R é s u m éL o u r e n s S w a n e p o e l

ApplicationforConcept Artist, Storyboard artist,Character Developer

Lourens SwanepoelBorn:Hometown:

Relationship Status:

17 September 1987 (28 yrs old)Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

Single, No Children

Illustrator / Graphic Designer

+2784 9291781ljswaan@gmail.com

Links:

LJ Swanepoel

Facebook Page

Flickr Page

Skills

Software

UnderstandingMore Skills

Adobe Illustrator CS6Adobe Photoshop CS6Adobe InDesign CS6MischiefCorel Draw X163DS MaxMayaFinal Cut ProPremier ProHTML & CSSOffice WordOffice ExcelOffice PowerPoint

SimplicityComposition / LayoutColourHTML & CSS (Basics)PrintPhotography / VideoImage QualityImage / Video EditingSocial MediaGoogle SoftwareApple / Windows OSTechnology

Wacom Intuos ProDrawing - Pen & PencilPhotographyVideo EditingVideo Camera / CraneWriting & PoetrySpeed TypingInternet SearchBasic 3D ModelingCanvas StretchingVinyl ApplicationConceptualization

Higher Education

Subjects

Open WindowSchool of Visual Communication2005 - 2009 • Diploma

Illustration - Awarded Best Student of year 2009Traditional and DigitalSoftware:Mischief, Wacom Intuos Pro

Video(Editing and Filming)Final Cut Pro; Premier Pro

3D Techniques(Modeling and Animation)Maya; 3D Max Studio

Communication DesignAdobe Photoshop; Illustrator; InDesign

Photography

Work Experience Other Experience

Media Galaxy2010 - 2011Junior Graphic DesignerR6000.00 / Month

Jetline Centurion2011 - 2012Graphic Designer & Counter SalesR6000.00 / Month

Lunchbox ProductionsMay 2012 - July 2012Freelance Graphic Designer/IllustratorR8200.00 / Month

LFP PrintersFeb 2013 - May 2015Graphic Designer & Print DepartmentR9350.00 / Month

Freelance Self2015 - CurrentLunchbox Productions - IllustrationsVita Nova - Graphic DesignKaren van den Berg - Graphic DesignEsther Taljaard - Graphic Design

Entabeni Safari ConservancyDecember 2015 - CurrentGeneral Worker / Student PositionR3078.00 / Month

Camera Work / Live Directing2010 - 2014Voluntary camera work, including JIB camera at internationally known church.Promoted to HOD of Directing and 2nd in charge over volunteers.Learned composition, movement, anticipation, when to cut and technical aspects of a shot.

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I believe that everything tells a story.

My StoryIn 2005 I went to college with the dream of one day working at an animation studio. My history is filled with Cartoon Network from Courage the Cowardly Dog; Ed, Edd and Eddy and Dexter’s Labratory; to Looney Tunes and Disney classics. I remember watching Toy Story at the cinemas with my granny. Then came A Bug’s Life and the list grew with mixes of Dreamworks’ animated movies like Shrek. I loved 3D animations. Back then, I was too young to understand all the aspects of animation, but there was a connection between all of them in which I had a high interest. In my last years of high school I always said I was going to make animated movies.

When my parents asked me what and why I wanted to study, I told them 3D animation, because my dream was to work for Pixar or Dreamworks.

Today it’s more like, Pixar, Dreamworks, Blue Sky, Disney, Sony Animations, Warner Brothers. You get the idea.

Concept Art, 2016Personal AdvertDigitalMischiefWacom Intuos Pro

Illustration, 2009College Project - AliensTraditional ArtInk

Concept Art, 2016Self, own idea for storyDigitalMischiefWacom Intuos Pro

Regrettably I’ve pushed my dream aside for a long time. Moving to USA and land a job at Pixar, Dreamworks, Blue Sky or Disney seemed impossible at that time and too big for a guy like me. Since my diploma, I’ve been jumping from one job to the other, searching for something to fulfill the desire in another way. I was never satisfied. Not only did I neglect my dream, I was also not able to provide my full potential at my workplace. My dream, my potential, my capabilities which can function at 100% in the right environment, couldn’t be fulfilled. I wasn’t able to expand to the levels I was destined for. There was no room for growth in my areas of specialty.

Comic, 2010Comics CourseTraditionalInk

Gratefully I have grown immensely in other areas such as printing and graphic design. My experience in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign expanded. I understand the printing process as I’ve handled the printers myself. Please ask me to stretch a canvas for you. (: But it’s not my dream.

My dream is to create concept art, do character design, storytelling, storyboarding, and create, create, create. My imagination wants to expand beyond graphic design and wants to develop characters with life and meaning and purpose; characters telling a story so touching that it grabs hold of the emotions of the viewer; stories that people remember for decades; award-winning animated motion pictures.

Sadly, South Africa doesn’t offer the opportunities I am searching for. South Africa – as lovely as this country is - is extremely limited with such positions; I haven’t crossed any company like Pixar, Disney, Dreamworks, or Blue Sky in South Africa, looking for someone with my abilities. Hence this shortage, I wasn’t able to gain working experience in the field of concept art and illustration within the movie industry. The lack of motion picture companies in South Africa makes it even more difficult to start such a career. I felt like giving up.

It wasn’t until today (5 June 2016) that I thought otherwise. My dream is large, more than I can think of. After 11 years, I re-shifted my focus from graphic design to “I want to come and work for one of the best animation studios in the world.”

That is why I’m contacting you directly with all honesty. I don’t see my career starting in South Africa any time soon. I can only see my career starting at an animation studio in the USA. I’ve wasted so much time doing what I wasn’t supposed to do, when I should’ve pursued my dream of working at an award-winning animation studio.

I don’t desire to work there just to have a job; I want to be there to build a career – a lifelong career. This career involves entertainment for all ages in the feature film industry, more specifically, 3D animation. I want my life to end being an award-winning concept artist, storyteller and character developer, if not a producer.In the words of Richard Branson, “If your dreams don’t scare you, they are too small.”

Drawing, 2006College Project - ObjectsTraditional ArtPencil

Drawing, 2008Personal

Traditional ArtBallpoint Pen

The funny thing is that one of my ideas I thought of, Pixar made. That movie is Cars. I thought it would be great to make a movie about cars and then you made it before I had the chance to.

Another (non-Pixar) movie, Bee Movie, was also an idea I came up with, but Dreamworks jumped ahead of me.

I have plenty ideas that I believe could become not only feature films, but bring more Oscars to your list. Of course I need some help to develop them further.

Concept Art, 2016SelfDigitalMischiefWacom Intuos Pro

Please grant me this chance. I can guarantee that if you do, you will not be disappointed. I know I am more than capable of becoming the best in what I do. I am freely open to learn what you want to teach me and to soak in that knowledge like a sponge. I want to excel in new skills and abilities to expand my imagination to another level - in your way.

Illustration, 2013Vic-Marie ProductsDigitalAdobe Illustrator

Vector Artwork

Vector Portraits, 2015CommissionedDigitalAdobe IllustratorWacom Intuos Pro

Concept Art, 2016SelfDigitalMischiefWacom Intuos Pro