Full service digital post house Drive
Thru Editorial, the editorial division of Drive Thru, Inc., announced that
Smoke artist Derek Johnson has joined the company roster.
“We’re thrilled to have Derek on board,” said Drive Thru Editorial partner
Bob George. “With national ad campaigns continuing to set the standard for
visual effects, it’s crucial to be able to provide the top quality
editorial and VFX that our customers demand. Adding a Smoke artist to our
team allows us to increase our efficiency in handling complex jobs, and
frees me up to focus more on Flame and 3D projects.”

“From the moment we first met, I knew Derek would be the perfect addition
to our roster,” added Drive Thru, Inc. founder Mark Setterholm. “We have a
very collaborative environment here at Drive Thru. Derek really sparks to
that, and I know he and Bob will make a great team.”

Johnson joins Drive Thru Editorial from Crash+Sues, where he worked on
commercial projects for brands such as Best Buy, FedEx and Target, among
others. Johnson started at Crash+Sues almost 12 years ago, initially
working in the back room of the duplication department. He quickly rose to
the editorial side of things, assisting Gary “Crash” Medin when he was
still an editor, and was soon given his own linear edit suite. As Johnson
continued to develop his skill set he made the transition into online and
offline editing in Final Cut Pro, before finally moving on to become a
Smoke artist, a job he performed for the last five years. Operating
Autodesk Smoke at Crash+Sues, Johnson worked with ad agencies big and
small, including BBDO, Carmichael Lynch and Fallon, and on projects shot by
Academy Award-nominee DP Wally Pfister, among others.

“I’m excited to be working with Bob George and the rest of the Drive Thru
team. I love the creative side of what I do, and the collaborative nature
of the work. Even finishing work allows me to add something to the mix.
It’s the last stop in the process, so it requires a very detail-oriented
approach,” Johnson commented. “From a technology standpoint, Drive Thru
seems to be ahead of the curve with artist’s tools and workflows, including
the latest version of Autodesk Smoke, and I’m really looking forward to
being a part of that.”

www.drivethrutv.com