Komal Bhukhanwala, CBS Sports, Senior Art Director

Arturo Brena, KéexFrame, Founder and CEO

Always motivated by challenges and finding creative solutions, Arturo Brena has established his career in both live TV, commercials, and film, by combining his technical background and artistic sensibilities. With formal studies in computer science, marketing, and 3D animation – in addition to his native drive for design and aesthetics – Brena’s career and passion thrive most at the intersection of creativity and technology.

Throughout his 20+ years in the media and entertainment industry, he has worked with animation studios and some of the biggest TV networks in the world guiding each project to success (NBC, CBS, CCTV(china), TELEVISA, etc). With Brena’s background as a 3D animator, VFX compositor, and 3D real-time graphics specialist, he has developed the necessary foundation to not only consistently see opportunities for industry innovation and development, but to conceptualize and lead projects that define the new cutting edge in graphics on-air technology.

Brena began his career as a 3D animator and real-time graphics artist. He has evolved into a manager and a leader focusing on advanced graphics, creative direction, and on-air operational work-flow optimization. Additionally, Brena has creatively and technically led the graphics for some of the most ambitious projects in live TV including: the Olympics, Elections, Worldcups, and 50+ other live shows in news, sports, and entertainment.

In 2017, Brena founded KeexFrame, a creative studio based in New York City dedicated to the intersection between graphic design, 3D animation, and real-time graphics. KeexFrame has been Unreal’s engine service partner since 2020 and has contributed to multiple high-end projects in the realm of live TV for sports and news as well as film, fashion, and pharma projects.

Brena was awarded an Emmy for innovative live-camera tracking and real-time graphics; has two Emmy nominations; and several BDAs for his achievements in art direction and graphics technology. He currently resides in New York City and has worked in Mexico, Germany, Greece and Israel, giving him a multi-cultural approach to problem solving.

Isa Bristol, ESPN Creative Studio, Manager, Graphics Innovation

Isa Bristol is a manager for the graphics innovation team at ESPN where she has worked for 12 years. She has been a key contributor to some of the latest rebrands at ESPN such as College Basketball, Monday Night Football, NHL, and NBA.

Bristol’s expertise include real-time graphics development, project management, and motion graphics. Her work at ESPN has led to two Emmy awards, a nomination for WICT’s Up-and-Coming Leader in 2019, and most recently the co-lead of ESPN’s Content Operations and Creative Surround DEI Council. Before joining ESPN, Bristol worked for QVC and the Paleontology Museum of Guadalajara, Mexico.

Chris Brown, Chris Brown, Ross Video, Senior Virtual Production Specialist

As an experienced producer, designer, programmer, and operator, Chris Brown has shaped virtual production projects for some of the most high-profile prime-time broadcasts in sports and news.

His notable projects and accomplishments include serving as the Augmented Reality Producer for Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football, and crafting AR graphics for NBC’s coverage of the 2020 Tokyo and 2022 Beijing Olympics. For this work, Brown received three Emmy Awards, two of which were for Outstanding Graphic Design. He also acted as the graphics programmer for Fox News’ 2022 United States midterm election coverage, ensuring the seamless integration of real-time data into the virtual production; and contributed to NBC’s Sunday Night Football, NBC’s coverage of Super Bowl LVI, and the 122nd US Open in the roles of designer and operator.

When not working in television, Brown enjoys sailing, traveling, and cheering on Tar Heel basketball.

Charles Collin, ESPN Creative Studio, Senior Manager, Graphics Innovation

Charles Collin is the senior manager of graphics innovation for ESPN Creative Studio. His responsibilities include product development, implementing new graphics technologies within the live production environment, and providing sustainable solutions that enhance the storytelling experience. In other words, he finds ways to leverage the skills and expertise of the many outstanding designers, animators, and engineers at ESPN who are involved with real-time graphics systems.

From the early days of virtual studio production in New York to being at ESPN for the past 10 years working on AR, virtual, mixed reality, and interactive graphics projects, Collin is passionate about and grateful to be involved in the ever-changing landscape of opportunities that persist for real-time graphics executions. With a BFA from SCAD in computer animation, he combines a design background with technical expertise from the school of hard knocks.

Jason Dachman, SVG, Editorial Director, U.S.; SVG Sports Graphics Program Director

Jason Dachman oversees all aspects of SVG’s North American editorial operations – including all news on sportsvideo.org, the daily SVG Insider newsletter, and SVG’s annual print publications – and is one of the primary contributors to SVG’s coverage of the sports-video-production industry. A member of the SVG team since 2009, Dachman also serves as program director for SVG’s Esports Production Forum, RSN Summit, Sports Content Management Forum, Sports Graphics Forum, and TranSPORT conference.

Prior to joining SVG, Dachman covered local sports for The Patriot Ledger in Quincy, MA, and served on the production staff of SiriusXM’s The Ron & Fez Show. He began his career in the Sports Information department at Northeastern University in Boston, where he earned a B.A. in media communications and cinema studies. A native of Denver, CO, Dachman currently resides in Queens, NY, with his wife Alyson and daughter June.

Barton Damer, Already Been Chewed, Founding Artist, Creative Director & Owner

Lisa DiNello, ESPN, Associate Art Director

Lisa DiNello is an associate art director on the Visual Storytelling team within ESPN’s Creative Studio. She is responsible for designs and animations for a variety of productions. DiNello most recently worked on the Monday Night Football design campaign and the College Football Playoff. She has also worked on several other package redesigns such as NBA, NHL, CFB, NFL on ESPN, Outside The Lines, E:60, and Get Up!.

DiNello has received three Emmy awards for her work on the NFL Draft and NFL on ESPN. Before ESPN, she worked as a graphic designer for the University of Georgia at the Football Recruitment Office, where she also received a B.A. in graphic design.

Phil Guthrie, Two Fresh Creative, Founder and Executive Creative Director

As founder and ECD of Two Fresh, Phil Guthrie has had the opportunity to lead a variety of projects that range from music videos, film, installations, sports rebrands, and network broadcast packages. Over the years, the hard work by Guthrie and his team have earned a MTV Music, People Choice, Clios, and multiple Promax BDA and Webby awards, while also being nominated for multiple Sports Emmys and a Grammy.

The vision for Two Fresh is to produce projects that everyone is proud of, and to create a work environment where people not only have fun, but also grow their skills at the same time. In between client projects or to just take a mental break, Guthrie encourages his artists to work on internal creative exercises which are referred to as “Freshies” – which allow the team to keep their mind fresh by creating fun projects without any limitations or mandates of a brief. From time to time, the studio will also hand out 2Fresh Awards to artists for their hard work and creativity.

Chad Hudson, NBC Sports, Senior Art Director

Chad Hudson is an Emmy Award winning senior art director with NBC Sports. He is primarily responsible for overseeing all design aspects for the Golf Channel, as well as BigTen and Notre Dame Football, NASCAR, INDYCAR, College Basketball, and MLB for NBC and Peacock.

While Hudson has been with NBC for the last ten years, he spent the first decade of his career with Turner Sports where he was the senior art director for such properties as the NBA on TNT and MLB on TBS, as well as March Madness.

JP LoMonaco, CBS Sports, VP, On-Air Graphics & Design

As VP of on-air graphics and design, JP LoMonaco oversees all of the design, production, and execution of graphics for the largest sporting events on CBS Sports Broadcast and CBS Sports Network – including the NFL, College Football, the Masters, the PGA Championship, and the March Madness Tournament.

With over 25 years of motion graphics leadership and graphics production under his belt, the Parsons School of Design graduate has accumulated a skill set that puts him at ease either animating or designing at a workstation or delivering concepts, pitching, and planning his team’s next big project in a board room. An Emmy Award winning art director, LoMonaco has lead creative teams for the likes of UPN, Fox, and CBS over the past two decades. He has also directed and mentored many great designers in that time.

As an ever-curious student of the industry, LoMonaco brings passion and excitement to every project, big or small. He always tries to stay on the forefront of what is possible while pushing himself and his team forward.

Zack Malet, ESPN, Senior Director, Sports Business Development & Innovation

Zack Malet is ESPN’s senior director of business development and innovation. He negotiates and manages ESPN’s existing and new third-party business agreements, with a specific focus on strategic innovation, revenue, and technology partnerships. Since joining ESPN in 2012, Malet has worked in Disney Platform Distribution where he managed distribution of Disney properties (including ABC, ESPN, Disney+) with cable and streaming partners and in ESPN’s programming and acquisitions’ content strategy and college sports groups.

Malet has been on the Board of Directors for The Village for Families & Children in Hartford since 2020 and a member of the ESPN V Foundation for Cancer Research Committee since 2013. Prior to ESPN, he worked for the sports agency Shapiro Negotiations Institute and graduated from Brown with a degree in economics and Georgetown University’s SIM Program.

Amy Nelson, ESPN Creative Studio, Manager, Graphics Innovation

Amy Nelson manages a team focused on research and development for broadcast graphics in ESPN’s Graphics Innovation department. She has spent the last 10 years immersed in everything real-time, specifically centered around live broadcast for sports.

Nelson loves coordinating complex systems, solving unique problems, and the thrill of tens-of-millions of viewers simultaneously seeing a graphic that she’s only 90% sure will work. Leading a team of graphic developers, she focuses on R&D for augmented reality, virtual sets, artificial intelligence, and other specialty real-time graphics.

Thomas Nelson, Vizrt, Global VP of Key Customer Accounts

Thomas Nelson is a seasoned professional in the media tech industry, currently serving as the global vice president of Key Accounts at Vizrt in New York. In his elevated role, Nelson spearheads the expansion of Vizrt’s presence in the Americas market, overseeing key accounts and driving business development initiatives.

With an impressive career spanning over two decades in media tech, Nelson brings a wealth of experience to his position, with a significant portion of his journey spent at Vizrt. He commenced his career in sports production at TV 2 Norway before transitioning to Vizrt Australia in 2008. Since then, he has held various senior leadership roles across Asia Pacific and Europe, culminating in his recent advancement to lead the U.S. operations.

Throughout his tenure, Nelson has demonstrated a keen understanding of the media tech landscape, coupled with specialized technical expertise and robust business acumen. His leadership has been instrumental in driving international account teams to success, leveraging his profound knowledge of the Vizrt ecosystem and the broader industry landscape to deliver exceptional value, efficiency, and business growth.

Notably, Nelson’s dedication to fostering innovation and enhancing customer experiences has played a pivotal role in expanding Vizrt’s event-based and live sports offerings to a wider audience. His strategic vision aligns closely with Vizrt’s commitment to being more than just a vendor but a dedicated partner to its customers, particularly amid the transformative shifts reshaping the media tech market.

With an unwavering focus on customer success and innovation, Nelson epitomizes Vizrt’s ethos of excellence and forward-thinking leadership in the media tech realm.

Tim O’Shaughnessy, ESPN, Creative Director; SVG Graphics Committee Chair

Timothy O’Shaughnessy is a creative director in the Visual Storytelling division of ESPN. In his current role, O’Shaughnessy focuses on the visual identity of ESPN and ABC’s live events and studio shows. He is primarily responsible for guiding teams of creatives through large-scale animation and insert design projects that push ESPN to the forefront of the sports industry.

Before coming to ESPN, O’Shaughnessy worked at Ghostmilk Studios in Toronto, where he designed show title sequences. He received a B.S. in psychology from Binghamton University and an M.F.A. in design from The Rochester Institute of Technology.

Dan Pack, Silver Spoon Animation, Founding Partner and Managing Director

Dan Pack has been working in NY production and post for the past 20 years. As a founding partner and managing director of Brooklyn-based Silver Spoon, Pack oversees all production, client relationships, and R&D, notably in the ever-expanding field of AR and virtual production. Pack and his team have contributed their motion capture and animation services to numerous commercials, video games, television shows, and features, with recent innovations in real-time character animation, broadcast AR, and XR/LED production.

Prior to Silver Spoon, Pack held the position of director of business development for Click 3X, and served as an executive producer for ASB, a global 3D previz shop.

Kynna Randall, ESPN, Art Director

Kynna Randall is an art director within the Visual Storytelling team at ESPN, currently overseeing the creative for SportsCenter, NHL, CBB, and prepping for a second year on ESPYs.

Randall has been with ESPN for 15 years, working as a designer and animator before stepping into art direction. In that time, she has worked on a variety of productions, including the World Cup of Hockey, NFL, NFL Draft, NBA Draft, Scott Van Pelt, Get Up, and E60. 

Additionally, Randall contributes to creative strategy and workflows, mentorship of up-and-coming talent, and broader communication processes.

David “Sparky” Sparrgrove, ESPN Creative Studio, Senior Creative Director, Animation, Graphics Innovation and Production Design

David “Sparky” Sparrgrove is senior creative director for ESPN’s Animation team, with years of experience in the sports graphics space working on on-air identities too numerous to list, including the X Games, Monday Night Football, Top Rank Boxing, College Football, and most recently dabbling in alternate broadcasts like Peyton and Eli, Big City Greens, and Toy Story Funday Football. Sparrgrove cut his teeth when animations were created in expensive edit bays, and the industry was referred to as “Broadcast Graphics.” He now funnels all that experience and passion into leading the next generation of animators at ESPN, with a little animation thrown in to keep the rust off!

Alex Suarez, NBC Sports, Graphic Designer

Alex Suarez is a motion graphic designer for NBC Sports with seven years of experience working on many different properties, including NASCAR, Sunday Night Football, the Olympics, and most recently BigTen. For Suarez, he feels that it is fundamental to have a passion for what he does; while leading with a sense of kindness, respect, and collaboration. “Finding what drives you as an artist is essential to stay creative.”

Michael “Spike” Szykowny, ESPN Creative Studio, Edit + Animation + Graphics Innovation + Production & Playout

Michael “Spike” Szykowny has worked at ESPN for 26 years and is a 10-time Emmy Award winning visionary, team builder, and problem solver. He leads a team of editors, animators, producers, and graphic innovators who focus on creative ways to improve the art of storytelling.

Ilya Tselyutin, Two Fresh Creative, Creative Director

Ilya Tselyutin is an Emmy-winning, Los Angeles-based creative director with a strong focus on sports and entertainment, passionate about telling stories through beautiful visuals and pushing boundaries. Over the years, he has collaborated with the best studios in the industry, working as a designer and art director. Currently, Tselyutin works at Two Fresh Creative, leading high-profile projects for major clients, including ESPN, NFL, CBS, CNN, and many others.

As a big new technologies enthusiast, Tselyutin consistently seeks ways to elevate the quality of his work. His excitement for AI lies in seamlessly integrating it into the motion design pipeline, unlocking new possibilities to enhance visual storytelling and create captivating animations.

Marcos Vaz, Estado de Sonho, Art Direction

Marcos Vaz, an award-winning and Emmy-nominated art director, boasts two decades of expertise in sports graphics and broadcast design. His journey began by contributing as a graphic designer for international sports events, evolving into the role of art director for broadcast packages across a spectrum of television networks in over 15 countries. Currently, Vaz dedicates his focus to the intersection of sports graphics and cutting-edge technology, aiming to enhance the visual experience. Collaborating closely with Two Fresh Creative, he has successfully crafted graphic solutions for major global events, including the Super Bowl and the Olympics.

Jamal Wynn, ESPN Creative Studio, Lead Real Time Graphics Developer, Graphics Innovation

Jamal Wynn is a lead real time graphics developer on the Graphics Innovation team with ESPN Creative Studio. He has a passion for designing and developing graphics that help tell the story and excite the viewer, as well as AR graphics.

Wynn has been working in the space for quite some time.  He was part of the team that launched the first full-season AR graphics package for Monday Night Football in 2016 and has been working on AR projects ever since – including the NFL Draft, NBA, College Football Playoffs, etc.

Wynn is also a U.S. Air Force veteran. He has served overseas on deployments in Europe and Iraq.