I have a desk too.
Alex Gray
Either by chance or design I am an illustrator and filmmaker from Denver Colorado, working in Los Angeles California. I've been drawing movies my whole life and learning cinematic language like my native tongue. Since 2013 I have been working as a freelance visual effects and storyboarding artist.
In 2012, I earned my BFA at Regis University, in partnership with the Colorado Film School’s (CFS) Writing and Directing program where I wrote and directed a handful of award winning short films. Parallel to my time at CFS, I taught myself Nuke and Maya, earning recognition within the school and leading to a position teaching Advanced Visual effects and Editing as a Faculty member in 2015. Before film school, I practiced illustration in class, on my own time, or the margins of my math homework.
In addition to traditional pencil and ink, I work in StoryboardPro, Maya, Nuke, Photoshop and After Effects. 20 to 30 panels a day is my usual turnaround depending on the complexity of each illustration. Animatics can take one to two days to produce depending on the length. I find working face to face with directors or supervisors to be the most productive, nevertheless, I’m available to work from my office and can be reached by phone, email, or skype.
Storyboards and previsualization help write and edit a unified vision to be understood by a team of creative minds. The most important part of my job is storytelling with pictures, and I strive to deliver clear and engaging visuals because the translation from script to screen deserves a first draft.