Curriculum Vitae

JONAH M. KESSEL
Web: www.jonahkessel.com | Blog: blog.jonahkessel.com
中国北京东城区金宝街67号
隆基大厦南楼S402D室 100005
Room S402D Longji Dasha
67 Jinbao Street, Dongcheng District
Beijing 10005, China
Email Me: here | Mobile China: (+86) 1861-181-0908 | Mobile USA: (+01) 802-379-9919 | Skype: jonah_kessel | Twitter: @jonah_kessel | Facebook: facebook.com/jonahkessel | Vimeo: Jonah Kessel | YouTube: jonahkessel | Linkedin: Jonah kessel | Flickr: jonahkessel | Digg: kesselimaging | MSN Messenger: jonahkessel@hotmail.com

EXPERIENCE

Jonahkessel.com, Beijing, China
Photographer, Videographer, Documentary Film Maker, Web, Graphic and Print Designer, December 2002 – Present

China Daily, Beijing, China
Creative Director, June 2009 – February 2010

  • China Daily is the national English language newspaper of the People’s Republic of China. Creative responsibilities in print, online, multimedia, photography, advertising, social and new media production of China Daily, chinadaily.com.cn and subsidiary publications.
  • The China Daily prints 350,000 copies a day and is available in 140 countries. Chinadaily.com.cn receives over 2 million page views a day.
  • Duties include: photography and video assignments, video editing, sound editing, page layout and design, commercial graphic design, Web design (front and back end), iPad and mobile platform development and graphic design.
  • Redesigned China Daily and subsidiary editions in 2010. Examples of before and after redesign found here.
  • Created the first centralized news design department in China Daily’s 29-year-old history.

Journalism Development Group, Oran, Algeria
Photography and Design Consultant, Spring 2009

  • The Journalism Development Group helps create ethical journalism and promote free speech in developing countries around the globe.
  • Redesigned La Voix de l’Oranie (French daily newspaper) and Sawt Al Gharb (Arabic daily newspaper) based in Oran, Algeria.
  • Worked side-by-side with existing Algerian journalists to create information architecture, clear visual communication and help increase newspaper readership nation wide.
  • Examples of redesign projects for JDG here.

Tahoe Daily Tribune, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Visual Director, June 2008 – 2009

  • Managed visual and Web elements and staff including photography, design, type, style, pagination, multimedia and social media content for the Tahoe Daily Tribune and subsidiary publications, including weekly entertainment magazine, monthly niche-publications and annuals.
  • Managed staff photographers and designers to produce award winning daily newspaper, weekly entertainment magazine and Web site.
  • Worked as an administrator and online content manager (OCM) on tahoedailytribune.com to generate and manage social media content.
  • Produced weekly html email marketing campaign.
  • Created and ran many interactive Web-based user contests and forums.
  • Took daily photo assignments, photo essays, videos, podcasts and worked as a multimedia storyteller.
  • Redesigned the Tahoe Daily Tribune from a broadsheet to its current tall-tab format. Visual examples of redesign found here.

Angora: Devastation, Survival, Restoration
July 2007 – December 2007

  • Produced 128-page hard bound book documenting the events of the Angora fire which burned over 3,000 acres and destroyed over 250 homes in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., in the summer of 2007.
  • See cover and end sheets here.

Tahoe Daily Tribune, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Design Editor, December 2006 – June 2008

  • Managed design, type and style elements.
  • Redesigned the Tahoe Daily Tribune from a broadsheet to its current tall-tab format. Visual examples of redesign found here.

The Burlington Free Press, Burlington, VT
Stringer, May 2006 – October 2006

  • Freelance photographer for Vermont’s largest daily newspaper. General assignment ranging from sports to breaking news.

Struggle and Survival: Abenaki Language Preservation
(Web Documentary)
Producer, Video Reporter, September 2005 – July 2006

  • Web-based documentary telling the story of the Abenaki Indians of New England and Quebec. The native language of these people is close to extinct; the web-based documentary includes 8 featurettes as well as a language guide. Visit site here.

EDUCATION

Saint Michael’s College, Burlington, Vermont
September 2003 – December 2006
B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications.

ADDITIONAL STUDIES:

  • Lynda.com, online digital communications training. Over 500 video tutorials taken in digital communications. Classes completed in:
    • Photoshop CS4 Extended for Video
    • Photoshop CS4 One-on-One: Advanced
    • XHTML Essential Training
    • HTML Essential Training
    • Pro Tools 8 Essential Training
    • InDesign CS4 Essential Training
    • WordPress.com 2.7 Essential Training
    • Photoshop CS4 for Photographers
    • Photoshop CS4 for Photographers: Desktop Printing Techniques
    • Flash CS4 Professional Essentials
    • Photoshop CS4 for Photographers: Creative Effects
    • Illustrator CS4 Advanced Training
    • Adobe CS Integration and Version Cue
    • Photoshop CS4 for Photographers: Camera Raw
    • Final Cut Pro 6 Essential Effects
    • Photoshop CS4 Retouching: Fashion Photography Projects
    • Final Cut Pro 6 Essential Editing
    • Dreamweaver CS4 Essential Training
    • Maya 2009 New Features
  • James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia

    Journalism and Media Studies
  • Massey University, Palmerston North, North Island, New Zealand

    Journalism and Media Studies
  • Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Champlain Valley Union High School, Hinesburg, Vermont

WHAT I’M PACKING

Currently shooting with:

SOFTWARE KNOWLEDGE

Native to the MAC platform; but, experienced with Windows and Linux based operating systems.
Software proficiency including:

  • Quark Express 8
  • Adobe Photoshop CS4
  • Adobe Illustrator CS4
  • Adobe Flash CS4
  • Adobe InDesign CS4
  • Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro
  • Adobe Dreamweaver CS4
  • Adobe Premier CS4
  • Final Cut Pro
  • LiveType
  • Soundslides Plus
  • Action Script 2, 3
  • Adobe After Effects CS4
  • Camera Bits Photo Mechanic
  • News Edit ProBaseview
  • Adobe Audition CS4
  • Canon Digital Professional
  • GarageBand
  • Sound Track Pro
  • Adobe Bridge CS4
  • GIMP
  • Saxotech Publicus Brightcove Publishing
  • Experienced with HTML, XHTML, CSS
  • Flash Video Encoder

LANGUAGE SKILLS

  • French: Intermediate
  • Spanish: Intermediate
  • Italian: Intermediate
  • Chinese (Mandarin): Beginner

SOCIAL MEDIA

Did you know that Britney Spears has more followers on Twitter than the population of Sweden, Israel, Switzerland, Ireland, Norway and Panama? Did you know Facebook receives more traffic than Google every week. If it were a country, Facebook would be the 3rd largest in the world. If it takes you four-minutes to read this, over 100 hours worth of video will be uploaded to YouTube.

While over half the world’s population is under the age of 30, widespread use of social media is rising exponentially in all demographics. 96% of millennials have joined social networks; however, as time passes, this number will soon include most of society. Widespread use of social media is changing the way we understand and receive information, and at a core level — changing the ways human beings communicate.

American author Erik Qualman says “We don’t have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it.” In many ways, we don’t search for the news — the news finds us. The question for you is: what news do you want to transmit to people? You can be in control in this equation.

Regardless of what business you are in, be it an NGO, a multinational company or mom & pop’s B&B, you need a plan on how to navigate this rapidly changing world. Here are some of my methods:

AWARDS

2009 Nevada Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest
1st Place: Best Multiple Feature Photos
2nd Place: Best Multiple Feature Photos
3st Place: Best Portrait
3rd Place: Best Spot News Photo Coverage

National Press Photographers Association: Region 10
(Region 10 includes: Arizona, California, Hawai’i, Nevada, Asia, and Oceania)
1st Place, April: Best Feature/Single Photo

Editor & Publisher – 2008 Photos of the Year
1st Place: Photo Essay, Multiple Feature Photos

Nevada Press Association
2008 Journalist of Merit

2008 Nevada Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest
1st Place: Best Multiple Feature Photos
1st Place: Best Illustrated Photo
1st Place: Best Page Designer
1st Place: Best Information Graphic
1st Place: Best Overall Design, Tahoe Daily Tribune
1st Place: Best News Feature Story
1st Place: Best Portrait Photo
2nd Place: Best Portrait Photo
3rd Place: Best Portrait Photo
2nd Place: Best Page One Design
2nd Place: Best Information Graphic
2nd Place: Best Multiple Feature Photos
3rd Place: Best Illustrated Photo

2008 California Newspaper Association
1st Place: Page Layout and Design, Tahoe Daily Tribune
1st Place: Illustration/Information Graphic
2nd Place: Front Page Design, Tahoe Daily Tribune
2nd Place: Feature Photo
2nd Place – Illustration/Information Graphic
Honorable Mention: Multiple Feature Photo
Honorable Mention: Breaking News Photo
Honorable Mention: Sports Photo

National Press Photographers Association: National News Clip Contest
3rd Place: Best Feature/Multiple Photo Essay

National Press Photographers Association: Region 10
(Region 10 includes: Arizona, California, Hawai’i, Nevada, Asia, and Oceania)
1st place, Monthly News Clip Contest: March 2008, Feature/Multiple Picture
2nd place, Monthly News Clip Contest: April 2008, General News Photo
3rd place, Monthly News Clip Contest: September 2008, Spot News Photo

2008 Sierra Nevada Media Group
1st Place: Photo of the Quarter
1st Place: Best Online Content

2007 Sierra Nevada Media Group
1st Place: Graphic Design Element of the Year
1st Place: Graphic Design Element of the Quarter, Q4
1st Place: Graphic Design Element of the Quarter, Q3

2007 Nevada Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest
1st place: Best Page One Design
2nd place: Best Page Designer

2006 Global Eyes Photography Contest
Overall winner – Best in Show
1st Place: People and the Human Spirit
1st Place: Politics and Social Justice

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