Karl Pontau

As a child, I fell in love with creating art, starting in preschool with a self-designed LEGO helicopter with spinning rotors. After creating media in multiple formats, I found motion graphics to be my preferred way to share my passion for design, learning, and storytelling. I am always interested in improving my skills and collaborating with other passionate individuals on creative projects. For those reasons, I started my sole proprietorship, Squash and Stretch Productions. Whether as an individual working on a studio's production team, or as my own company working with a local business, I'm looking to contribute my skills and experience to projects for marketing, educational, and entertainment purposes.

The creative design, typography, and layout skills I contribute to projects are the combination of my education and professional experience. At CSU Monterey Bay and The Academy of Art University, SF, I built a sturdy foundation in animation and graphic design. My professional experience includes creating high-quality motion graphics for GuideSpark and multiple, pleased clients. I can effectively use the Adobe Creative Suite, including After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premier, and posses versatile motion design skills. I also employ Cinema 4D, Maya, and Trapcode Suite for maximum effectiveness. Through Squash and Stretch, I’ve gained the experience and perspective to manage and collaborate to produce high-quality products on time and within budget.

If you have a production team or project that could use somebody with a problem-solving attitude, excellent communication skills, and confidence to overcome challenges, then please contact me.