SVG Sports Graphics Forum 2022

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STEAL THE SHOW

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SPORTSGRAPHICSFORUM AGENDA

1:05 – 1:55 p.m.

NETWORKING LUNCH in Exhibits Area

9:00 a.m.

REGISTRATION OPENS

GRAPHICS SPOTLIGHT: Inside the UFC Rebrand With Troika PRESENTED BY

PRESENTERS: Andy Blondin, Epic Games, Product Management Director, Broadcast BK Johannessen, Epic Games, Unreal Engine Business Director, Broadcast Tim O’Shaughnessy, ESPN, Creative Director; 2022 SVG Graphics Committee Chair

9:35 – 10:15 a.m.

OPENING KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: The NHL Is Back on ESPN and TNT

It’s a common practice that sports leagues are rebranded through the lens of their television partners. However, the UFC isn’t a ‘common practice’ league: when it decides to rebrand, it brings its rebrand to the network. Troika, UFC’s design and branding partner, walks attendees through the creative strategy behind this project.

PRESENTERS: Gil Haslam, Troika, Executive Creative Director Heidi Noland, UFC, SVP, Brand and Creative

2:35 – 3:05 p.m.

For the first time in more than a decade and a half, the NHL had a new home for the 2021-22 season. Get an inside look at how ESPN and Turner Sports launched brandnew looks for their NHL coverage and how their respective design philosophies differed.

PRESENTERS: Jocelyne Meinert, Big Studios, Owner/Director Tim O’Shaughnessy, ESPN, Creative Director; 2022 SVG Graphics Committee Chair Jordan Shorthouse, Turner Sports, VP/Creative Director

10:15 – 10:55 a.m.

NEW WORKFLOWS IN THE NEW NORMAL: Three Networks, Three Strategies The arrival of the pandemic forced a tectonic shift in the way sports-graphics and creative teams operate. Many of the remote and virtual workflows are here to stay, and production pipelines will never be the same. Hear how three networks have analyzed their business strategies and adapted to new workflows in the new normal.

MODERATOR: JP LoMonaco, CBS Sports, VP, On-Air Graphics and Design PANELISTS: Mark Garcia, WarnerMedia Studios, Composite Supervisor Michael “Spike” Szykowny, ESPN Creative Studios, Animation & Graphics Innovation & Production Design Chung Wu, NBC Sports, Art Director

10:55 – 11:45 a.m.

NETWORKING BREAK in Exhibits Area

SPONSORED BY

1:55 – 2:35 p.m.

9:20 – 9:35 a.m.

WELCOMING REMARKS

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11:45 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.

GRAPHICS SPOTLIGHT: NBC Olympics Dives Into Tokyo 2020 Efforts and the Quick Turnaround for Beijing 2022 The NBC Olympics graphics team is no stranger to monumental challenges.

However, the pandemic-fraught Tokyo 2020 Games took “challenge” to an entirely new level. NBC Olympics leaders take the stage to go inside their groundbreaking design philosophy for these Games, their production pipeline and how it was impacted by the Summer Olympics’ move to 2021, and how they dealt with the ultra-quick turnaround from Tokyo to Beijing in 2022.

PRESENTER: David Barton, NBC Sports, Senior Art Director

NETWORKING BREAK in Exhibits Area

SPONSORED BY

3:05 – 3:45 p.m.

WHAT’S NEW IN AR/VR GRAPHICS?: Unreal, Real-Time, and the Future of Sports Broadcasts No technology has shaken up the broadcast-graphics business more in recent years than the arrival of real-time augmented reality and next-gen virtual graphics. From Unreal Engine to real-time tracking to fully immersive experiences, creatives have a bevy of new tools at their fingertips, as well as more deliverables than ever. Hear from technology and creative leaders on AR, VR, XR, MR, data visualization, and how sports broadcasts are taking the virtual plunge.

MODERATOR: Jason Dachman, SVG, Chief Editor; Sports Graphics Forum Program Director PANELISTS: Tehseen (TJ) Akhtar, Vizrt, VP of Product Management Komal Bhukhanwala, CBS Sports, Art Director Craig Laliberte, Unreal Engine, Senior Business Development Manager Dan Pack, Silver Spoon Animation, Founding Partner and Managing Director Alexis Salinas​, Univision Deportes, Senior Director, Technical Creative Services

3:45 – 4:25 p.m.

WHAT’S NEXT IN SPORTS-GRAPHICS TECH?: An Inside Look From Top Technology Providers The sports-graphics sector has more-powerful technology and creative tools than ever. However, it’s not easy to keep up with the rapid evolution of graphics-creation and -playout systems. Leading manufacturers discuss their product offerings, how the products are evolving, and how they see the industry advancing in the years to come.

MODERATOR: Jason Joly, MSG Networks, Senior Director, Creative Services PANELISTS: Kevin Dresser, Ross Video, Global Business Development Manager, XPression & Ross Virtual Solutions Mark Friedman, Chyron, VP, Strategic Accounts

4:25 – 5:15 p.m.

NETWORKING RECEPTION in Exhibits Area SPONSORED BY

12:25 – 1:05 p.m.

WHAT’S NEXT IN SPORTS-GRAPHICS DESIGN?: Creative Leaders Take the Stage For the first time at the Forum, creative leaders will provide their own perspectives on ‘what’s next’ in the realm of sports graphics. Presenters from different spheres will discuss their competing and complementing priorities, offering a crystal-ball look into the future of sports-graphics design.

MODERATOR: Tim O’Shaughnessy, ESPN, Creative Director; 2022 SVG Graphics Committee Chair PANELISTS: Komal Bhukhanwala, CBS Sports, Art Director Chad Hudson, NBC, Senior Art Director Lucas Nickerson, ESPN, Creative Director

Don’t miss the SVG SPORTS GRAPHICS FORUM VIRTUAL SESSIONS on June 1!

Visit www.sportsvideo.org for more information.

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SPORTSGRAPHICSFORUM

SPEAKER BIOS

2022 SVG GRAPHICS COMMITTEE CHAIR

✶ TIM O’SHAUGHNESSY, ESPN, Creative Director

O’Shaughnessy is a creative director in the Visual Storytelling division of ESPN. In his current role, he focuses on combining creative strategy, process, and direction within his team. O’Shaughnessy is primarily responsible for guiding teams of creatives through large-scale animation and insert design projects. In his 16 years at ESPN, O’Shaughnessy has garnered numerous Emmy nominations and several Promax BDA awards.

TEHSEEN (TJ) AKHTAR, Vizrt, VP of Product Management

Akhtar heads the video and graphics processing portfolio. He oversees countless critical product introductions to the visual storytelling market. As an experienced product management, business development, and strategy leader with the aim to evolve innovative concepts into commercialized product and services, Akhtar is an asset to the Vizrt team, its partners, and clients.

DAVID BARTON, NBC Sports, Senior Art Director

Barton is a seven-time Emmy Award Winning senior art director for NBC Sports and Olympics. His primary focus is developing branding strategies and live event GFX packages for each Olympic Games on the networks of NBCUniversal.

✶ KOMAL BHUKHANWALA, CBS Sports, Art Director

A two-time Sports Emmy Award winner, Bhukhanwala has spent the past 12 years designing show packages and on-air graphics for all CBS Sports properties.

She oversees the on-air graphic look for the department’s game and studio broadcasts, which included the redesign of Super Bowl 53. She has expanded the use of AR in The NFL Today studio show and has art-directed the Augmented Game Open and halftime stats, as well as the QB comparison during Super Bowl 53.

ANDY BLONDIN, Epic Games, Product Management Director, Broadcast

Blondin is a seasoned veteran of the broadcast industry, specializing in real-time computer graphics and augmented reality. During his tenure at Fox Sports in Los Angeles, he led a team of real-time graphic designers that helped Fox to earn six Emmy nominations and one Emmy Award for Outstanding Studio Design/Art Direction for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015.

KEVIN DRESSER, Ross Video, Global Business Development Manager, XPression & Ross Virtual Solutions

Dresser has been with Ross Video for seven years overseeing business development for XPression and Ross Virtual Solutions around the world. With 23 years experience in live production, his diverse background enables a unique insight into working with partners and customers to provide the best service and guidance to meet their creative, technical, and business goals.

MARK FRIEDMAN, Chyron, VP, Strategic Accounts

Friedman has an extensive background across various roles in the sports broadcast industry. Prior to leading Chyron’s creative services group for the past three years, Friedman worked at NBC Sports Washington for 10 years fulfilling duties as a creative director using a mix of innovation and design.

MARK GARCIA, WarnerMedia Studios, Composite Supervisor

Garcia is an eight-time Emmy Award winning composite supervisor at Warner Media Studios where he oversees the execution of on-air campaigns for Turner’s various tent-pole events, including NBA on TNT (regular season, playoffs, All-Star); The NBA Award Show, MLB on TBS (regular season, postseason); the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship; and the Match on TNT.

✶ GIL HASLAM, Troika, Executive Creative Director

Haslam is the creative force behind some of the biggest brands in sports, including ESPN, UFC, PGA TOUR, AT&T SportsNet, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, and HBO Sports, among many others. Haslam is recognized industry-wide for his experience leading major, high-profile brand launches and redesigns from positioning through packaging, as well as innovative broadcast and in-stadium fan experiences.

BK JOHANNESSEN, Epic Games, Unreal Engine Business Director, Broadcast

Johannessen came to Epic after 18 years at Vizrt specializing in broadcast graphics solutions for live media. Bringing a solid understanding of the needs of professional live media content creators to every project, he has supported toptier broadcasters on all continents, helping them to achieve their creative visions.

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JASON JOLY, MSG Networks, Senior Director, Creative Services

Joly and his team are responsible for the creative direction of MSG Networks’ live event packages for the Knicks, Rangers, Devils, Islanders, Sabres, and Red Bulls.

They also oversee the packaging and design for the networks’ Sports Betting programming, on-air promotion, marketing, and social media initiatives. Joly has won nine Emmy Awards and multiple PromaxBDA awards during his 20 year career in sports television and design.

CRAIG LALIBERTE, Unreal Engine, Senior Business Development Manager

Laliberte is responsible for licensing Unreal Engine in the enterprise space. He came to Epic after 10 years at Vizrt, most recently as VP of business development, where he oversaw the expansion of Vizrt’s digital content technology. Laliberte has supervised many high-profile news and sporting events including the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500, Formula 1 Racing, the World Cup, the U.S. Open, and the Kentucky Derby.

✶ JP LOMONACO, CBS Sports, VP, On-Air Graphics and Design

LoMonaco oversees all of the design, production, and execution of graphics for the largest sporting events on CBS Sports Broadcast and CBS Sports Network.

With over 25 years of motion graphics leadership and graphics production, he 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.

✶ JOCELYNE MEINERT, Big Studios, Owner/Director

Eight-time Emmy Award-winner Meinert has been pioneering CG animation and design since the industry’s inception in 1982, receiving several national and international awards in the first five years of her career. She started Bigstudios in 1991, completing large scale design and animation projects for clients such as HBO, MTV, CTV, CBC, ESPN, CBS, MLB Network, NHL, NBC, etc.

LUCAS NICKERSON, ESPN, Creative Director

Nickerson is a creative director within ESPN’s Creative Studio. Along with fellow creative director colleague Tim O’Shaughnessy, the two lead ESPN’s creative teams in re-imagining and re-defining on air visuals for sports television.

Nickerson has most recently led the creative endeavors of ESPN’s Monday Night Football, NFL Studio, NFL Draft, NBA, NBA Draft, PGA, and Major League Baseball properties.

HEIDI NOLAND, UFC, SVP, Brand and Creative

Noland serves as the senior vice president of global brand and creative at UFC, the world’s leading mixed martial arts organization. With an extensive background in creative, she provides strong strategic thinking and creative direction on all UFC brand touchpoint, including overarching visual identity, broadcast production, marketing, experiential, and consumer products.

DAN PACK, Silver Spoon Animation, Founding Partner and Managing Director

Pack oversees all production, client relationships, and R&D, notably in the everexpanding 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.

✶ ALEXIS SALINAS​, Univision Deportes, Senior Director, Technical Creative Services

Salinas is responsible for developing, producing, and deploying real-time graphics and graphic content for TUDN, Univision’s leading sports media brand.

His additional responsibilities include overseeing all graphics functional groups and processes with the ultimate aim of bolstering the TUDN brand on-air and enhancing the production’s ability to tell compelling stories and engage with viewers.

✶ JORDAN SHORTHOUSE, Turner Sports, VP/Creative Director

Shorthouse oversees the sports print marketing department and on-air broadcast graphics departments that support all sports telecasts. While at Turner Sports, Shorthouse has overseen award-winning print and on-air campaigns for the company’s tent-pole events including NBA on TNT, MLB on TBS, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, and NHL on TNT.

✶ MICHAEL “SPIKE” SZYKOWNY, ESPN Creative Studios, Animation & Graphics Innovation & Production Design

Szykowny has been at ESPN for 23 years and is an eight-time Emmy Awardwinning senior director of motion graphics and production planning. He leads a group of over 160 designers, animators, and Vizrt artists that create and play out graphics for the family of ESPN networks.

✶ SVG Graphics Committee Members

2022 DON’T MISS

SVG’S UPCOMING EVENTS! Jun 1 AUSTRALIA SUMMIT Jun 13-14 SVG COLLEGE SUMMIT Jun 29-30 RSN SUMMIT

SYDNEY ATLANTA CHICAGO

Jul 27 SPORTS CONTENT MANAGEMENT FORUM NEW YORK CITY Sept TBD REMOTE PRODUCTION WORKFLOWS FORUM TBD Oct 18 TRANSPORT

NEW YORK CITY

Nov 10 ESPORTS PRODUCTION SUMMIT

LOS ANGELES

Dec 12-13 SVG SUMMIT

NEW YORK CITY

Event dates and formats are subject to change

Go to www.sportsvideo.org/events to learn more about these events, including registration and sponsorship information.

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