Jez Cooper

Experience

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  Hippo Design

  Oct 1986 - Jan 1989

  Designer

  I started as a studio junior with Hippo straight out of Art College. Initially working with actual art makeup for print with galleys of text from the typesetters, I soon progressed to a designer role after my skills were recognised by the head of the studio.

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  STC/ESD

  Jan 1989 - Feb 1994

  Creative Designer and Art Director

  Progressing into another designer position, I worked on designing a broad spectrum of brochures, advertisements and posters, which included significant elements of illustration and art direction. My very first studio art direction experience with photographers took place here, and I mostly worked on components, but also did models for some press ads.

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  Burrows

  Feb 1994 - now

  Senior Art Director and Idea Generator

  Having spent the past two and a half decades as Senior Art Director for Burrows, my experience has been diverse and my challenges many.In a day to day, or at least project to project sense, I work on generating concepts and ideas, and work them up with scamps and mood boards; producing industry standard finished visuals from scrap art to present to clientele, ensuring trust when it comes to financial backing for our shoots – which normally take place around various European locales.I handle the art direction for shoots on cars and vans in-studio and on- location, with and without people. Though this is normally photographic, I have recently also been involved in many CGI shoots too. My expertise in this area allows high-level retouching and image composition using Photoshop on-location, often composing shots as I go. This is extremely valuable when deadlines are fixed and time is of the essence, and I need to know I’ve got the shot in the bag. As may be expected, I work in a diverse team of creative professionals, both internally and externally, and treat this environment as something of an open partnership, leading or supporting depending on what the project in hand calls for. Nonetheless, I maintain both an affable and professional networking style to build lasting and effective relationships with everyone I interact with.A highlight of my time with Burrows has indubitably been some of my work with Ford:• Designing the Focus RS badge in 2002• Stretching budgetary confinements to enable the Focus RS shoot in Norway; finding the right time and money to deliver the best client outcome• Running a heights and angles study for Ford, both photographically and in CGI, which was then presented (via informal workshops) to Ford management, designers, public affairs and the associated agencies responsible for launching their new cars. Show less