Whiskytree is a visual effects and content creation company that is equal parts agency & production company, as well as a computer graphics powerhouse.
Our work spans industries and generations. You are just as likely to find it on the silver screen as you are on television, the internet, in an app, a game, VR or AR, or on the cover of a book.
If you have a creative challenge and want to engage with a world-class team of artists, designers, and technicians, look no further.
Welcome to Whiskytree!
Whiskytree is a visual effects and content creation company that is equal parts agency & production company, as well as a computer graphics powerhouse.
Our work spans industries and generations. You are just as likely to find it on the silver screen as you are on television, the internet, in an app, a game, VR or AR, or on the cover of a book.
If you have a creative challenge and want to engage with a world-class team of artists, designers, and technicians, look no further.
Welcome to Whiskytree!
Joe Ceballos
VP & Creative Director
Joe Ceballos was born and raised in Los Angeles. After earning his degree from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, he moved to San Francisco to work as a matte painter at Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light and Magic, digitally creating realistic environments for film. He is now the VP and Creative director at Whiskytree and has worked on nearly two dozen films, including multiple Marvel blockbusters.
Just as his love of fine art has helped inform his work in film, his experience in the entertainment industry has helped develop his visual sense and the story-telling qualities of his paintings.
Through his art, he strives to capture the overlooked details daily life: the cities we live in, the places we visit, the people we encounter. He has a strong interest in combining contemporary compositions and ideas with a foundation grounded in traditional technique.
“Whiskytree is the sum of its parts,
that’s where the magic is.”
Skyscraper, The Other Side of the Wind, Monster Hunt 2, Thor: Ragnarok, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Revenant, The Big Short, Tomorrowland, Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Elysium, Thor, Rango, Terminator Salvation, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Iron Man, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Mission: Impossible III, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D
Jonathan Harb
CEO & Executive Producer
Jonathan owns and operates Whiskytree. During his 22-year career, he has contributed to over 75 feature films and dozens of commercials, special venue projects, and ad campaigns.
Harb manages client relationships, supervises and produces the company’s work, and directs various productions that Whiskytree takes on. His film credits include visual effects executive producer, visual effects supervisor, digital matte supervisor, digital matte artist, digital artist, and concept and animatic artist.
Jonathan worked at ILM from 1996-2007, and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in industrial design from The College of Design at North Carolina State University. He is a voting member of the Visual Effects Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
“Welcome to Whiskytree.”
Skyscraper, The Other Side of the Wind, Monster Hunt 2, Thor: Ragnarok, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, The Revenant, The Big Short, The Last Witch Hunter, Tomorrowland, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World, Elysium, Thor, Rango, TRON: Legacy, Terminator Salvation, Bedtime Stories, Iron Man, Mission: Impossible III, Star Wars: Episode III, Peter Pan, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Star Wars: Episode II, Artificial Intelligence, The Perfect Storm, Sleepy Hollow, Star Wars: Episode I, Mercury Rising, Men in Black, War of the Worlds, The Day After Tomorrow, Van Helsing, Flubber, Starship Troopers, 101 Dalmatians, The Eraser, Mars Attacks, Twister
Tuan Ho
Technical Director
Tuan is an artist and tinkerer who likes to feel a sense of craftsmanship in all of his work. He enjoys creating techniques which can be used to speed up processes and achieve efficiency.
Tuan’s curiosity, coupled with the understanding of technology, has brought him to the Whiskytree team. He has over 7 years of experience modeling, matchmoving, rendering, and more.
In his free time, Tuan is constantly teaching himself new skill sets, making him a jack of all trades and helping him prepare for the post apocalyptic era. Still, Tuan never forgets to enjoy the company of good people.
“Education never stops. If you’ve reached a place where you don’t have anything to learn
it’s time to go back to the drawing board.”
Skyscraper, The Other Side of the Wind, Monster Hunt 2, Thor: Ragnarok, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Warcraft, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Elysium, The Avengers, The Hunger Games, Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, Kill the Irishman, El Dorado, Unthinkable, Stolen, Border Town
Paul Hudson
Tools Developer
Paul holds a degree in computer science and engineering with a minor in film from the University of Akron.
In high school, Paul painted his bedroom wall as a blue screen and for his 10th grade research paper he chose to write about Jurassic Park, noting that it was a crossover of the different philosophies of Phil Tippett and Dennis Muren.
At Whiskytree, Paul leads most programming and app building tasks including the development of custom tools needed for various projects. His ability to bridge the gap between technical and artistic frameworks allows him to assist his fellow artists in problem solving so that they can complete tasks easier, better, and faster.
Hailing from a small town in Ohio, Paul enjoys city life in San Francisco where he and his wife, Melissa are raising their children. In his free time, Paul enjoys traveling, attending concerts at intimate venues and neighborhood exploration. With an eye for framing and composition, Paul is an avid photographer.
Paul is the godfather of Salsa Friday, a weekly Whiskytree ritual that caps the week with salsa music, chips and dip.
“This is a labor of love.
Many in our group could be working in a booming Silicon Valley startup but they choose to work here, in VFX.”
Skyscraper, The Other Side of the Wind, Monster Hunt 2,The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, Elysium, Thor, Hereafter, Alice in Wonderland, The Mist, Evan Almighty, Spider-Man 3, Snakes on a Plane, Sin City
Michael Kennen
Compositing Supervisor
Michael has been a part of the commercial and motion picture industry since the early 90’s. After working as an assistant feature film editor in Los Angeles, Michael moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area and worked for many years at the commercial post production house Varitel Video. He worked his way up from assistant editor to colorist and finally to Flame compositor.
In the early 2000’s, Michael moved from the commercial industry to the motion picture industry while he worked as a compositor utilizing various programs such as Flame, Shake, After Effects, and Nuke. During this time, Michael worked for numerous VFX companies such as ILM, Sony Imageworks, Rhythm + Hues, Tippett Studio and The Orphanage, to name a few.
Michael joined Whiskytree in 2014 as Senior Compositor, and has since worked on a wide variety of projects, including films, commercials, games, and virtual reality worlds.
“I was drawn to Whiskytree by the size of the company,the quality of work,
and the skill level of the artists working here.”
Skyscraper, The Other Side of the Wind, Monster Hunt 2, Thor: Ragnarok, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Transformers: The Last Knight, Tomorrowland, The Revenant, The Last Witch Hunter, The Big Short, Thor: The Dark World, Star Trek, Pacific Rim, Chasing Mavericks, The Amazing Spiderman, Battleship, Cirque Du Soleil, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Super 8, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Mars Needs Moms, The Other Guys, Iron Man 2, Alice in Wonderland, The Box, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Live Free or Die Hard, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Zodiac, The Messengers, The Last Mimzy, The Good Shepherd, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, Danika, Pan’s Labyrinth, King Kong, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, Sin City, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, The Cat in the Hat, Seabiscuit, Baby Bob
Emerald May
Systems Technician
After college, Emerald moved to New York City and tried bartending. Still flying half a ship, she happily landed a gig a few years later in San Francisco as a software developer.Now at Whiskytree, Emerald assists with monitoring and managing the render farm, updates software tools for artists, deploys OS updates, archives footage, assists with plate loading, and more.In her free time, she is probably editing videos, learning new programming languages and computer software, re-enacting Star Wars duels at conventions, or trooping with her non-profit charitable group, Rebel Legion.
“It is exciting to work with a highly talented team who care about the art and technology behind creating world-class visual effects! Whiskytree is a close-knit family and everyone has a voice.”
Skyscraper, The Other Side of the Wind
Emily Manheim
Associate Production Manager
Emily is a bright, cheerful team member with a positive outlook on life. Born and raised in the East Bay, Emily currently resides in Richmond, CA. She is well traveled and has visited Singapore, Peru, and Ghana while working on documentaries in college. She attended Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts where she received a Bachelor of Fine Art degree in creative producing.
Most of Emily’s professional experience is on-set, and her can-do attitude, desire for new experiences and her knowledge of the different areas of the production pipeline make her a valuable addition to the Whiskytree team. Emily is responsible for keeping clients up to date on each project. She helps to schedule all the shows and relays any feedback to the Whiskytree team so that everyone is on the same page.
Emily likes to travel and enjoys being outdoors, hiking, backpacking and camping. She also enjoys macro photography and taking candid shots of people in their everyday setting.
“I greatly enjoy working with a team that has so much passion for the power of visual effects. Everyone has their hands on some part of each project making this a fun and collaborative work environment where everyone has a voice.”
Skyscraper, The Other Side of the Wind, Monster Hunt 2, Thor: Ragnarok, Gina’s Journey: The Search for William Grimes, Zola Jumped In, Blood Ransom
Brian Meanley
Computer Graphics Supervisor
After beginning his career on the East Coast, Brian relocated to California in 2012 to join the Whiskytree family. He started as the Technical Director, serving as a bridge between both the technical and the creative side of projects.
With over 10 years of quality visual effects experience in commercials, short-form animation, and film, Brian often functions as a Visual Effects Supervisor along with his current role as Computer Graphics Supervisor.
Brian enjoys camping, hiking, running, and being outdoors in his free time. Some of his favorite, somewhat local, places to visit are Big Sur, Sonoma County and the Mendocino Area.
“We’re a small team
and we complement each other well which allows us to act quickly and try new things.”
Skyscraper, The Other Side of the Wind, Monster Hunt 2, Thor: Ragnarok, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Warcraft: The Beginning, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Tomorrowland, The Revenant, The Last Witch Hunter, The Big Short, Transformers: Age of Extinction, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World, The Lone Ranger, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Elysium
JP Monroy
Art Director
JP spent his early life growing up in Guatemala City, Guatemala. As a youngster he enjoyed making clay figures and mini movies with the help of his good friend, Carlos, and his brothers, Jorge and Jose.
From an early age, JP had an interest in art, technology and VFX, but the real catalyst for JP’s career came after attending an SFSU conference where Jonathan Harb, Whiskytree CEO & Founder, happened to be speaking. After the conference, JP introduced himself to Jonathan and soon after began his career with Whiskytree. He started as an apprentice in 2007 and has since earned his keep as the Art Director.
Having graduating from San Francisco State University, JP holds a degree in fine art with an emphasis on painting and drawing.
“Since starting as an apprentice,
I’ve gained artistic, career, and life experiences that have helped shape me.”
Skyscraper, The Other Side of the Wind, Monster Hunt 2, Thor: Ragnarok, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, The Big Short, Tomorrowland, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, Transformers: Age of Extinction, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Elysium, I’s, Captain American: The First Avenger, Thor, Sucker Punch, Rango, TRON: Legacy, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Theif
Pierre Nahoum
Technical Director
Pierre grew up in the eastern suburbs of Paris. At an early age, he knew he wanted to work in film animation. He started his education at ArtFx, a school located in France, before moving to the United States in 2010 to finish his studies in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pierre became an official member of the Whiskytree family in 2014. His artistic and technical contributions to the studio are felt in his ability to bring designs to life. In applying his modeling, shading, and lighting abilities, Pierre can recreate anything from real-life cityscapes, to a hand sketched monster from the most imaginative mind.
During his weekends, Pierre likes to spend time with his wife, Madiana, and his dog, Mellow, a German Spitz. Together they enjoy exploring the Bay Area, trying new cuisines, and finding other dog-friendly activities.
“We have a consistent visual identity
and good company culture.”
Skyscraper, The Other Side of the Wind, Monster Hunt 2, Thor: Ragnarok, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Legendary, Tomorrowland, The Big Short, The Invisible Highway, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Interlude, Nuisible
Alanna Pickerrell
Production Assistant
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Alanna attended Humboldt State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in Film. During her time in college, Alanna enjoyed making short documentaries and working in the equipment cage for the film department, where she gained a better understanding of the production process. Additionally, her internship on a live television set for the PBS North Coast Station taught her the value of working with a team.
Alanna assists the production staff with daily tasks, helping take each project from client turnover to final delivery. She also helps to maintain a healthy and fun work environment for the Whiskytree team.
Alanna enjoys traveling, skiing, and live music.
“Having always had a passion for film, I am thrilled to be working for such an energetic and imaginative company and am looking forward to the excitement, challenges and experiences ahead of me.”
Skyscraper, The Other Side of the Wind
Lisa Wagner
Manager of Studio Operations
Born and raised in Marin County, Lisa has always had an interest in artistic pursuits which eventually brought her to Whiskytree. As Whiskytree’s Studio Manger, Lisa oversees and handles the vital day-to-day operations. She also maintains the overall employee experience which contributes to making Whiskytree a great place to work.
Along with her time at Whiskytree, Lisa has over thirteen years of combined operations, administrative, and production experience in the entertainment industry, and has worked at companies such as LucasArts Entertainment and Sega Studios San Francisco.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in apparel marketing and design, with a studio art minor from California State University, Sacramento.
Lisa truly appreciates the natural beauty of the outdoors and loves making summer trips to Lake Tahoe and working in her garden on weekends.
“We are a tight-knit, collaborative team and everyone is very welcoming and supportive.
Employees work hard, but it’s an exciting and fun environment as well.”
Skyscraper, The Other Side of the Wind, Monster Hunt 2, Thor: Ragnarok
WHISKYTREE®
Under clear skies in San Rafael, CA 94901 at historic 818 5th Avenue, Suite 200 there is a team of ARTISTS and TECHNICIANS committed to the HIGHEST standard of QUALITY. Meet us at whiskytree.com
The Studio
Whiskytree is a small yet powerful team of digital artists that is consistently entrusted with bringing the stuff of dreams to life. Since our beginning in 2007, we have been blessed to attract talented individuals with varied background who have contributed to the success and tight-knit culture of our team.
We can be found at 818 5th Avenue which is located in the heart of beautiful San Rafael, California, and is also the seat of Marin County.
Our office is a short commute from both the East Bay and San Francisco as well as from Sonoma County and Napa Valley. In this way, we are lucky to get the best of both city life and small town living.
We are always looking for talented, enthusiastic folks to join our team of world-class artists, technicians, producers, and designers.
While we may not have an available position at the time you contact us, we will keep your information on file for relevant positions in the future.
Introduction
Please send the following by email with the subject line “Position of Interest submission – your name.”
-
- A signed Whiskytree Inc Content Submission Agreement
-
- Your resume and a cover letter explaining your interest in the position
- A link to your portfolio/ reel where we can view your most recent, mind-blowing work
- Availability date
We make every effort to reply via email within 2-6 weeks, but due to the large volume of applications we receive, it is not always possible to respond directly to each applicant. However, you will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your application.
Thank you for your interest in Whiskytree and for taking the time to submit your information.
The Adventure Begins!
Cheetos: Chameleon
Cheetos: Chameleon
Partnering with We Fly Coach, Whiskytree worked with Frito Lay to create a set of four Cheetos spots for their “Show Me” campaign. We Fly Coach created all the Chester animations and handed them off to us to perfectly integrate Chester into each scene. Specifically for the Chameleon spot, we were tasked with additional CG environment and character additions including dust from the jeep, adding spots to the Chameleon, and enhancing the Cheeto’s dust. Whiskytree completed all final comps for every spot.
Downsizing
Downsizing
After reviewing all the scenes that take place in Alondra, the low income neighborhood outside Leisureland, director Alexander Payne realized that he didn’t like the way the floors were dressed during principal photography. Working along side ILM, Whiskytree was tasked with replacing the flooring for every scene, a difficult task, as the floors were full of actors and set dressing. Seeking an asbestos linoleum type tile, Whiskytree gathered a collection of references for Payne to choose from. After rotoscoping all the people, elements and objects out of the scenes, we were able to replace all the old flooring. Whiskytree also created final comps for a majority of the shots, which were given back to ILM.
Rogue One
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Up and coming Director Gareth Edwards and ILM brought on Whiskytree for work on the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Whiskytree’s contribution to this amazing project consisted of several CG environments. We created Wobani and the imperial labor camp along with modeling and animating the prisoner transporter. Whiskytree also comped several shots of the final battle scene that took place on Scarif.
Captain America
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Set in the 1940’s, these backgrounds and set extensions of Brooklyn were created entirely in 3D, allowing the creatives at Marvel to explore a number of lighting conditions while Whiskytree handled all matchmove responsibilities. In collaboration with Lola VFX, Whiskytree provided the finished clean plates and mattes to assist in the Skinny Steve effect. The filmmakers shot a plate in a green wooded area of Middle America. During the final edit of the film, they asked us to move the action to a back alley of a typical American city. A seamless replacement of the original environment was done, courtesy of a wholly virtual digital set that Whiskytree designed and built artfully supplying the final shots for the film.
League Of Legends
League of Legends: Clash
The Clash League of Legends online promo was created in collaboration with Riot Games and Director Dave Meyers. The spot was filmed in L.A. with on-set supervision from Whiskytree. Our work consisted of full CG environment creation and set extensions, ranging from the concept and imagining of a dark pit in a gamer lounge, to PC gaming screen overlays and replacements. Not to mention the first promo animation of the Nautilus, a major League of Legends character. Whiskytree completed final comp as well as final conform for the spot.
The Last Jedi
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
For the second film in the latest round of Star Wars trilogies, Whiskytree worked with ILM to finesse Luke Skywalker’s tree library on the planet of Ahch-To. Our main focus was to enhance the bookshelf itself by placing embossed hieroglyphics beneath the texts. As this was one of the first times we saw a book in the Star Wars universe, Whiskytree took great care with the final comp of each scene.
The Revenant
The Revenant
Using an array of plates shot through a highly technical camera rig, Whiskytree stitched together the footage to serve as the backdrop for a sequence depicting Leonardo DiCaprio’s character floating down a turbulent river. Whisktree also created several matte paintings for the same sequence which were sent to ILM for final comp.
Elysium
Elysium
Neill Blomkamp directed this science fiction thriller in which Whiskytree created the surface of the luxurious space habitat called Elysium. With trillions of polygons to contend with, this project was not only a success creatively for our client, but also an envelope-pushing technological endeavor that lead to our company presenting to the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences to be considered for an Academy Award.
Monster Hunt 2
Monster Hunt 2
In a follow up to the Chinese blockbuster hit Monster Hunt, Whiskytree teamed up with Base FX and Director Raman Hui for the long anticipated sequel, Monster Hunt 2. This film features a luscious tree filled environment which had not yet been seen. Working with a partial practical set, Whiskytree was tasked with comp work and set extensions on over 300 shots. We also constructed the CG monster world environment based on a concept by Raman. Whiskytree created the final comp for some shots while others were passed onto Base FX for monster animation.
Thor: Ragnarok
Thor: Ragnarok
For the third installment in the Thor series, Director Taika Waititi and Marvel came to Whiskytree for the continued development of Asgard. This is a world that Whiskytree knows well after having worked on Asgard in all three films in the franchise. Asgard is a grand and golden city and Whiskytree was responsible for many of the full CG establishing shots in the film. Throughout the film, bifrost travel is heavily featured. Generating final comps of all assigned shots, we worked on creating FX enhancements for the observatory and its surroundings, adding nebulas to the sky, generating mist and fog to the waters below, as well as developing the origin point of the bifrost bridge through space.
Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland
Whiskytree designed and built the exterior Tomorrowland as seen in numerous key shots throughout the film. Our pipeline and workflow allowed us to quickly react to feedback until we ultimately landed on a design that worked for the director, Brad Bird. We delivered fully rendered and composited elements of the city that could be integrated into various live-action plates, regardless of whether the final comp was being handled at ILM or at Whiskytree.
Rango
Rango
Working directly with Gore Verbinski and ILM, Whiskytree was tasked with a number of projects for this show. We worked on several look-dev concept paintings for the skies throughout the film. Whiskytree created the environment and buildings for the Las Vegas scene as well as the environment and the machinery used to build the Mayor’s new town. Whiskytree created the final comps for all these shots in this Academy Award-winning animated film.
