Production/ Studio Artist (Freelance & Full Time) in El Segundo, California at Butler Shine Stern & Partners

BSSP is an independent creative agency built on the belief that the best work comes from people who push each other, and push past the obvious. We’re collaborators first: strategists, creatives, producers and analysts working side by side, because great ideas rarely come from one desk. We bring a challenger mindset to everything we make, questioning assumptions (including our own) to find a sharper answer. And we’re ambitious, for our clients’ brands, for the work, and for each other’s growth. If that sounds like how you like to work, we’d love to meet you.

The Production / Studio Artist takes approved creative and makes it real: pixel-perfect mechanicals, banner ads that work at every size, and files that go out the door right the first time. This is the person who turns a big idea into dozens of flawless deliverables, driven by the ambition to sweat the details others miss. Works hand in hand with Creative, and Account teams, bringing collaboration and a challenger mindset to every handoff — including asking "is there a smarter way to build this?"

Freelance can be anywhere in CA, OR, TX.

Full Time is based in El Segundo/Los Angeles

Mechanicals & Production

Build print-ready mechanicals for print ads, OOH, POS, direct mail and collateral from approved creative

Resize and adapt master layouts across formats while protecting the integrity of the design

Prep final files to publisher and vendor specs: bleeds, color profiles, resolution, fonts and packaging

Retouch and prep images for print and digital

Run thorough preflight and QA so files ship error-free and on deadline

Keep files organized, named and archived so anyone on the team can pick them up

Banner Ads & Digital Production

Build static and animated HTML5 banner ads across standard IAB sizes and custom placements

Resize and version campaigns efficiently, keeping motion, messaging and brand consistent

Meet publisher and ad-server specs for file weight, frame rate, click-throughs and backup images

Test across browsers and devices before anything goes live

Prep social and digital assets as needed, from display to social formats

Collaboration & Craft

Partner with Art Directors and Designers to bring their intent to life at every size and format

Work with Account Management to scope, prioritize and hit deadlines across multiple clients

Flag spec, timing or technical issues early and bring a solution, not just the problem

Spot opportunities to streamline studio workflows, templates and production processes

Stay current on production tools, ad formats and publisher requirements

What This Role Is Not

Concepting campaigns or developing original creative (Art Directors/Designers)

Writing copy or headlines (Copywriters)

Media placement or planning (Media Team)

Managing timelines and client approvals (Account Management)

What Excellence Looks Like

Files go out right the first time, with zero vendor or publisher rejections

Creative and Project Management trust this person to deliver with autonomy

A 40-size banner campaign looks as polished in the last size as the first

Deadlines are met without heroics because problems were flagged early

The studio runs faster and smarter because of the templates and processes this person improves

What You Bring

2–4 years of production or studio experience, ideally at an advertising agency or in-house creative team

Expert in Adobe Creative Cloud: InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator

Hands-on HTML5 banner experience with tools like Google Web Designer, Adobe Animate or similar

Strong grasp of print production: color management, prepress, bleeds and vendor specs

A sharp eye for typography, alignment and detail

Comfortable juggling multiple clients and deadlines at once

A portfolio showing mechanicals and banner work

Open question: confirm years of experience, reporting line and any required tools (e.g., Figma, After Effects, Celtra) before posting.