John-Michael "J" Bills

John-Michael "J" Bills

Pacific NW Film Compositor + On-Set Supervisor

Senior Digital Compositor / Mid-level Colorist / 22 yrs

Portland, OR (USA)

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Senior Compositor

The Creator (2023)

Lead Compositor / Editor / Colorist

The Portal - Bleacher Report (2021)

Compositor

The Suicide Squad (2021)

Senior Compositor

Space Sweepers (2021)

Senior Compositor

The Mandalorian (2019)

Hinge (11)

Imaginary Forces (2002)

The Shivering Truth (2018)

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)

Compositor

Mortal Engines (2018)

Compositor

Deadpool 2 (2018)

Visual Effects Supervisor

The Cage Fighter (2017)

Compositor

Man of Steel (2013)

Lead Compositor

ParaNorman (2012)

Lead Compositor

Virginia (2012)

Senior Compositor

Coraline (2009)

Digital Compositor

30 Days of Night (2007)

Compositor

The Lovely Bones (2010)

Sr. Technical Director, Color & Lighting

G-Force (2009)

Compositor

The Water Horse (2007)

Roto/Paint

King Kong (2005)

Roto/Paint

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Compositor

Heaven Sent (2016)

Compositor

The Water Diviner (2014)

Compositor

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Visual Effects Instructor

Space Out (2013)

Facial Motion Capture Artist

The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

Compositor

30 Days of Night: Dark Days (2010)

Layout Artist

Avatar (2009)

Digital Effects Crew

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Rotoscope And Paint Artist

Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

Compositor/Roto/Paint

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Roto/Paint

Eragon (2006)

Roto/Paint

Fantastic Four (2005) (2005)

Digital Compositing

A Buck's Worth (2005)

Psyop (2003)

Sinatra/Radio City Music Hall (2002)

Senior Compositor

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

I'm a Compositor with roots in the Kansas City area, where I got my start as a Motion Designer for the local TV affiliates. After college, I transitioned to NYC and made the rounds as a freelance Paint+Roto Artist/Compositor/2D Lead, eventually landing at artist collective Psyop by day and teaching classes at SVA by night. My first feature film work came in 2003, for Lord of the Rings at Weta Digital. I was staff at Weta through to Avatar (2009), when my family and I relocated to our current home base of Portland, OR. My "superpowers" lie on the 2D side, Compositing for both live action and Animation. The last few years I have been developing as a Colorist for commercial and indie projects, and I provide on-set supervision to Portland area shoots that require an experienced eye for VFX. I enjoy being part of a film unit in on the early stages of a project, and am no stranger to wearing multiple hats; the full rack of 2D duties, from concepting + cutting animatics/previs through to finishing with Comp + Color. Reach out!
Work History

  • Senior Compositor

    Industrial Light & Magic

    January 2024 - May 2024
    San Francisco, California, United States

  • Digital Compositor

    Industrial Light & Magic

    October 2023 - December 2023

  • Sr. Compositor

    Industrial Light & Magic

    November 2022 - September 2023
    San Francisco, CA

  • Lead Compositor, staff

    Dreamview Studios California USA

    June 2021 - October 2022
    Portland, OR

  • Lead Compositor, contract

    Dreamview Studios California USA

    March 2021 - May 2021
    Remote

  • Senior Compositor

    HouseSpecial

    November 2020 - December 2020
    Portland, Oregon, US

  • Compositor

    Wētā FX

    2003 - November 2020

    The Suicide Squad 2021
    Mortal Engines 2018
    Deadpool 2 2018
    Iron Man 3 2013
    Man of Steel 2012
    The Adventures of Tin Tin (mocap dept) 2011
    The Lovely Bones 2009
    AUW 2008
    Avatar (layout) (uncredited) 2007-2008
    30 Days of Night 2007
    The Water Horse 2006-2007
    Eragon (uncredited) 2006
    Fantastic Four 2 (uncredited) 2005
    X-Men 3 (paint/roto) 2005-2006
    Bridge to Terebithia (paint/roto) 2006
    King Kong (paint/roto) 2005
    Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (paint/roto) 2003

  • Senior Compositor

    HouseSpecial

    October 2019 - February 2020
    Portland, OR

  • Senior Compositor

    Mill Film

    July 2019 - September 2019
    Montreal, Canada

  • VFX Instructor

    The Art Institute of Portland

    July 2010 - October 2012
    Portland, Oregon Area

    Taught a night class each term - Compositing, Intermediate VFX and the "Studio" (project based) course. Responsibilities similar to SVA position prior.

  • Lead Compositor

    Laika

    July 2010 - June 2012

    ParaNorman

  • Sr. Technical Director, Color & Lighting

    Sony Pictures Imageworks

    January 2009 - February 2010

    Alice In Wonderland
    G-Force

  • Senior Compositor

    Laika

    March 2008 - November 2008

    Coraline

  • Computer Art Instructor

    School of VIsual Arts - SVA

    2003 - 2005

    Taught basic and advanced visual effects & motion graphics compositing classes by night (After Effects & Shake).

  • Compositor/2D Lead

    Psyop

    2002 - 2005

    Aeroplan
    Lenscrafters
    Fox Baseball
    Fox Nascar
    Bombay Sapphire
    (countless others)

  • Graphic Designer

    KCTV5

    October 1999 - May 2000

    Local CBS affiliate. Primarily responsible for on-air news graphics and animation. Responsibilities also included broadcast design for promos and other studio programming (KC Chiefs Show, etc), print and web design, and occasionally assisting on in-studio productions as a camera operator.

  • Graphic Designer

    KMBC9

    January 1999 - October 1999

    Local ABC affiliate. Designed graphics and animation for news, promos and in-studio productions. Also some print and web design. Operated live graphics workstation during newscast (Chyron).

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Education

  • School of Visual Arts

    2002 - 2003

  • University of Kansas

    1994 - 1998