SEÁN ARENA
Director, Video Production Services
New York,NY
Summary
- Award-winning Producer, Department Lead, Director, & Writer with 15 years of experience drawing on a multi-faceted background across formats
- Currently leads Production Operations at Dotdash Meredith, managing budgets for 8 studios across 3 time zones
- Resourceful & empathetic leader with experience managing 500+ annual productions
- Calm under pressure, faces challenges and obstacles head on
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Director, Production Operations
DOTDASH MEREDITH
06.2022 - Current
- Advised more than 500 productions annually in owned New York, LA, and Birmingham studio facilities and field shoots across country
- Leverage first-hand writing, directing and crew knowledge to tailor all facets of production to creative needs and ensure alignment with vision, brief, budget and schedule for 30+ brands
- Collaborated with 10+ cross-functional Leads to develop premium editorial content spanning long-form, short-doc, hands-only, product reviews, and recipe instruction, customized to channels and genres
Assoc. Dir., Studio & Field Production
DOTDASH MEREDITH / MEREDITH CORPORATION
09.2019 - 06.2022
- Led ~$7 million in capital projects such as studio builds, broadcast equipment resourcing, and content sprints with energy, clarity and organization
- Introduced intuitive workflows for production scheduling and invoicing which improved efficiency and eliminated pain points in 9 studios and recording spaces across the country
- Preserved output, standards of excellence and team camaraderie through four M&As/company iterations with frequent restructuring and shifting priorities
- Actioned DEI goals by developing shadow program for students at underserved schools to observe arts career paths & inner-workings of production studio, resulting in 3 full-time hires from over 25 participants
Studio Manager, East Coast
MEREDITH CORPORATION / TIME INC.
11.2017 - 09.2019
- Guided daily operation of 4 broadcast studios, 2 control rooms and up to 25 broadcast professionals including cinematographers, audio mixers, camera operators, and live graphic artists; managed payroll and schedule management
- Scheduled freelance technicians/artists to supplement production schedule; fostered working relationships with 50+ cinematographers, artists, engineers and other freelancers, creating nationwide network of vendors
- Integrated Time Inc. video studio team into Meredith Corporation systems after acquisition while maintaining production volume and quality
Supervising Director of Photography
TIME INC
01.2017 - 11.2017
- Managed daily operation of 2 sound stage studios producing content for up to 30 brands including People, Sports Illustrated, Essence and Entertainment Weekly
- Collaborated with Producers and Cinematographers to standardize production technical specifications and reduce average setup time by 30%
Camera and Lighting Operator
TIME INC
01.2014 - 01.2017
- Set up for productions according to production schedules and communicated with managers, producers and talent to provide high quality live production services for 30+ brands including Sports Illustrated, People, Fortune, and Essence
- Experimented with new technologies and equipment, expanding production and artistic capabilities in 2 broadcast control rooms
Digital Producer and Editor
NBCUniversal
10.2014 - 03.2015
- Remained composed in fast-paced, prime time news environment, handling challenging situations and difficult individuals to achieve objectives
- Created daily digital content for NBC Nightly News using AVID Media Composer, AVID Interplay, Adobe Premiere and Adobe After Effects including digital series "Digital 3rd Block with Brian Williams"
ENG Photographer and Editor
NEWS 12
03.2012 - 10.2014
- Combined knowledge of professional lighting, shot composition, and editing technique to illustrate reporters' scripts
- Delivered short-form news packages, using Final Cut Pro 7, for up to 4 day-of-air news shows per day often in the parameters of live production
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Film And Video
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PASkills
- Video Production
- Visual Storytelling
- Unscripted Media
- Team Management
- Project Management
- Daily Operations Management
Volunteer
Photographer, PUPSTARZ RESCUE INC
12/2022 - Present
- Visit animal foster homes to obtain clear digital photographs of animals available for adoption
- Photograph adoption events including animal portraits, animals interacting with potential adopters, and volunteers interacting with the public
Publication
- Writer (film), ”Keeper of the Bay”, Makai Films & Dear Ocean, in post production
- Writer (film), “Cherry's in Season”, Future First Films, 08/2016
- Author (short story), "How to Dig a Foxhole", Pill Hill Press, 01/2012
Accomplishments
- Best LGBTQ Documentary, “Cherry's in Season”, Atlantic City Cinefest, 10/2016
- Best Sports Feature (nominee), “The Old Time Game”, New York Emmy Awards, 04/2015
- Best Sports Photography (nominee), “The Old Time Game”, New York Emmy Awards, 04/2015
- Judge's Choice, “Unfinished Business”, Tribeca Film Festival Movie Pitch Contest, 04/2011
Timeline
Director, Production Operations
DOTDASH MEREDITH
06.2022 - Current
Assoc. Dir., Studio & Field Production
DOTDASH MEREDITH / MEREDITH CORPORATION
09.2019 - 06.2022
Studio Manager, East Coast
MEREDITH CORPORATION / TIME INC.
11.2017 - 09.2019
Supervising Director of Photography
TIME INC
01.2017 - 11.2017
Digital Producer and Editor
NBCUniversal
10.2014 - 03.2015
Camera and Lighting Operator
TIME INC
01.2014 - 01.2017
ENG Photographer and Editor
NEWS 12
03.2012 - 10.2014
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Film And Video
Drexel University
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