Team – North of Blue

Joanna Priestley – Director, Producer, Animator. Priestley has made an abstract animated feature, North of Blue, 30 award winning short films and an iOS app, Clam Bake. Her work maintains a high level of porosity between serious exploration of boundaries and intuitive whimsy and she is dedicated to experimentation in technique, theme and content.

jamie_nob Jamie Haggerty – Composer and Sound Designer. Jamie is a true Renaissance man. He was composer, sound designer, senior director, After Effects artist/compositor and editor at Flying Rhino (Portland, OR) for 16 years and was composer, sound designer and armature designer, at Will Vinton Studios for 11 years. Jamie composed the music and created the sound design for Priestley’s Dew Line (2005), Relative Orbits (2004, documentary) and Utopia Parkway (1997).

Brian Kinkley – Compositing and Paint Effects. Brian is a freelance motion graphics designer, animator and compositing artist currently working for Google. He was a director, animator and compositor at Bent Image Lab (2005 – 2011), motion graphics artist, designer and animator at Sandymontana (2010 – 2011) and assistant editor and post production supervisor at Vermilion Pictures (2004 – 2019). Brian and Joanna have been collaborating since he did the fabulous text animation for Missed Aches (2009).

Chris Barber – Additional Sound Effects. In addition to working as a location scout and manager in the thriving Portland, OR film scene, Chris has worked on a variety of short films, commercials, and features as a sound designer/editor. His favorite assignments are those that allow him to draw from his experience as a classical percussionist. Chris did the sound design and sound effects for Priestley’s Jung & Restless (2020) and Choking Hazard (2011).

Neisje Morrell – Assistant Animator
Neisje is a animator based in Los Angeles and working at Bento Box Entertainment. She has also done freelance work for Cartoon Network, Shadowmachine, Starburns Industries, Bent Image Lab, and House Special. Neisje was also board member and treasurer for ASIFA Portland, where she helped organize screenings, panels, meet-ups and student outreach events.

Don Flores – Assistant Animator Don has been working professionally in the animation industry for more than 14 years mainly as a visual development artist at Laika and Bent Image Lab, but he has worn many hats working on everything from print, television, short films, and features. If he isn’t sketching feverishly in his sketchbook, he can also be found dancing as he is co-owner at Element Dance Studio and a hip hop dance instructor.