Madison Ellis
Studio Profile
Hello!! I’m Madison and I am an ACD here at Scholar. I’ve been here since I was an intern out of college and have been lucky to be able to grow and learn from this amazing group of artists 7 years later. I have always loved art, design, movies and every aspect of creation so when I found a job that let me jump from different mediums and stories project to project I knew this was for me. Outside of work, I am an avid seeker of national parks, proud amc a-lister and running a years long DnD campaign.
Every project you work on is an opportunity to learn. No matter the job, client, style, concept there is always something to take away from it.
What did you study in school and what is the most valuable thing you learned?
I went to the Savannah College of Art and Design and majored in Motion Media Design with a minor in Animation. While I learned a lot of technical skills I found the most helpful thing I learned was the importance of asking questions and utilizing the people around you.
What’s been your favorite project with Scholar?
It’s so hard to choose! I am grateful for the work I’ve been a part of from being able to draw on Olivia Rodrigo’s face, working with a non-profit, Bloom, geared towards helping girls heal from bullying, creating a CG world for a game in the World of Coke or working with artist Mike Perry to bring his designs to life for Hermes. If I had to choose one, it would be creating the brand package for Valorant Game Changers 2023, which combines epic mixed media with experiential deliverables and spotlighting pro-gaming for women and non-binary players.
SOCIAL MEDIA Q&A
Have you taken on projects you honestly felt clueless about? How do you navigate?
When I first started as an AD, often! Having to run a full CG project when you haven't touched Maya since intro to animation can be very daunting but you learn to trust your team. Always bring on people more talented than you. You also never are going to know the right answers on any project straight away, you just gotta be confident in a direction to go and be willing to change that direction as needed.
How does being a creative director influence your own creative style and process?
Becoming a director at Scholar requires a lot of stylistic flexibility. Because I get to work with so many different teams with so many different skills I am constantly learning new techniques. You begin to collect the ones that work best for you to take your next creative endeavor whether personal or professional.
What is your advice for trying to break into your field of work?
Talk to people, artists, producers, resourcing managers. Not everyone is going to be able to help but it only takes one. Look at the portfolios of artists and studios you want to work at and take inspiration from their work to create your own or build out your portfolio.