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John Likens
Executive Creative Director at Method Studios
Professional Background
John Likens is a highly regarded multidisciplinary Director and Designer, celebrated for his exceptional contributions to the world of design and animation, particularly in film and television. Over the years, John has garnered a wealth of experience and a reputation for crafting unforgettable visuals that leave a lasting impact on audiences. His impressive work has not only earned him accolades, including an Emmy Award, but also recognition from prestigious organizations such as the SXSW Title Design Awards. Additionally, he was honored with a spot on Shots’ Rising Stars list, further cementing his status as a leading figure in the design community.
Starting his career in the vibrant city of New York, John ventured into the world of motion graphics for diverse clients in the commercial, film, and gaming industries. His dedication to film and visual storytelling led him to work on highly acclaimed cinematic title sequences, including those for major productions such as Deadpool 2, Marvel's Eternals, HBO’s The Night Of, and FX’s Taboo. One of his standout achievements includes designing the award-winning titles for Netflix’s original series Godless. John's mastery of visual communication is evident in how he combines artistry with storytelling, giving films an impactful visual identity.
Education and Achievements
John is an alum of Iowa State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. This foundational education equipped him with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in various aspects of design, including motion graphics, art direction, and interactive design. He honed his craft and developed a unique visual language that has become a hallmark of his work.
His contributions extend beyond traditional film and television, as John has also ventured into the realm of interactive design. His work on holographic UI designs can be seen in blockbuster movies such as Iron Man 3, RoboCop, and Transformers: Age of Extinction, showcasing his versatility and ability to merge technology with artistic vision. He played a pivotal role in shaping the design direction for the Netflix documentary Mission Blue and lent his expertise as the art director for Red Bull’s first feature documentary, Blood Road. These projects reflect his passion for storytelling through innovative design.
Career Highlights
Throughout his illustrious career, John's professional journey encompasses a variety of prestigious positions, including serving as the Executive Creative Director at Method Studios. His background is rich with freelance roles where he showcased his talent as a Motion Designer and Art Director at some of the industry's leading studios. His experience spans renowned establishments such as The Mill, Framestore, Blind, Buck, and Red Bull, to name a few. Through these collaborations, John has significantly contributed to numerous high-profile projects that have elevated the standards of design in film and television.
His ability to adapt to various creative environments and merge his artistic vision with client expectations has been key to his success. John has consistently proven himself to be a creative force in the industry, utilizing his skills to realize complex and engaging visual works across multiple platforms.
Achievements
- Emmy Award Winner: Recognized for outstanding achievements in television.
- SXSW Title Design Awards: Acknowledged for excellence in title design, reflecting his innovative approach and creative flair.
- Shots’ Rising Stars: Honored to be included in this prestigious list, showcasing his influence and promise in the design community.
- Notable Contributions: Iconic title sequences for films and series, including Deadpool 2, Eternals, The Night Of, and Godless.
- Creative Leadership: Experience as Executive Creative Director at Method Studios, guiding teams to realize captivating visual narratives.
Conclusion
With a remarkable portfolio that spans years of creativity and innovation, John Likens stands out as a luminary in the field of design and animation. His multifaceted career reflects his passion for storytelling through visuals, earning him a well-deserved place among the industry's top talents. As he continues to push boundaries and explore new avenues in design, there’s no doubt that his future contributions will further inspire and influence the world of film and television.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
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Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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