Oh, hi. I didn’t see you come in.

Hello, I’m Greg Reynard. I’ve been doing motion graphics professionally since 1999. I mostly do Cinema 4D and After Effects, but also whatever else is required. I’m really good at animating, and pretty good at design, and (possibly my most useful asset) really great at problem solving. I also enjoy brainstorming concepts, and helping my coworkers with technical glitches.

I love the job of being a motion graphics generalist, and I feel exceptionally lucky that it has proven to be a sustainable career. In fact, it is third on my list of dream jobs: #1) Rock star, #2) Cartoon voice actor. I’ve managed to scratch the surface of dream jobs one and two (see FUN STUFF below), but motion graphics has always been my go to gig.

Nearly every motion job comes with new challenges and techniques to learn (and often re-learn). New render engines, character animation systems, physics simulations, particle systems, camera tracking, etc. When the parameters of a project are laid out, a big part of the fun is figuring out WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW TO DO THIS? For example, the opening title sequence of Charlie’s Angels II: Full Throttle required fire that could be choreographed. Over the course of a few days I taught myself the fire simulation module of Maya (never my primary 3D application, but it could do what we needed). The simulated fire behaved as directed, and everyone was happy with the results.

I’ve worked on small, scrappy teams where we punched way above our weight class. I’ve worked directly for ad agencies and directors. I’ve worked for boutique motion graphics studios who were hired by big movie studios to make titles for major motion pictures.

I animated CG microorganisms that had to be directly approved by Steven Spielberg for use in a Tom Cruise summer blockbuster.

I’ve worked on network branding packages. I’ve worked on commercials.

I’ve created animaitons for “Up Front” events (where networks strive to convince ad buyers that THEIR network is the place to spend money). An art director and I holed up in a bunker in Madison Square Garden while Hulu stars and network executives rehearsed their segments. We made revisions to the animations until the last possible moment.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I worked with a resident artist at NYU Abu Dhabi to create a virtual gallery filled with apocryphal historical sculptures. These were viewed online as 360 panoramas.

I’ve been trusted to do remote work for one of the biggest, most secret-sensitive companies on the planet beginning in 2019, BEFORE the pandemic normalized such arrangements. I’ve been flown out to Cupertino and Culver City for extra sensitive projects.

My educational background was in molecular biology/developmental immunology, which honed my empirical approach to making things work. I’ve sharpened my motion design skills via years of working with some of the best creative directors, art directors, and motion designers in the world.

My work philosophy is “figure out the quickest and most flexible way to get any ask done. Along the way, make it amazing. Work to make the clients happy while making producers’ lives less stressful.”

It’s been a great ride so far, and I can’t wait to see whatever awesomeness will come next.

“But what have you worked on, Greg? And who have you worked with?” I hear you wondering. Here are some highlights:

STUDIOS AND NOTABLE PROJECTS

Picturemill
War of the Worlds (2005) main title and end title, Mission Impossible III (2006) main title, Nacho Libre (2006)Custom Nickelodeon Films Logo animation, The Big Bang Theory opening title (2007)

Imaginary Forces
Daredevil (2003), Charlie’s Angels II: Full Throttle (2003), The Haunted Mansion (2003) main titles

Exopolis
Nicktoons Brand Launch(2005), Sprint NFL commercial, CNet segment titles, iPhone model prep/correction, Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism commercial

Kaleidoscope
Van Helsing (2004) Main title on end

PIC Agency
The Illusionist (2006), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), The Kingdom (2007) The Final Destination 4 (2009) main titles

Hornet Animation
Any Given Sunday(1999) on screen sports graphics, Ready To Rumble (2000), Dracula 2000 (2000), main titles

Ant Farm
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) teaser trailer, YouTube Live event in San Francisco opening sequence

Antenna Creative
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019) Main title on end

Midnight Sherpa
Ten Cent/We Summit video wall for event in Beijing (no, I didn’t get to go), Dolby Explainers for Atmos and Dolby Vision, Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics on-ice projected animation, League of Legends commercial

Grand Jeté
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010) graphics

The Directors Bureau
Lifesavers Wint-o-Green full CG commercial, directed by Roman Coppola, Comcast Ch1 Bob the Builder promotion

Stardust
General Motors spring sale commercial

Nylon
The Daily Show “Newscraper”, ABC News 2008 Election “Pinball” (Commercial Emmy Nominated)

Roger
Nickelodeon Rebrand, Quaker Oats commercial end tag

Buck
NBA Xmas, Bernzomatic Gooseneck Lighter

Royale
Jet Blue commercial, G4 branding interstitials

Troika
Oxygen Network network package, Fox Sports interstitials, Branding package exploration for The Discovery Channel

Stun Creative
Hulu and Turner Networks annual Upfront event, OWN (Oprah’s Network) branding package and network tool kit. Branding package exploration for The History Channel

Apple
Created videos promoting apps and games for Apple Arcade, the App Store. Created motion for Apple Music Playlists and selected album art. Worked on Vision Pro stuff I still can’t talk about

NYU Abu Dhabi
Custom virtual sculptures and display space for the exhibition not in, of, along, or relating to a line (2021) with the artists Jumairy and Maryam Al Hamra

LIFE STORY IN BULLET POINTS

  • Born and raised in Buffalo, NY

  • Studied molecular biology and biochemistry as an undergrad at SUNY Buffalo (BS 1989, summa cum laude)

  • Studied developmental immunology in grad school at Caltech

  • Realized “digital art may be something to do for a living” while working with Green Jellö’s (See under FUN STUFF) Zoo/BMG art director in Photoshop, Illustrator and Quark

  • Realized I wasn’t cut out to be a research professor and left grad school (MS 1994)

  • Took a job as a lab tech in a cell cycle biology lab, still at Caltech (1994 - 1998)

  • Quit lab tech job (1998)

  • Taught myself computer graphics and basic VFX (Infini D [remember that one?]Cinema 4D, After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator etc.)

  • Worked on spec commercials for Art Center Film Department student friends, some of which won AICP Student Awards (1998)

  • Got my first and only staff animation job at Hornet Animation (1999 - 2002)

  • Started freelancing in 2002. Worked with awesome people, did lots of fun projects (see above)

  • Worked on boring stuff too, but even boring motion graphics work is way better than a real job

  • Moved back to Buffalo, NY in October 2019 and have since been working remote almost exclusively

FUN STUFF

  • Was on the Western New York regional version of the kids’ TV show Romper Room as a very small child

  • Singing in metal bands since I was fourteen years old

  • First grown up metal band: Assailant (1984 - 1987)

  • Thrash/Hardcore crossover band: Terminal Grace (1987 - 1990)

  • While still in grad school, joined and sang in Hollywood-based comedy metal band Green Jellö (later Green Jellÿ) (member 1990 - 1992)

  • Signed with a major label (Zoo/BMG)

  • Laid out the packaging art for Green Jellö CDs and VHS video packaging using artwork and photography created by other band members (1991 - 1992)

  • Got a gold record for the Cereal Killer album which had a hit single/music video, Three Little Pigs

  • Didn’t sing lead on the hit, but was one of the “Not by the hair of my chinny, chin chin” little pigs in the chorus

  • Sang lead on several other songs on the album, including the title track Cereal Killer, in which I portrayed the homicidal breakfast mascot Toucan Son-of-Sam

  • Wrote lyrics, recorded vocals, made and wore costumes, painted sets as well as animation cels, performed songs for video shoots and live shows

  • Kicked out of band just before the album’s release for asking about money (most of the band wasn’t seeing any)

  • Sang jazz standards with the Caltech Big Band Jazz Band (1996)

  • Started Krammpstein (2003), a Krampus-themed Rammstein parody band

  • Wrote parodies of Rammstein songs in German and English, but changed the subject matter to be about Krampus and Christmas

  • Made our own costumes and programmed our own DMX light show

  • Performed annual shows in Los Angeles in association with the group Krampus LA

  • Routinely sold out shows (600 capacity) at the now defunct Steinhaus at Alpine Village

  • Sang The Fun Bucket, an in-universe TV commercial on the Sponge Bob spin-off series, The Patrick Star Show (Season 3, Episode 40a “The Fun Bucket”, 2024)

  • Sang Jellystone Kids Theme for the Max series Jellystone (Season 3, Episode 34 “Theme Work Makes the Dream Work”, 2024)

  • Currently singing and writing songs for Bitey, a metal band with nerdy themes, such as Cylons, Sleestaks, the game Portal, and a Cthulhu party anthem