lighting, Maya, Mental Ray, and Toxic
Brewster Parsons, Los Angeles CA, Jan – Feb, 2010
Working as a Maya TD I came in late to this job to animate, look develop shaders, and light this long running, beautiful Lexus car commercial for the Superbowl called Milestone.
3D Lead, Look Development and Lighting, Maya, Mental Ray, and Shake
Psyop, Los Angeles CA, May – July, 2008
Hired to lead a team of five 3D artists doing tracking, animation, lighting and shader development on a photorealistic high end BMW commercial called “YET”
Look Development and Lighting, 2D After Effects Compositor
Method Studios, Los Angeles CA, July – Aug, 2005
Used Maya with Mental Ray GI rendering to make shaders, light, and final render some animated characters for a Ford commercial.
3D Generalist, 2D Shake Compositor
Eleven Arts Film, Los Angeles CA, March – June, 2005
Technical Director Maya job making visual effects for an independent terror film called Death Ride, where my finaled shots included smoke effects, seamless element drop-ins, and the main character getting hit by a car.
3D Animator, 2D Shake Compositor
Duart and New Deal Pictures, New York City, Nov – Dec, 2003
General Maya job making backgrounds, environmental, underwater, atmospheric effects and compositing filmed human actors on top for a feature length film called Below the Belt opening at Sundance 2004.
Application Engineer, Demo guy, trainer for Shout software
Thomson Digital, IBC, Amsterdam, Lake Tahoe, Rio de Janeiro, Sept, 2003 – currently
Ongoing contract work for Thomson after extensive training with their film restoration software called Shout. Since then I have done training, trade shows, demos, and installations at numerous film/video locations.
Maya 3D Instructor
Crest Productions, Mumbai India, June, 2001
Designed and taught a 10-day Maya transition crash course to a professional team of 25 Softimage users.
3D Animator and Finisher (Willie Wonka commercial)
WildBrain Productions, San Francisco, Sept, 1999
Maya Advanced Animation Instructor
Academy of Art San Francisco, Oct, 1997 to April, 1999
Taught four separate 16-week classes to senior level students over these two years.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science degree, University of Wisconsin Madison
Majoring in Electrical Engineering with Computer Science Minor, Dec 1992
Trained by Alias/Wavefront to be a Certified Instructor in 3 subjects, Toronto Canada
Character Animation, Maya Cloth, and MEL Fundamentals, 1993-1999
AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Created two computer animated films Nao Fique Pilhado (2002) and Let’s Get Medical (1999) which played in many film and animation festivals worldwide winning a number of awards and mentions.