Manager Executive
Resume:
Nick Vartanian
Hermosa Beach, CA *****
*************@*****.***
Director of Production and Operations Head of Content
Delivering Innovation and Original Content, Strategic Leadership and Multiple Emmy Awards
Passionate creator and analytical manager with 5+ years in senior leadership roles, 10+ years in events and immersive projects and 15+ years’ experience across multiple facets of optimized media design and marketing. Proactive management of budgets, timelines, and production; successfully delivering high quality programming across multiple platforms with impressive audience metrics. Ability to manage multiple projects, coordinate complex production schedules and deliver expert oversight from pre-production to product delivery. Proven talent for creating visionary start up brands and concepts, producing successful live streaming events and realizing $MM in budget efficiencies.
Areas of Expertise
Executive Leadership
Content Creation
Collaboration
Data Processing
Business Development
Optimizing Efficiency
Negotiations
Budget Analysis
Start Up Phase
Project Manager
Talent Acquisition
P&L Analysis
Develop Operation Procedures
Live Stream Production
Event Management
Staff Attraction/Retention
Streamline Finances
Creative Vision
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Blizzard Entertainment June 2018 – February 2020
Leading video game maker of multiplayer online role-playing games; generating $1B+ in annual revenue.
Director, Call of Duty League, Global Broadcast (Executive Producer) September 2019 – February 2020
Activision Blizzard Esports, Santa Monica & Downtown Los Angeles, CA
Created the strategy, budget and vision for broadcast and live event products at the Call of Duty League, creating 27 events in dozens of venues ranging from 3K to 10K capacity.
Produced anticipated $32M budget as team lead; reducing it to $18M by realizing efficiencies.
Grew YouTube viewership page subscription to 1M+ with 400% growth in two weeks and 100K+ concurrent viewers on debut and 140K+ on week two; surpassed KPIs week one and week two.
Created content, marketing and promoted storytelling of The Campaign, an original content show stylized as a documentary mini-series. Supervised the Original Content team that worked with talent management and directly with main league players Hector Rodriguez, Scump and FormaL.
Collaborated with Talent Management to recruit and secure live broadcast talent including Clint “Maven” Evans, the largest COD Esports caster.
Collaborated and supervised areas of the league brand marketing to build 12 teams in 11 cities from ground up.
Collaborated in development of the league organizational structure, business plan and creative briefs.
Created, recruited, hired and built 32 member team for live show broadcast with direct oversight of creative producers, production management, technical management and event production.
Director of Production and Studios, Global Broadcast – Live Experiences June 2018 – September 2019
Activision Blizzard, Irvine & Burbank, CA
Produced network level production, BlizzCon, at Anaheim Convention Center. Oversaw 17 production trucks, various teams, and multiple live streams on several Twitch channels simulcast over two days, plus shows in restream with live localized commentary in six different languages.
Supervised production and logistics for all Blizzard Esports broadcast programs, including budgets of up to $10M.
Reduced $24M in expenditures at Blizzard Arena (Burbank, CA) to $12M by renegotiation, analysis and evaluation of P&L.
Directed Blizzard Global Broadcast team, consolidating three locations into single Burbank studio.
Oversite on all venue operations: concession, security, ticketing, engineering, physical plant and live events.
Negotiated with Esports producers to maximize schedule and realize up to $12M of savings opportunities across multiple products: Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, Hearthstone, World of Warcraft (BlizzCon Only), StarCraft and Tespa Collegiate.
Managed top-notch senior leadership, producers and studio staff in production and operations for Twitch, ESPN and multiple downstream partners.
Collaborated with multiple departments, including special events, Esports, finance, legal and security.
Created task force to streamline and standardize company-wide financial reporting for Live Experiences division.
National Football League Network June 2012– March 2018
NFL Network (NFL Media Group) is an American sports-oriented cable and satellite television network owned by the National Football League. Platforms include: NFL.com, NFL Now and NFL Apps.
Director, Studio Operations and Production January 2016 – March 2018
Graphics, Features and Original Content. NFL Network and Digital Studio Production, Culver City, CA
Liaised with external consulting firm to change hiring practices, realizing $1M in savings. Achieved quantifiable labor efficiencies, reduced risk assessments around employment practices and revolutionized employee safety.
Executive oversight on production, logistics and operations with budget creation of $189M, coordinating with legal, finance, production, social, digital and engineering departments.
Worked cross-functionally with legal and HR to overhaul, upgrade and streamline finance system.
Negotiated rates and multiple third-party vendor agreements for original content series.
Executive oversight on key production departments: safety, scheduling, crewing, media operations, TOC and studio operations.
Production Management for studio productions, features, graphics and original content.
Awarded the 2017 Outstanding Technical Team Studio Sports Emmy for the Super Bowl 52 coverage in Minneapolis, MN.
Director, Production Management June 2015 – January 2016
Studio Production, Features and Original Programming NFL Network and Digital Studio Production, Culver City, CA
Championed storytelling approach to brand. Launched successful original documentary series, NFL Timelines, collaborating NFL Network/NFL Films, Smokehouse Productions (George Clooney & Grant Heslov), Tim McGraw, Jon Bon Jovi, and more. Successfully worked with development over eight episodes with $110M budget oversight.
Managed team of production managers and 60+ freelance personnel for studio production and features.
Charged with daily, weekly, monthly and yearly fiscal budgets including personnel, shoot budgets, logistics, features and original programming.
Crewed, organized and executed countless productions throughout the United States and internationally.
Sr. Manager, Production Management June 2012 – June 2015
Studio Production, Features and Original Programming. NFL Network and Digital Studio Production, Culver City, CA
Developed and implemented new department wide procedures and programming: status updates, shows changes, projects and long form documentaries.
Negotiated countless agreements with facility locations, above the line personnel and key talent.
Awarded two National Sports Emmys for producing in Outstanding New Approach and Outstanding Feature.
NBC Universal
One of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience.
Production Manager April 2008 – August 2008
Cable Network Mun2, Universal City, CA
Managed accounting of daily, weekly, monthly and budgets via EP Vista Exchange and Movie Magic Budgeting.
Hired pre, pro and post-production crew all for in-studio production, EFP shoots, ENG shoots and travel shoots.
Surveyed and enlisted new processes ranging from financial reporting to logistical planning.
Production managed in-studio productions "nolamun2.com: El Show," “The Shift” and “Mun2 on the Road.”
Disney Destinations April 2004 – June 2012
Global subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company conceiving, building and managing Disney theme parks and vacation resorts, including hotel facilities, water parks, golf courses and a cruise line with $180M in annual revenue.
Line Producer, Broadcast Services and TV Production October 2008 – June 2012
Disney Destinations, Global Marketing Broadcast Production Team, Anaheim, CA
Relocated to Hong Kong for two years; launched Hong Kong Disneyland and produced groundbreaking ceremony for Shanghai Disney. Negotiated with Chinese government and local officials.
Department was charged with production and broadcast of all theme parks touching the Pacific, including Disney Aulani, Hawaii and two Disney cruise line ships in Alaska and Mexico.
Developed new standard operating procedures in SAP for financial production. Managed AOP and multiple project budgets at $1M+, monitored quarterly spending and approved payments.
Negotiated contracts with vendors and consultants.
Managed 12 staff direct reports including union employees. Hired all below the line staff.
Production Manager, Broadcast Services and TV Production April 2004 – April 2007
Disney Destinations, Global Marketing Production Team, Anaheim, CA
Budgeted, crewed, organized and executed countless commercial, TV and music video productions: Coca Cola and Disney Parks, Growing Up, Hong Kong Disneyland’s Grand Opening Special, Food Network’s Food Challenge, Popcorn Giants and Hong Kong Disneyland’s Grand Opening of It’s a Small World.
Traveled to Hong Kong as vital television production team member, developing support team for Hong Kong Disneyland’s broadcast productions, promotions, programming and events.
EDUCATION & AWARDS
California State University, Fullerton, CA
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communications and Film
National Sports Emmy Awards
Outstanding Technical Team Studio: Super Bowl 52 2017
Outstanding New Approach: JFK: The Untold History of That Day in Dallas 2013
Outstanding Feature: Immaculate Remembrance 2012
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & VOLUNTEERING
Producers Guild of America, Los Angeles, CA 2012-Present
Active Member. PGA Award Judge
National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Emmys), New York, NY 2018-Present
National Sports Emmy Judge
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles, CA 2012-2018
Volunteer. Big Brother match to three Little Brothers
NFL: Culture Committee (employee engagement), Culver City, CA 2013-2018
Chairman
NFL: Black Engagement Network, Culver City, CA 2014-2018
Member: Created Hackathon at SXSW with 17 HBCU’s participating
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