Joan Raspo

Hi, I'm Joan and I'm a curious bird

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A former media executive pursuing a MFA in Digital Art and New Media at UC Santa Cruz. Joan has 10+ years of experience in the broadcast industry: as an award winning live action director and creative director. UC Santa Cruz Program intent: The Digital Art and New Media Program at UC Santa Cruz is an mind-blowing MFA track for emerging makers and thinkers at the crossroads of art, science and technology. Research Focus: Performative Technologies How can a performance be a user experience for the audience - a vector of meaning, history and emotion? We explore new methods for combining media and technology to create the visual, aural and connective material of performance. Research Project: Birth of Stars Advances in computer power and telescope technology have revealed astonishing new information about the spectacular life cycles of stars. We propose to research and develop an event that will employ the theater in its most ancient and honored use - as a tool for teaching - to create a unheard of performance experience. We'll combine live performances with "immersive projection" of enhanced computer simulations relying on, inspired by, and communicating the big data of this new field of scientific inquiry. Previous teaching experience: An Adjunct Professor at Parsons New School for Design I taught in the Digital Art, Media and Technology program. It fueled my interest in combining art & technology with traditional storytelling. These investigations inspired my experimental and commercial work. ______________________________________________ SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: oOct 11, 2012: Guest Lecturer at SVA: Mapping a concept. Delivering on the Promise oApril 12-13: Speaker at SCAD: Inspire Symposium. The lecture focused on "TV Everywhere. http://www.scad.edu/news/2012/inspire.cfm oApril 2012: Guest Critic at Yale University. Providing formal critiques to students in the Graduate Design Program oFeb 2012: Guest curator of DESIGN ENVY:http://bit.ly/AgFs8V

Director, On-Air Graphics and Branding at MTV Networks

2011 - 2013

~Senior Executive: VH1's On-Air Creative team: Directed projects that would foster and support a cohesive voice via on-air packaging, promos, print, and integrated marketing. ~Creative Director for live television show events, such as the Critic's Choice Movie Awards: the package included a new logo, a variety of on-air graphics, giant LED screen elements, on-air promos and digital branding. The project won a Silver Award in creativity at the 2012 BDA conference ~Created clear and financially achievable briefs for both in-house and outside vendors ~Brought strong relationships with outside vendors and creative talent to VH1 ~Managed and inspired our in-house team of designers, animators, and editors on multiple on-going projects from concept to completion ~Experienced Live-Action Director and Editor

Director/Creative Lead--Consultant at EMOTION Studios

2010 - 2011

~Creative lead for Emotion's primary clients -- including, Adobe, HP and Intel ~Senior Executive charged with creating concept development and strategy: wrote scripts and directed innovative transmedia story-telling films for our core client base oLaunched pioneering strategies that pushed our clients and internal teams to embrace leading edge technology that met client goals and increased social engagement ~In collaboration with the CEO and CCO, we aquired new business with clients such as HP and Intel

Creative Director/Director/Editor--Consultant at Eyeball NYC

2008 - 2010

~Creative Director for new business initiatives: was responsible for client presentations, motivating a team of 10 designers, CG animators and editors to create winning results ~Developed strategic concepts and directed live action commercials for agency clients and created repeat business as a result ~Creative Lead on projects requiring expertise in supervising complex VFX and live action spots with a team of over 10+ artists

Creative Director/Motion Capture VFX Director at Perspective Studios

2008 - 2009

~Recruited by Perspective to create a pilot for 19 Entertainment: the company that launched "American Idol" ~Executive Creative Lead and Director for the motion capture shoot ~Choreographed and pre-visulaized the performance for the dancers. Recruited our cast from Beyonce's dance crew ~ As the technical director, I edited the raw data footage and worked with a CG animator to create the character performance sequence oSupervised the VFX team in Mumbai to create a dynamic concert event

CD/Editor--Consultant at UVPhactory

2008 - 2008

~Creative Director for the internal relaunch of Reuters in collaboration with Interbrand--Reuters Global Branding company ~Edited and developed 3D "Vital Technology" Video for the The Caring World Pavilion at the Beijing, China 2008 Olympics. A Johnson&Johnson branding initiative

Executive Creative Director at Digital Kitchen

2006 - 2007

~Recruited by the Partners of DK to lead the opening of their New York office ~Met creative goals and created repeat business, exceeding profitability benchmarks by 200% ~Created the strategy and approach for AT&T's U-Verse branding. This engengered over 10 million dollars in new business ~The acquisition of the AT&T account enabled Digital Kitchen to open and maintain an office in Los Angeles ~Authored briefs for the internal creative teams and set benchmark goals for client imperatives oConceived and directed the main titles for the 2007 Sundance Festival ~Managed and motivated a team of 30 designers, animators and editors oConducted performance reviews and promotion decisions for creative staff ~Primary resource lead: screening, interviewing and hiring permanent and freelance staff

Live Action/VFX Director at Curious Pictures

January 1998 - July 2006

oRepresented internationally as a Live Action and Visual VFX Director: traveling to Toronto, Hungary and Argentina as the live action director for commercial spots oCo-created and directed the comedy series "Avenue Amy" for the Oxygen Network, winning awards at animation festivals worldwide. The much lauded series was featured in WIRED and Entertainment Weekly oDirected live action/VFX commercials for a wide variety of clients including: Target, USA Network, Showtime, TNT, and Verizon

Vice President at AIGA/NY

2004 - 2006

~Creator, chairman and evangelist of MOVE, an annual art and ideas conference ~Drew upon personal contacts to secure a notable talent roster for MOVE: including, Laurie Anderson, Golan Levin, Graffiti Research Lab, Friends With You, Jean Paul Goude, Cory Archangel, Casey Reas and the Adult Swim Creative Team ~Produced speaker series, auction events and unique business initiatives to increase profitability by 200%

Art Director at MTV Networks

1996 - 1997

~Recruited to lead the redesign of VH1 ~Lead creative executive ~Live action director for The Save the Music Concert branding package: A live show event held in Los Angeles ~Hired and managed a design staff of 15 and was responsible for the creation of all on-air graphic packages, both show packaging, promos and live events ~During my tenure, I was awarded multiple Broadcast Design Awards

Designer at Two Headed Monster

1994 - 1996

Senior Designer

Adjunct Professor at Parsons The New School for Design

2001

Created the curriculum for a graduate course in Experimental Digital Art oGraduate level Thesis Adviser oGuest lecturer for larger departmental presentations: on subjects ranging from emerging media trends to developing collaborative interdisciplinary projects aimed at creating social change to mobilize large-scale purposeful action

UC Santa Cruz

2013 – 2015

MFA

Concentration: Digital Art and New Media

California College of the Arts

1991 – 1994

BFA

Concentration: Graphic Design

Stanford University

Fellowship

Concentration: International Publishing Fellow

Santa Clara University

BA

Concentration: English Literature Major. Art History Minor

Digital Art, Experimental Theater, Media trends, Entertainment content distribution, Live Action Director, Education