Hook, a commercial art and integrated media developer headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has acquired new talent and tripled the size of its downtown facilities. The studio has been developing illustrations, animations and interactive applications for major brands and agencies since its inception in 2006 and has recently begun expanding its resources in order to create a more powerful production pipeline.
With renovations on its new facilities completed, the company welcomed two additional full-time developers to its in-house staff. Stephen McKenna and Gustavo Gonzalez were successfully pursued and recruited from a selection of international candidates. Co-founder Aaron Schwartz commented that, "Stephen and Gustavo were selected not only on the depth and quality of their portfolios but also on their incredible enthusiasm for the industry. These two do what they love and it shows."
McKenna, a Michigan native, brings further expertise in interactive application development to the integrated media team. With a nine year background in ActionScript production and a B.F.A. in Art & Design, he will lead future projects as a Senior Flash Developer by designing custom applications to fit the unique demands of the advertising industry.
Gonzalez, a native of the Dominican Republic and a graduate of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit as well as the Full Sail University in Florida, joined the company as an Art Production Generalist. His diverse skill-set includes an extensive history with several 3D technologies, animation, graphic and motion design. The talents he brings to the company will provide support for the visual and conceptual development of all art related tasks.
Hook has already begun taking advantage of the strengths of its new members. The team is currently engaged in projects for Crispin Porter + Bogusky and 2Advanced.