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Rod Swanson Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of managing creative teams across global locations to create bestselling products, online services as well as multimillion-dollar broadcast and interactive productions. This document provides an overview of my unique experience and proven success as a leader of creative teams.

Employment History • 2013 – present Swanson Consulting LLC (managing director)• 1992 – 2012 Electronic Arts (senior director)• 1991 – 1992 MediaShare (director)• 1984 – 1991 G&G Designs / Communications (vice president)

Design, Development and Production Experience • Creation of platinum products (more than one million units sold) • Creation of unified identity for major global brands • Creation of hundreds of game trailers / videos• Creation of large-scale events • Creation of online and satellite-based services

Leadership and Management Experience • Leader of large multidiscipline teams, both internal and external, providing creative, design and production• Responsible for departments and projects with multimillion-dollar budgets• Managed multimillion-dollar video productions and events• Provided leadership and management across global teams

rodswanson@mac.com(650) 740-8973 mobile

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Swanson Consulting LLC 2013 to Present Swanson Consulting provides strategy, marketing, communications, product design and production services. I worked extensively, for example, with CollabWorks, an early stage startup creating a cloud-based work optimization product, providing leadership of product design, marketing communication, and website redesign.

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Electronic Arts 1992 to 2012 8,000+ employees in multiple global locationsRedwood City, California

During my time at EA, I was responsible for a diverse range of creative initiatives. During my first seven years, I reported to Monty Finefrock, Vice President Studios. In the first year I started two new departments: Studio Arts and The Media Lab.  

Studio Arts (game development) Studio Arts was a major initiative to onboard traditional artists into the engineering culture the company had for the previous 10 years. In our first year we grew from 10 to 120 computer graphic artists. As part of this effort, we developed a common vocabulary and integrated artists as peers into the game development process. I ultimately assumed the game development art leadership role across EA’s worldwide sites. Over the next three years I author and hosted Worldwide Graphics Conferences to integrate and train the artist being hired to become valuable development team members and creative leaders. Many went onto be key creatives in the industry.

The Media Lab (game development) Built with an initial capital budget of $1.4MM, The Media Lab enabled EA to incorporate video into products for CD-based game platforms (e.g., Sony PlayStation). As with the Studio Arts initiative, I was responsible for growing a team from the ground up and developing processes for allowing diverse creative disciplines to work together effectively.

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Platinum Products (game design / production) For three years I managed the production team for EA’s STRIKE video game franchise. At that time the SOVIET STRIKE team was one of EA’s largest development efforts with a team of 50.

The game’s story with ‘ripped from the headlines’ characters, locations and villains created a relevant STRIKE identity and premise for two games. SOVIET STRIKE became EA’s first non-sports product to sell more than one million units. Its sequel, NUCLEAR STRIKE, also became a platinum game. 

SOVIET STRIKE game cinematics were shot on location in Los Angeles and Prague and NUCLEAR STRIKE in Los Angeles and Thailand to capture authenticity and it was cost effective.

Monty Finefrock liked the entertainment quality I had brought to the STRIKE franchise and asked me to work on multiple products. I went on to executive produce the game identity cinematics for Road Rash, another million unit seller, and other games.

Road Rash shot on location in Los Angeles with 50 day players created the game story and identity of four hostile gangs competing for road dominance.

SOVIET STRIKE at the first E3

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An audit of EA SPORTS with 90 screens from 10 sports products. The audit revealed how confusing the player experience was across our products. Market research revealed 50% of consumers thought EA SPORTS Madden was a SONY product.

Five second live action cameos by athletes delivering their own version of “EA SPORTS It’s in the game” became the boot up for all EA SPORTS games. We had hundreds of NFL athletes in Madden saying our tag line. It grew EA SPORTS brand authenticity among professional and college athletes as well as sports fans and gamers.

Branding Entertainment (marketing) EA SPORTS

While working across multiple products I said “we don’t do anything with branding in our products”. President John Riccitiello agreed about the need for branding and asked me to work on EA SPORTS and I transitioned to reporting to John. From 2000 to 2004, I led the brand design and integration for EA SPORTS unifying the brand within and without the game. I oversaw the production of comprehensive brand elements for all mediums used by EA SPORTS studios and marketing teams globally.

It was during this time I transitioned from reporting to John to EVP of Sales and Marketing Frank Gibeau, and in doing so transitioned from the studios to publishing.

The EA SPORTS brand initiative resulted is significant cost savings in game development and improvement in the quality of the user experience. The brand initiative dramatically increased the consistency of brand communications, brand recognition and brand loyalty.

As part of this initiative, we accomplished the following:

• Created a unified logo system• Aligned the EA SPORTS logo with EA logo• Established a print and packaging line look• Created EA SPORTS motion graphics package• Established Cameo Athlete video program• Specified in-game cameras• Simplified and unified the user interface• Created custom font for EA SPORTS • Aligned online design direction• Created EA SPORTS first style guide• Led worldwide training and adoption

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Branding Entertainment (marketing) EA

After spearheading branding efforts for EA SPORTS, I led the brand design and production for the EA brand across publishing and studios worldwide. In 2005, we created the first comprehensive EA brand toolkit and style guide.

The brand identity concept was found in reclaiming our heritage of “game makers as artists”. EA Signature logos became the creative direction for the EA brand. The scope of this branding initiative was expanded considerably with the introduction of product brand toolkits. The launch, training, and adoption of the EA brand included large-scale presentations to EA’s global marketing teams and to every studio and major territory. 

“Our customers have always had a passion for our games…

It is time the the passion for our products translate into

a passion for our brand “

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Event Production (marketing)

From 2000 to 2006, I was executive producer of all EA video game trailers created for the industry’s E3 trade show. Hundreds of videos were created using CG animation, live action, game capture, and motion graphics, requiring deep collaboration with EA product marketing and development teams around the world. Often the videos were the announcement videos for the product and E3 was the world exclusive premiere.

For the 2005 and 2006 shows, we used nine digital light projectors to cover a circular screen 14’ high X 200’ long. Custom software was created to render each frame 10,000 pixels wide for nine sources. We ultimately produced the equivalent duration of a CG animated feature film.

Brand elements and videos from E3 were adopted for other large-scale events such as the European Games Convention, strengthening global alignment, creating a flexible yet consistent overall brand impression for EA and its product brands.

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Event Production (marketing)

In addition to large-scale events, I managed design and productions for retailer events in North America and Canada, consumer events such as ComicCon, WonderCon and PAX and numerous internal events.

At ComicCon we launched event websites and onsite social media. We partnered with show officials to host the Official ComicCon photo wall featuring the logos of both ComicCon and EA comic signature logos. The wall became the popular photo op for Cosplayers to strike a pose and post their photos on our site.

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Branding Online Platform (marketing)

I managed the brand identity design and production of Origin, EA’s first digital platform. I was responsible for strategy sessions, naming, url acquisition, logo creation, full brand identity toolkit and three-minute concept video to enable the Origin business development team to present the service and opportunity to potential partners. Once again a comprehensive toolkit and style guide was created to provide the Origin team the assets to market and operate the service efficiently and effectively.

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Global Production Teams (marketing)

I managed global production teams at two EA studios, Criterion Games (UK) and Danger Close Games (Los Angeles), creating game trailers. These teams consisted of creative directors, producers, editors, and animators as well as numerous external agencies, creating compelling content for product marketing distribution, music videos and TV advertising.

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MediaShare 1991 to 1992200+ employees at 1 locationCarlsbad. California1991 – 1992

As one of four directors reporting to the president, I was responsible for the design, production, and budget for a large educational multimedia production. I also contributed to the planning and development of the company’s corporate product and services.

Digital Animation and Production Services

I managed construction of a 3,600-square-foot digital animation and video production facility. The computer systems interfaced with a D1 broadcast video system, including SGI animation stations and compositing suites. I oversaw the purchase of $1.6MM hardware and software systems and a $2.3MM operational budget.

Large Scale MultiMedia Production

I staffed the facility with a team of eighteen artists, video/audio producers, editors, animators, engineers, and media specialists. As part of this initiative, we collaborated with 25 instructional designers and writers to create vast amounts of content for the first large-scale education multimedia and interactive curriculum. The unveiling of the production at the National Education Association’s annual conference was met with industrywide recognition.

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G&G Designs/Communications 1984 to 1991 50 employeesCarlsbad. California1984 – 1991

As one of two vice presidents, I was responsible for the design, production, marketing, sales, and distribution of graphic services. My responsibilities included financial and creative oversight of computer graphic and video production.

Broadcast Services

I initiated and managed the adoption of computer technologies for graphics, animation and video, which enabled the company to greatly expand its services. As part of these efforts, we introduced innovative services that delivered computer graphics daily to television stations via satellite and increased our revenues fourfold.

Executive Producer

I managed client relationships with advertising agencies and businesses that required commercial design and production services. For three years, I acted as the executive producer for the design and production of the San Diego Padres on-air identity.

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CD-ROM Producer

I produced CLASSIC ART, the first CD-ROM of 24-bit color computer graphics for Macintosh users. My responsibilities included business development, marketing research, interface design, management of contract programmers, and content production. The product was recognized as one the of TOP TEN CD-ROM products by Digital Media.

While presenting CLASSIC ART at a Microsoft CD-ROM conference, I met Trip Hawkins, the founder of Electronic Arts. Trip inspired me with his vision that interactive entertainment would become the new medium for artists.

Online Services

Emerging technologies allowed G&G to offer online services for the print medium. I proposed that we expand our daily service to include newspaper publishers. We created SPECTRUM, the first daily online service to provide full-color computer graphics for newspapers. Within a year of launching the product, we served 120 newspapers.

Speaker - Training

I maintained active membership in the Broadcast Design Association and served for three years as a guest faculty member at the Poynter Institute. The Poynter Institute trained designers who influenced the next two decades of Broadcast Design. My presentations focused on the management of creative departments involved in video graphic design and production.

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Personal

I enjoy a marriage that spans decades and have three adult children. I delight in their college achievements and their professional lives.

My personal interests include travel, hiking, and photography. Robust family life trumps them all for pure joy.

Social Responsibility

In 2006 my wife and I started and provide ongoing support of a HIV/AIDS Education project in Ethiopia. The program provides the seed funding to equip an Ethiopian team to train teachers, professional staff, leaders, and volunteers in HIV/AIDS care and prevention. Results include required courses in 147 post-secondary schools and training that’s reached over three million people in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. Our goal of the project achieving local financial sustainability is now becoming reality.

One of my favorite social contributions is teaching at-risk high school students in the Bay Area a financial literacy curriculum called Future Profits by Able Works, a nonprofit based in Palo Alto.