Jesse James Jones Jr. and Ryan Wilson Join Republic Design as Creative Directors
Republic announces the signing of seasoned creative directors Jesse James Jones, Jr. and Ryan Wilson to its Republic Design studio roster. The two native Texan industry veterans each bring with them their own unique creative approaches, further rounding out the diverse creative capabilities of Republic’s thriving design division.
Known for his sleek ultramodern look, Jones began his career in Dallas before heading out to join the West Coast film industry. After seven years at Prologue Films working under Kyle Cooper, he moved to Germany where as a creative supervisor he worked on multiple award- winning international automotive projects for Munich based KMS Blackspace. He returned stateside during the pandemic, and has recently collaborated with Imaginary Forces on several main titles, commercials, and rebranding for two major streaming services.
“I can’t tell you how excited my team and I are to add a designer with Jesse’s wide breadth of experience and distinct style to our roster,” says Republic Design’s executive producer Amy Aitken. “From film to commercials, from VR to AR, from environmental to music videos, he’s done it all, always with his signature visionary slant. With all the amazing imagery he’s created for such prestigious brands as AMC, Apple, Audi, Bavaria Films, BMW, Ford, Google, HBO, Mercedes, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Traton, Volkswagen, and EA Sports, I have no doubt that our clients will be excited to work with him.”
An interdisciplinary artist, Wilson began his career in the industry at Fox Sports, where he rose rapidly and found himself running a finishing room at the young age of 24. In 2004, he joined creative powerhouse Turner Studios in Atlanta, who he credits for his organization, attention to detail and ability to ‘play well with others’. Returning to Texas in 2013, Wilson led Dallas based Post Asylum’s Design department before opening up his own firm shortly thereafter. After multiple projects, one of which resulted in him receiving the ultimate compliment from Will.i.am (that his work was ‘super dope’), Wilson recently teamed up with Republic on work for clients such as Samsung, Capital One, Lennox and Goya.
“Ryan is an extremely well rounded artist who is able to view his work not only from a creative perspective, but also from a managerial workflow angle,“ says Aitken. “His background in working for both large and small houses, running his own shop, and working as a freelancer, gives him the ability to approach the structure and organization of a project from multiple viewpoints. Our full team of motion graphics artists and designers has worked with him frequently in the past as a freelancer - he’s always felt like one of the crew while consistently over delivering. I’m really looking forward to taking our relationship and our work to the next level.”
“Both these additions instantly elevate our entire Design studio and the overall scope of what our firm can offer,“ says Republic partner Keith James. “Across production and post, our clients want strong creative artists with bold approaches to help enhance their artistic visions, and the signing of these two Creative Directors fully complements the high-caliber talent we have on our Directorial and Editorial rosters. Top down, our whole team is really excited about these guys - I can’t wait to see the amazing work we’re able to do together.”
To view Jones’s reel, click here. To view Wilson’s reel, click here. To view Republic Design’s reel, click here.
