2021 — Present
Over the past five years I’ve served as an independent creative director, leading a rebrand and repositioning of E! as well as a wide variety of promotional campaigns for clients such as NBCUniversal, A&E, and Audible. As part of Thornberg’s ongoing partnership with Spectrum, I’ve remained involved in their ongoing brand evolution — overseeing multiple sponsorship campaigns, special-case brand toolkits, and one-off creative projects.
As a founding partner, I was responsible for creative direction across all projects. I oversaw branding for startups including MSquared, Beroe, and The David Prize, as well as established brands such as Newlab, MTV, and TripAdvisor. Newly-launched and eager to take on a wide variety of projects, we also created the logo for comics publisher TKO Studios, branding for the voting rights documentary Let the People Decide, and promotional assets for Pioneer Works.
2012 — 2019
Focusing heavily on network branding, I led rebrands of Food Network, Nicktoons, Fusion, Bravo, and TLC, and also created promotional packages for NBCUniversal, Fox, HBO, and many others. Beyond the network space, I also directed a wide variety of projects including brand films for Bulgari and Bloomberg, content showcasing Ford’s Co-Pilot360 technology, and titles for Mira Nair’s film Queen of Katwe.
As an independent creative director, I worked on several Ford campaigns, including supervising all post-production, graphics, and visual effects for the 2011 Super Duty launch. In addition to overseeing motion graphics work for a variety of clients, I also created graphics, marketing assets, and artwork for the film Detachment, working closely with director Tony Kaye.
Convert
2004 — 2006
I served as co-creative director of the motion graphics startup launched through production company The Ebeling Group. While there, I directed a rebrand of TNT, as well as work for Nissan, Sony, Coca-Cola, and Nike. I also co-directed the music video for Common’s single Go, partnering with acclaimed comic book writer Matt Fraction and cultural lightning rod Kanye West.
1999 — 2004
I arrived at the legendary motion graphics studio during their initial heyday and was thrilled to land what was my dream job as I left college — I was a massive fan. Given the rare opportunity to take on a significant amount of responsibility at a young age, I led projects including main title sequences for Lee Tamahori’s Along Came a Spider and Mark Romanek’s One Hour Photo, as well as the iconic Marvel theatrical logo.
Freelance / etc.
Ongoing
I’ve taken on freelance projects throughout my career, with 2006–2010 serving as my longest unbroken stretch of freelance work. The rapid expansion of the motion graphics industry over this time period opened up many opportunities for my specific skill set, including long-term bookings at studios including Gretel, Imaginary Forces, and Trollbäck+Company. More recent bookings have included independent creative direction for XO, Newlab, and Hecho Studios.
Additional details! I’ve been doing creative work for over 25 years, with an initial focus on motion graphics that grew into a career designing, directing, and implementing brand systems. I’m not a brand strategist or a copywriter, but I can fill either of those roles when I have to. My main area of expertise is typography (especially type in motion), but I’ve also directed live action, supervised visual effects, and created illustration. In recent years, more than anything I enjoy presenting work to clients. I have a wealth of experience maximizing jobs to meet minimal budgets and ridiculous deadlines – the ability to play multiple roles is a huge time-and-money saver throughout that process.
I graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1999 with a BFA in Communication Design and a minor in English. I’m from Pittsburgh originally, and have lived in New York since 2002. Interests outside of work include trivia, bouldering, and an excessive amount of time spent on Google Maps and Wikipedia. I’m currently 50 years old, and I live in Brooklyn with my wife, our two-year-old son, and a 10-year-old mini-goldendoodle named Potato Chip.
All work shown, trademarks, and logos are property of their respective owners. For additional info, hit me up at mattragesser@gmail.com.
2021 — Present
Over the past five years I’ve served as an independent creative director, leading a rebrand and repositioning of E! as well as a wide variety of promotional campaigns for clients such as NBCUniversal, A&E, and Audible. As part of Thornberg’s ongoing partnership with Spectrum, I’ve remained involved in their ongoing brand evolution — overseeing multiple sponsorship campaigns, special-case brand toolkits, and one-off creative projects.
2019 — 2020
As a founding partner, I was responsible for creative direction across all projects. I oversaw branding for startups including MSquared, Beroe, and The David Prize, as well as established brands such as Newlab, MTV, and TripAdvisor. Newly-launched and eager to take on a wide variety of projects, we also created the logo for comics publisher TKO Studios, branding for the voting rights documentary Let the People Decide, and promotional assets for Pioneer Works.
2012 — 2019
Focusing heavily on network branding, I led rebrands of Food Network, Nicktoons, Fusion, Bravo, and TLC, and also created promotional packages for NBCUniversal, Fox, HBO, and many others. Beyond the network space, I also directed a wide variety of projects including brand films for Bulgari and Bloomberg, content showcasing Ford’s Co-Pilot360 technology, and titles for Mira Nair’s film Queen of Katwe.
As an independent creative director, I worked on several Ford campaigns, including supervising all post-production, graphics, and visual effects for the 2011 Super Duty launch. In addition to overseeing motion graphics work for a variety of clients, I also created graphics, marketing assets, and artwork for the film Detachment, working closely with director Tony Kaye.
Convert
2004 — 2006
I served as co-creative director of the motion graphics startup launched through production company The Ebeling Group. While there, I directed a rebrand of TNT, as well as work for Nissan, Sony, Coca-Cola, and Nike. I also co-directed the music video for Common’s single Go, partnering with acclaimed comic book writer Matt Fraction and cultural lightning rod Kanye West.
1999 — 2004
I arrived at the legendary motion graphics studio during their initial heyday and was thrilled to land what was my dream job as I left college — I was a massive fan. Given the rare opportunity to take on a significant amount of responsibility at a young age, I led projects including main title sequences for Lee Tamahori’s Along Came a Spider and Mark Romanek’s One Hour Photo, as well as the iconic Marvel theatrical logo.
Freelance / etc.
Ongoing
I’ve taken on freelance projects throughout my career, with 2006–2010 serving as my longest unbroken stretch of freelance work. The rapid expansion of the motion graphics industry over this time period opened up many opportunities for my specific skill set, including long-term bookings at studios including Gretel, Imaginary Forces, and Trollbäck+Company. More recent bookings have included independent creative direction for XO, Newlab, and Hecho Studios.
Additional details! I’ve been doing creative work for over 25 years, with an initial focus on motion graphics that grew into a career designing, directing, and implementing brand systems. I’m not a brand strategist or a copywriter, but I can fill either of those roles when I have to. My main area of expertise is typography (especially type in motion), but I’ve also directed live action, supervised visual effects, and created illustration. In recent years, more than anything I enjoy presenting work to clients. I have a wealth of experience maximizing jobs to meet minimal budgets and ridiculous deadlines – the ability to play multiple roles is a huge time-and-money saver throughout that process.
I graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1999 with a BFA in Communication Design and a minor in English. I’m from Pittsburgh originally, and have lived in New York since 2002. Interests outside of work include trivia, bouldering, and an excessive amount of time spent on Google Maps and Wikipedia. I’m currently 50 years old, and I live in Brooklyn with my wife, our two-year-old son, and a 10-year-old goldendoodle named Potato Chip.
All work shown, trademarks, and logos are property of their respective owners. For additional info, hit me up at mattragesser@gmail.com.