Launched just this past February, multi-disciplinary creative studio Thornberg & Forester has expanded, moving into a new, larger space at 147 West 24th Street, 4th floor, in Manhattan and adding two highly credentialed artists to its creative team. Joining the other “suits” at the studio are Swedish designer/animator Emil Bardh and designer/animator Andrew Cleary.
Thornberg & Forester’s rapid growth has been fueled by a slew of top tier assignments including an interactive project for Microsoft via Strawberry Frog, and broadcast design work for TBS and VH1. “It has been a very cool growth spurt,” said Executive Producer Elizabeth Kiehner, who co-founded the company with Creative Directors Scott Matz and Justin Meredith. “The larger space and additional talent will allow us to continue to grow and liberate Scott and Justin from some of their animation responsibilities.”

“Andrew had been freelancing for us and we love his talent and sense of humor, so we decided to bring him onto the firm,” Kiehner added. “Andrew has directing and editorial experience that gives him a great overall picture of the process of storytelling.

“Emil brings a European sense of design and aesthetic-that we deeply appreciate-and a wonderfully fresh approach to everything he does.”

Kiehner added that, while Thornberg & Forester is eager to grow, it is determined to do so slowly and smartly. “We want to build a creative collective,” she observed. “We are very conscious of the type of team that we want to build and the sense of collaboration that we want to foster. It is very purposeful.”

Thornberg & Forester’s new studio has nearly three times the floor space of its previous site and is located in Chelsea, an area that is becoming increasingly popular among creative services companies. The studio features additional workstations equipped for 2D, 3D and editorial (FinalCut Pro HD). It also affords comfortable space for client conferences and conceptual design work.

Cleary has been working with Thornberg & Forester as a freelancer since July, turning out stunning design and animation work for such clients as TIAA-CREFF, Haier and Crestor. Since assuming a staff position, he has completed spots for the UK-based airline Thomson and animation for the Ralph Lauren website. A diversely skilled artist, Cleary has the ability to take projects from design through completion. His skill set includes Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and AfterEffects.

Previously, Cleary has worked through such design shops as INTERspectacular, Leroy + Clarkson, Big Pink, Red Car, Loyalkaspar and Sweatshop. His credits include Central, Fuel TV, MTV, General Motors, Virgin Mobile, Guinness, A&E, the Biography Channel, the Discovery Channel and ESPN.

Cleary said that he was lured into a staff position by the creative atmosphere and camaraderie at Thornberg & Forester. “They are the most talented people I have worked with. With their talent and direction, they make my work a thousand times better. They're amazing!”

Bardh has been working with Thornberg & Forester since his arrival from Sweden in September. He has produced animation for Big Bang, a new podcast hosted by astronomer Janna Levin, and a public service announcement for Conservation International.

Bardh has also freelanced for several other top design studios in the U.S. and Europe, including Psyop’s Blacklist division (via againstallodds), Thelma/Louise and FilmTecknarna. His work for the former included the spot Smile for X Games and Ground Zero Advertising. At Thelma/Louise, he completed projects for Kanal 5 and Titan. Bardh has also worked on European-based broadcast accounts including ZTV for which he created the concept, design and animation for Tribute, a series exploring the relationship between bands and the fans who worship them.

A graduate of the Swedish new media school Hyper Island, Bardh said that the creative freedom afforded artists at Thornberg & Forester is designed to help them thrive. “There is no hierarchy here,” he said. “We are all equal creatively, and everyone is interested in new trends and finding ways to incorporate our personal styles into the work.”

www.thornbergandforester.com