That's me!
San Francisco Bay Area
- Past
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- SFX at Northwestern student films; Aliens of Extraordinary Abilities: a Symposium on Immigration
- Community Manager, 1UP Network at Ziff Davis Media
- Actor at Live Action Cartoonists
- "Rotohelper" at Rotofugi Designer Toy Store and Gallery; rotofugi.com
- Freelance at Electronic Gaming Monthly, Ziff Davis
- Web design and development at Teetsy.com
- Radio DJ at WNUR 89.3 FM Evanston/Chicago
- Voiceover at Project for the Kellogg School of Management
- Substitute Teacher; Lecturer at Gregory-Portland ISD
- Education
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- Northwestern University
- University of Cambridge
- Cornell University
- Recommended
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1 person has recommended Jenn - Connections
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- Industry
- Online Media
- Websites
Jenn Frank’s Summary
While most of my years show an emphasis in the performance and visual arts, and though my major in college was actually in fiction writing, these experiences and events all verify a broader interest in finding the best way, or best combination of media, to communicate fundamental truths. I have long been fascinated by discovering how technology supports that motive... and how, at times, technology can hinder it.
Jenn Frank’s Specialties:
Writing, especially critical, essay, and also snappy dialogue; years of formal training in theater, voice, and dulcimer; proficiency in online media, desktop publishing, HTML and CSS, Photoshop, Miva and e-commerce, secure servers, rudimentary understanding of PERL, CGI, and JSP; twelve years in SFX; four years in radio, FCC certified; near-fluency in German
Jenn Frank’s Experience
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SFX
Northwestern student films; Aliens of Extraordinary Abilities: a Symposium on Immigration
(Non-Profit; 11-50 employees; Arts and Crafts industry)
2003 — 2008 (5 years)
Most recently, I produced character and horror makeup for a speculative television show.
For a Northwestern student horror film, I designed a remarkable head wound on one actor, photographed it, and -- this was the real challenge -- I duplicated it on the head of another actor. This work was achieved using wax, latex, stipple sponge (for reproducing just the right 'splatter'), cream color, different consistencies of fake blood, and of course, lip gloss.
To advertise for her symposium, "Aliens of Extraordinary Abilities," Dr. Onoda asked me to collaborate on the design of 'alien makeup,' in which she herself would be photographed. Most notably, I pressed the lens of aviator sunglasses into wet latex, and then cut some space for her eye into it, thereby producing a bug-eye 'prosthetic' that could be applied to her face. We used a variety of other media: wax, cream color, latex pieces, bald cap, tinfoil, and marbles, principally. -
Community Manager, 1UP Network
Ziff Davis Media
(Privately Held; 201-500 employees; Publishing industry)
May 2006 — April 2008 (2 years)
As part of the Editorial division at Ziff Davis Media -- a print/online publishing group in the tech sector -- I wrote video game news and previews, and some features. My game reviews have appeared both online and in print. I was also required to blog more frequently.
As Community Manager, I examined trends in online "social networks," helping to brainstorm the short-term, overall, and abstract changes that Ziff's online arm, 1UP.com, would undergo. I encouraged other users to generate meaningful content, and I acted as a liaison between video game developers, their PR, other editors, users of the site, and readers all. To a lesser extent, I worked in policing, and investigated claims of abuse, pornography, spam, and cybercrime. I also worked with our Sales and Marketing divisions, especially when planning our presence at events and conventions. -
Actor
Live Action Cartoonists
(Non-Profit; Entertainment industry)
2002 — July 2007 (5 years)
Although the Live Action Cartoonists perpetually seem to be on hiatus, it's all a bluff. We most recently performed in July 2007 at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, during their Tezuka exhibits, as part of their ongoing MATCHA series. Our director, Dr. Onoda, also lectured.
The Live Action Cartoonists are a multidisciplinary performance art troupe founded in Chicago. Led by Natsu Onoda (now a professor at Georgetown), we first staked a claim in Chicago theater with our 2003 sophomore effort, "Are you my negative space? a performance about comics, war, and love."
Hedy Weiss (Chicago Sun-Times) called that production "a wonderfully homemade yet sophisticated multimedia show that is not just original, playful and thought-provoking but also has moments of powerful emotional connection."
I was also a performer in the Chicago casts of Science Fiction, Negative Space, and a Performance of Sleep, all of which have been performed in full or part around the globe. -
"Rotohelper"
Rotofugi Designer Toy Store and Gallery; rotofugi.com
(Retail industry)
July 2005 — June 2006 (1 year)
I assisted in the retail of vinyl and plush art, both in-store and online, and to customers I was a veritable font of toy knowledge. After-hours, I worked in shipping. I also penned some product descriptions.
The world of art toys and "designer vinyl" is the overlap between many seemingly disparate disciplines: pop surrealism and "lowbrow" painters; urban, "street," and graffiti art; comic books; Asian pop culture; fringe and outsider art; DIY and crafting, especially with fabric; hot rod culture; even "rock poster art" and music in general.
Now the world of art toys generates ever more interest -- as evidenced by Murakami art shows, or by Tokidoki's reputation as high fashion -- and there are increasing numbers of articles, periodicals, coffee table books, and mainstream gallery exhibits dedicated to the subject. -
Freelance
Electronic Gaming Monthly, Ziff Davis
(Privately Held; Writing and Editing industry)
September 2005 — May 2006 (9 months)
My brief freelance career overlapped with my Rotofugi experience. It actually worked really well.
An editor at Electronic Gaming Monthly had recommended I try my hand at freelance game reviews. Then games started showing up in the mail. It was all very mysterious, too: I'd email my reviews of the games, and then my words would appear in EGM a couple months later. I am pretty sure I got my very best writing done on the sofa. -
Web design and development
Teetsy.com
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Internet industry)
April 2005 — August 2005 (5 months)
When Scott Marvel (of Daily Planet LTD., a motion graphics house in Chicago) asked me to help him develop an online T-shirt business as a fun creative outlet, I agreed. Mr. Marvel's graphics team produced the products, and I set about researching e-commerce and Miva, secure servers, security certificates, credit card processing APIs, the whole nine yards.
I then designed and built the then-Teetsy.com, right down to penning all the shirt descriptions and returns and privacy policies. I also helped Scott set up the Teetsy blog. I continued to periodically update the products and inventory until I simply ran out of time. At that juncture, Teetsy was passed into the able hands of Geoff Dougherty, who tweaked the backend and aspects of the design, and now maintains the site in full. -
Radio DJ
WNUR 89.3 FM Evanston/Chicago
(Non-Profit; 51-200 employees; Broadcast Media industry)
January 2001 — June 2004 (3 years 6 months)
The venerable WNUR 89.3 FM, "Chicago's Sound Experiment", is notably the largest student-run radio station in the United States, and has won numerous awards over the years, from "Best in Chicago" to "Best College Radio Ever." During my time there, Spin Magazine named it as the Best College Radio Station in the Nation.
FCC-trained and -certified, I hosted the Rock Show with Jenn while manning the switches in the on-air control room. I also trained new DJs and helped with our annual Phone-a-thon.
In 2002, I was a member of WNUR's Executive Board and served as wnur.org's webmaster.
That year, I also submitted a design for consideration as the Official 2002 T-shirt, under a masculine pseudonym. After a few tweaks, the design solidified into what ultimately became the WNUR T-Shirt during the 2002 Phone-a-thon. -
Voiceover
Project for the Kellogg School of Management
(Motion Pictures and Film industry)
April 2003 — April 2003 (1 month)
Provided voice of lead character--a 12-year old boy named Major--in a pilot episode for a children's educational cartoon, "Major Disaster."
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Substitute Teacher; Lecturer
Gregory-Portland ISD
(Educational Institution; 501-1000 employees; Education Management industry)
August 2000 — September 2002 (2 years 2 months)
Taught at the junior high and high school levels through August and September of 2000, 2001, and 2002. In 2001, was senior honors classes' guest lecturer on comics and sequential art.
Jenn Frank’s Education
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Northwestern University
B.A., English Major in Writing (Fiction Program in Writing), Concentratration in Russian lit, emphases in essay/creative writing, performing arts, sequential art, 2000 — 2004
Accepted in Writing Department's Fiction program; graduated with departmental honors for independent study project
TriQuarterly Fiction Award, May 2004
Edwin L. Shuman Essay Award, first place, May 2004- Activities and Societies:
- Chapin Humanities Residential College, WNUR 89.3 FM Evanston/Chicago, Lovers and Madmen (Shakespearean Theatre Troupe)
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University of Cambridge
Accredited course, British Cinema with Michael Trewhella, 1999 — 1999
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Cornell University
Accredited course, "Inventing an Information Society" with Professor Ronald Kline, 1998 — 1998
Additional Information
Jenn Frank’s Websites:
Jenn Frank’s Interests:
Gender, gender in videogaming, children and consumerism, protecting children, comics and sequential art, Russian literature, film, music, live music performance, theater, live action cartooning, the Great American Novel, urban vinyl toys and their proponents
Jenn Frank’s Groups:
Live Action Cartoonists
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Northwestern University Alumni
Jenn Frank’s Honors:
National Merit Finalist
