Digital Ninja® is the trademark, company, and alter-ego of Jesse Dez.

He lives a life that blends his love and passion for art with his seasoned experience in videography and graphics creation. In 2003, Jesse founded Digital Ninja LLC, an independent video- production agency that specializes in writing, photography, filming, and pre-production services. A long- time resident of Redondo Beach, CA, Jesse strives to bring art to the Los Angeles community and helps mentor young students in the area. Dez was a docent at Valor Christian Academy in 2013 and played a key part in the Young at Art program in Manhattan Beach, CA. Following that, he served as a docent at Birney Elementary in Redondo Beach, CA from 2014 to 2020, and co-chaired the school’s Hands on Art program.

Jesse grew up in the suburbs of Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. He graduated cum laude from The Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale in 2000 with an associate’s degree in 3D Animation. He received accolades for “Best Digital” and “Print Portfolios” in his class. Dez then received a bachelor’s degree in film production from the University of Southern California in 2003. In 2006, he teamed up with Glasshouse Productions to produce the award winning short Solace (2006) that featured Darryl Sabara, the late Ed Lauter & Margot Kidder, and voice-over by Academy Award Winner, Kathy Bates.

In the fall of 2007, Jesse was brought on by Luma Pictures as a visual effects coordinator, where he managed the conversion and delivery of files and streamlined the studio’s database in Santa Monica, CA. Working directly with the producers, supervisors, and artists, Dez acquired the technical skills behind visual effects and quickly became familiar with the facility’s operations. In January 2012, Dez joined Brooklyn Bridge Productions to work on the television pilot, “Color of the Day.” Over the next two years, he was involved in shooting the sizzle reel, scouting and casting talent, creating crew call-sheets, designing graphics and posters, and coordinating copyright agreements and SAG paperwork. While making this pilot, Dez developed experience working with RED Digital Cinema cameras and equipment.

Dez then focused his efforts on furthering business development for Digital Ninja LLC, which resulted in the agency’s partnership on several projects. In 2017, Dez was hired by Kreate Inc. to shoot photography at the NHL All-Star Fanfare event and after-party. In May 2018, Kreate Inc. again partnered with Digital Ninja LLC, where Dez filmed two Mastercard Priceless events, edited the footage, and produced event recaps for Kreate Inc.’s portfolio. In spring 2019 and fall 2019, Billy Graziadei reached out to Digital Ninja LLC to bring Jesse on as director of photography for two music videos to launch his debut solo album, “Feed the Fire” with AFM Records. In 2020, Dez was hired by Brian Graden Media and Smoke & Mirrors as a lighting technician for “Poetics,” which is a project currently in development. Other highlights that year included the multi-award-winning short, “Believe. 2022 highlights include working again with Billy Graziedei on another music video, “Turn the Wounds” and work has begun on a follow-up to “Believe” (2020).