Photography, Visual Content Creation, Project Management, Social Media

SEAN ARBABI

**** ***** ****, ********* ** *****

925-***-**** *******@**.***

seanarbabi.com

linkedin.com/in/arbabi

EXPERIENCE KNOWLEDGE SKILL SET

DIGITAL PRODUCTION & PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPERT FOR STUDIO & CREATIVE OPERATIONS Strong skill set of knowledge and experience leading digital and print production and high-end photography. VISUAL CONTENT CREATION: Highest level of photographic knowledge and expertise, producing quality, consistent, impactful visual content for campaigns, clients, and major studios worldwide; in-studio and on-location, creative briefs to pre-production, on set to post production, photo and video, projects management from concept to delivery. STUDIO PRODUCTION: Leading/ directing crews, managing teams, producing studio and on-location shoots, defining roles and responsibilities, delegating tasks, improving industry standard processes for digital workflows. LEADERSHIP: Coordinating budgets with a track record of savings through improved systems, processes, and efficiencies. Managing groups through servant leadership and valuing team members. SYSTEMS SOFTWARE: Proficient in AI implementation, Adobe CC, Apple, Capture One Pro, FileMaker, Google docs, Global Edit, MS Office, Workfront. Expert with photo systems, DSLR/Mirrorless cameras, lighting, modifiers, grip gear.

CAREER

Dec 2022 – Present ARBABI PRODUCTIONS INC., Lafayette, CA – seanarbabi.com Visual Content Production Consultant Senior Photography Producer

• SUMMARY: From directing photo shoots to opening photo studios, with a strong skill set in creative ops, I’ve enjoyed piecing the intricate digital production puzzle together, helping teams succeed in their roles while improving quality, efficiency, lead times, budgets, overhead, KPIs, metrics, moral and work environment.

• DESCRIPTION SKILLS: Photography, Digital Production, Digital and Photographic Workflows, Art Direction, Creative Operations, Project Management, Leadership, KPI Driven Performance Improvement/ Metrics Management, Creative Services Operational, Optimization, Staffing Strategy.

• SUCCESSES: Having worked with major brands such as Pottery Barn and Men's Wearhouse, I lead and consult in digital and print production for high volume eCommerce photo studios. I've directed crews, managed teams, produced studio and on-location shoots, defined roles and responsibilities, delegated tasks, and improved industry standard processes for digital workflows. With great results our teams save millions in annual budgets.

Aug 2021 – Nov 2022 WILLIAMS-SONOMA POTTERY BARN, San Francisco, CA – potterybarn.com Post-Production Asset and Color Manager Pottery Barn Kids – Pottery Barn Teen

• SUMMARY: Overseeing all post-production imagery and retouching for digital and print, editorial and eCommerce, to produce high-quality final assets while delivering accurate and consistent product color-matching.

• DESCRIPTION: Strategically partnering with Digital Production, Creative, Photo Studio, Digital Asset Management, Merchants, and Product Developers to oversee project timelines, style and lighting guides, production workflow, and supply chain efficiency. Supporting photography, editing, merch tracking, retouching, and digital asset management. Maintaining, forecasting, balancing, and maximizing quarterly/ annual budgets. Managing quarterly attestation for Digital Production and Photo Studio team system access.

• SUCCESSES: Fine-tuned processes throughout production to maximize budgets, reduce lead times, increase quality, update KPIs, reduce customer returns, and improve overall efficiency for 16K+ assets annually.

Mar 2017 – Apr 2021 TAILORED BRANDS, Fremont, CA – tailoredbrands.com Photo Studio Director eCommerce Producer

• SUMMARY: Overseeing all operations for a multi-bay shared-services Photo Studio for various E- commerce and Editorial based shoots for multiple brands including Men's Wearhouse,Jos A Bank, Joseph Abboud, K&G Superstore, Moores.

• DESCRIPTION: Hiring and Managing a team of 15 employees and 50+ freelance photographers, models, stylists, digital artists, tailors, and assistants.

• Maintaining/ forecasting a multi-million-dollar annual budget (freelance, on-call, full-time payroll). Photo Studio purchase requirements. Tracking/ compiling costs, analytics, KPIs for studio production.

• Strategically partnering with Merchants, Brand, Creative, Site Merch, the Digital Asset Management team, Engineering, Legal, Human Resources, to oversee project timelines, style/photography guides, production workflow, and supply chain efficiency - supporting photography, merchandise tracking, retouch/post-production, and digital asset management.

• Producer/Project manager of all E-commerce Stills and Fashion photo shoots

• SUCCESSES: A 94% production increase with only a 19% cost increase in 4 years. Increase in moral, efficiency, process, and image quality. Discovered various layers of inefficiencies through the product procurement and E-commerce processes, from Merchants to Site/Creative to Studio.

Oct 2016 – Mar 2017 JCAA, Sausalito, CA – juliecoyleartassociates.com Marketing Director Digital Asset Manager Artist

• SUMMARY: Organization and updating of all Digital Assets, Server, and client files

• DESCRIPTION: Generating new projects with clientele, Hotels, Design Firms, Senior Living Centers.

• Creating new Photoshop art for projects, streamlining printing process

• SUCCESSES: Created art, generating sales for various clients, organized all digital assets

July 1991 – Mar 2017 ARBABI IMAGERY, Danville, CA – seanarbabi.com Commercial Photographer Author Producer Art Director

• SUMMARY: Produced hundreds of assignments, leading crews in on-location shoots including models, stylists, assistants, art directors, and clients, photographing from airplanes, helicopters, boats, vehicles. Involved in pre-production planning and post-production preparation of all jobs.

• DESCRIPTION: Grew a pro photographer business from scratch to a well-known name in the industry.

• SUCCESSES: Published in over 300 magazines and 200 companies globally

• Over 1,000,000 images in our stock collection (10,000 listed online) from worldwide locations including the US, Mexico, Canada, Asia, and Europe. Photographs and articles published worldwide on six continents.

• Authored and photographed two how-to books:

o The BetterPhoto Guide to Exposure, published by Random House/ Amphoto - January 2009 (currently in its 4th printing)

o The Complete Guide to Nature Photography, published by Random House/ Amphoto

– December 2011 (currently in its 2nd printing)

• Led live and online photo workshops: multi-media digital presentations with field photo sessions.

• Published with and completed assignments for numerous major clients worldwide including: o Amazon, American Express, Backpacker, California Tourism, Discovery Channel, ESPN, Fuji Film, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, MTV Networks, National Geographic, Newsweek, The New York Times, The North Face, Nikon, Petersen’s Photographic, Random House, REI, Shutterbug, Sunset magazine, Timex, The Travel Channel, Via magazine, Vogue EDUCATION

• Brooks Institute of Photography, Santa Barbara, CA: Bachelor of Arts - Commercial Photography 1988 - 91

• Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill, CA: Photojournalism Major/ General Education 1987 - 88

• San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA: Photojournalism Major/ General Education 1985 - 87 INTANGIBLES

I take great pride in working collaboratively with a variety of people, personalities, and departments throughout my career, locally and around the world. I work from a communicative, transparent, kind, respectful, team-oriented, easy-going approach. Get the job done, enjoy the challenges of multi-tasking, and lead by example while uplifting your team, colleagues, and strategic partners. I am proud leading with this method that has proven successful from a budgetary, production, quality, and moral-lifting standpoint.

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