Rick Thompson, an award-winning motion graphics designer and Inferno artist, has joined Filmworkers Club. Formerly a design director at Optimus, Thompson will focus on advertising work and will use his unique skill set to assist agencies with projects involving complex visual effects and/or design elements. He will work autonomously in one of Filmworkers Club’s Inferno suite or in tandem with Lift, the company’s in-house design team, to meet the needs of specific assignments. In his first project for Filmworkers, Thompson collaborated with Lift on the launch campaign for Wrigley’s 5 Gum.
Thompson has developed a stellar reputation nationally for his work on such accounts as Budweiser, Coke, Sears and Altoids. “Advertising agencies today want to work with high caliber artists who can work on multiple platforms and Rick is that kind of artist,” said Filmworkers Club president Reid Brody. “He is a very seasoned designer and compositor who adds a lot of creative value to his projects.”

Thompson joined Optimus a year ago as design director. His work there included mnemonic design elements for Altoids, Dell and Long John Silver. Previously, he spent two years as senior designer and creative director at Digital Kitchen. At DK, he earned an AICP Award for Best Table Top for the Budweiser spot “Pour” which follows a drop of beer as it falls from a bottle into a glass. He also contributed to the main title sequence for the CBS television series Ghost Whisperer. In addition to his Inferno skills, Thompson is also well versed in a variety of desktop design, compositing and 3D tools.

Additionally, Thompson spent ten years at Swell as a visual effects artist and compositor on Flame and Inferno platforms. His credits included a mix of commercial and broadcast television assignments. He also won a BDA Gold Award. A graduate of Columbia College, Chicago, Thompson began his career with WTVO, Rockford, and later worked at Finishing Group, a boutique post house in Milwaukee.

In discussing his move to Filmworkers Club, Thompson described it as an opportunity to bring all of his skills into play. “It was an easy decision,” Thompson said. “I enjoy working on visual effects and design projects and find them equally creatively satisfying. Filmworkers gives me the best of both worlds.”

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