Following a year of rapid growth, the studio gears up for 2022’s continued success by adding award-winning creative director Luciano Tapia, and CG leads Bill Mata and Fola Akinola.
Creative production studio Taylor James has kicked off the new year with the announcement of three new hires. Luciano Tapia has been named creative director, while Bill Mata and Fola Akinola expand the CG team as CG leads.
Tapia joins from MSNBC/NBC where he was lead creative on network branding including its shows and news events (on-air, off-air, studio and marketing materials). Recently he led all the branding coverage of the 2020 Elections at NBC. He has worked with clients including Google, BMW, HBO, ESPN, Tiffany & Co, Sephora, Imaginary Forces, Loyal Kaspar, and Interbrand. With a background in design and concept development, he brings in-depth knowledge of brand development and multi-platform campaign leadership to the team. Last year, Tapia’s work on I Am the New History, which celebrated Black History Month for Universal Kids, picked up a Clio Bronze Award, a Promax Gold Award and was nominated for an Emmy.
“The incredible level of production, an immense repertoire of creativity and storytelling, coupled with a world class technical know-how is what appealed to me most about Taylor James,” shared Tapia. “The team here are both smart and kind and made up of people from diverse backgrounds with a grasp of creative leadership.”
Originally from Cincinnati, CG lead Mata has credits from both Marvel movies and Comcast campaigns. He was inspired by the stunning visuals of video game animation as a kid and subsequently pursued a career in simulation, design, and motion graphics, having worked with brands including Edelman, Google, and Nike.
“The work at Taylor James is stellar and the group of people I have been lucky enough to work with so far are amazing,” noted Mata. “I’m hoping to throw my skills into the melting pot of talent and get stuck into everything.”
CG lead artist and motion designer Fola Akinola’s childhood interest in computer graphics and animation has been transformed into a career in computer graphics. He has honed his skills at shops including Ocupop and 1stAveMachine, Absolute Post, and Bombastic Inc. With over 12 years of experience, Akinola has worked on campaigns for Google, Samsung, The Disney Channel, CBS, Nickelodeon and PBS. He has also dedicated time to non-profit media company the Lost Bird Project, helping create campaigns highlighting environmental issues. There he expanded his expertise in web and graphic design, CG and VFX, and UX/UI.
“Taylor James has a willingness to grow and change that will position it well for the future of the CG/VFX industry,” commented Akinola. “My colleagues at Taylor James have all been supportive, generous, and motivated, offering an environment where I can continue to expand and refine my own skill set, while working collaboratively to craft excellent creative and technical solutions for clients.”
“Taylor James has grown and evolved rapidly over 2021 and as we continue to push for growth in 2022, we’re thrilled to have talents like Luciano, Bill and Fola, joining the team and helping us to do so,” remarked Taylor James VP and studio lead Jennifer Dee. “As the worlds of entertainment and advertising continue to converge, the insight of a creative director like Luciano will be a huge asset to our clients in commercials. At Taylor James we have always sought to provide the highest quality output for our clients and Bill & Fola’s talents will help us continue to deliver craft at scale.”
Source: Taylor James
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
