Jennifer Ely

Jennifer Ely

Senior Production Designer/ Illustrator / Vis Dev Artist / 12 yrs

Portland, OR, United States

Hire Me

Production Designer (Unknown Episodes)

Matt & Bird Break Loose (2021)

Color Artist

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)

Illustrator

Wendell & Wild (2022)

2D Artist/ Painter

On Ice (2015)

Production Designer

The Shivering Truth (2018)

Colo Stylist

The Adventures of Puss in Boots (2015)

Art Intern / PA

The Boxtrolls (2014)

Project Designer

International Delight Caramel Macchiato

Project Designer

Häagen-Dazs Maker Street

Skills
Skills Clear
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Software
Software Clear
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Production Designer/ Illustrator / Vis Dev Artist
Seasonal Studies
Trubshaw's Backyard (2)
Trubshaw's Backyard (1)
Smashed Boxpile Color/ Look Development
Opening Shot Color Script/ Look Dev
Forest Spirit
Red in Tunnel
Savannah People
Spences Bridge
One
Costa Rica
Sleeping Beauty
Bonnie & Clyde
Granville Island 1
Jenn is a Visual Development Artist, Production Designer / Art Director, and Illustrator living in Portland, OR. She’s known for her work on great narrative projects in animation and children’s books.

She is currently working on her next kid’s book Cactus Queen, a non fiction picture book about Minerva Hamilton Hoyt’s fight to establish Joshua Tree National Park (written by Lori Alexander for Calkins Creek). Recent work includes color design for Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, illustrating on Henry Selick’s Wendell and Wild, and illustrating The Gardener of Alcatraz: A True Story, a recently released nonfiction picture book written by Emma Bland Smith for Charlesbridge. Jenn has a background in traditional fine art, and began her career in animation on The Boxtrolls in 2012. She has gone on to work on a wide variety of film, television, commercial, and VR productions, designing everything from characters, color, environments, matte paintings, story beats, costumes and more.
Work History

  • Illustrator

    Astra Publishing House

    May 2022 - Present

    I’m working on my next non fiction picture book with Astra/ Calkins Creek. It’s called “ Cactus Queen” and it’s written by Lori Alexander. Coming 2024!

  • Visual Development Artist

    ShadowMachine

    February 2022 - Present

    I’ve been working with Shadow Machine’s development team on some upcoming pitches. It’s freelance and so is stop and start, but when I have the room I love working with Shadow:D

  • Freelance Illustrator

    DreamWorks Animation

    February 2017 - Present

  • Designer

    House of Cool Inc.

    October 2022 - November 2022

  • Color Designer

    Swaybox

    July 2022 - August 2022

  • Illustrator

    Oddbot Inc.

    July 2022 - August 2022

  • Visual Development Artist

    Warner Bros. Animation

    March 2022 - June 2022

  • Production Designer

    Hornet Inc.

    December 2020 - May 2022

  • Senior Concept Artist

    Swaybox

    November 2021 - February 2022

  • Illustrator

    Charlesbridge Publishing

    November 2020 - September 2021

    Illustrating a non fiction picture book, “The Gardener of Alcatraz”

  • Production Designer at Amazon Studios

    Prime Video & Amazon Studios

    December 2020 - August 2021

  • Color Designer

    ShadowMachine

    November 2019 - December 2020

    Developing the color script for the upcoming Netflix stop motion feature film, "Pinocchio", directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson.

  • Production Designer

    Bent Image Lab

    July 2015 - October 2020

    I work frequently with Bent Image Lab as production designer on various pitches and commercial spots, including repeat clients such as Honda and Puffs.

  • Illustrator

    Netflix

    May 2018 - November 2019

    Illustrator on Henry Selick and Jordan Peele's Wendell and Wild

  • Visual Development Artist

    Uyoung

    August 2018 - September 2018
    Portland, Oregon Area

  • Production Designer

    ShadowMachine

    February 2018 - July 2018
    Portland, OR

  • Visual Development Artist

    Locksmith Animation

    March 2018 - May 2018

  • Freelance Visual Development Artist

    DreamWorks Animation

    March 2017 - March 2018

    I work on and off with Dreamworks TV on development projects. I have been brought on to design environments, color, and style for multiple 2D properties. I love working on the early stages of projects where we are still figuring out what the look is. It's a blast and the teams have been great to work with!

  • Production Designer

    ShadowMachine

    August 2017 - September 2017
    Portland, Oregon Area

  • Professor

    The Oatley Academy of Concept Art & Illustration

    December 2014 - July 2017

    I admire the community of focused passionate individuals that Chris Oatley and the other amazing professors at the school have brought together. I am humbled and excited to be a part of it!

  • Project Designer

    HouseSpecial

    July 2015 - October 2015

    I freelance for House Special on a regular basis doing everything from production design to prop design on great commercial projects for a variety of clients.

  • Designer / Painter

    XMen Apocalypse M&Ms

    September 2015 - October 2015
    Portland, OR

    I created drawings translating the costumes and generating character poses for these M&Ms;// Xmen Apocalyse crossovers. They were then modelled, and I painted the final versions on the models in 2D.

  • Production Designer

    Pixel Veil LLC

    June 2015 - July 2015

    Feature fIlm pitch artwork

  • Project Designer

    HouseSpecial

    May 2015 - May 2015

    This was my second project with House Special. I was called in to tackle color keys and some composition work for an upcoming commercial combines live action with CG animation. I had a great couple weeks with some lovely talented people:D

  • Concept Designer

    Laika

    March 2015 - May 2015

  • 2D Artist/ Painter

    Evil Eye Pictures

    January 2015 - March 2015

    Google Spotlight Story, "On Ice" written and directed by Shannon Tindle, with production design by Lou Romano

  • Project Designer

    HouseSpecial

    January 2015 - February 2015

    I spent about 4 weeks working with House Special on a stop motion spot for Häagen-Dazs. It was a great experience and I'm really proud of how the work came out! The bulk of my contribution was color design and prop design, with some environment and costume work sprinkled in there.

  • Color Stylist

    Bardel Entertainment

    March 2014 - October 2014
    Vancouver, BC

    Dreamworks "The Adventures of Puss In Boots" for Netflix

  • Concept Development Artist

    Laika

    March 2014 - June 2014
    hillsboro, or

    Various upcoming feature film projects, under NDA

  • Graphic Artist

    Laika

    September 2013 - December 2013

  • Art Production Asst.

    Laika

    December 2012 - August 2013

  • Art Intern

    Laika

    June 2012 - November 2012
View All Positions
Education

  • Ilustration

    Savannah College of Art and Design

    2010 - 2012

  • BFA in Painting and Drawing

    The School of the Art Institute of Chicago

    2003 - 2008