In CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION, the FBI’s elite team of criminal profilers come up against their greatest threat yet, an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. As the world opens back up and the network goes operational, the team must hunt them down, one murder at a time. Original cast members continuing their roles include Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster. Zach Gilford joins the dynamic cast as a recurring guest star in a season-long arc.

This “Evolution” of the beloved and long-running series, this iteration dives deeper into our heroes and villains, while staying true to the uniquely dark tone as the series moves into the streaming space.

Photography: Sally Montana
Art Direction: Lena Parker Duncan, Breanna Murphy
VP Art: Kristina Jensen

Conceptualized, pitched and designed ViacomCBS’ first cross-company FYC streaming app and accompanying website that hosts year-round awards content across 12 television brands including BET, CBS Studios, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Paramount+, Showtime, Smithsonian Channel, TV Land, VH1, and Logo. From guild awards (SAG, PGA, DGA, ADG, CDG, etc.) to Primetime and Daytime Emmys, to the Academy Awards, this platform has provided the ability for participating brands to customize their content to abide by campaigning requirements as well as push discoverability and visibility for networks and studios within the ViacomCBS ecosystem.

Promax North America Awards 2021 - Bronze Winner - Digital + Social (Website)
The Webby Awards 2021 Honoree - Apps and Software: Technical Achievement
The Webby Awards 2021 Nominee - Websites and Mobile Sites: Media Streaming

The site and app was initially launched in 2020 with 11 Brands and 70 Shows. As part of the process from inception to delivery, I wore multiple hats throughout the process:

• Provided guidelines and workbacks regarding all asset deliverables, including copy and art, that were distributed to participating ViacomCBS brands.

• Main contact for receiving all art assets from brands. Reconfigured the art to fit specifications where necessary.

• Inputed all text, art, videos, and additional desired sections/information and responsible for making revisions and accommodating requests directly from networks/brands.

• Provided customer service for Television Academy and guild members who have issues downloading our app/accessing our site.

• Acted as a guide to other ViacomCBS brands who are new to the Emmy campaign process. I was one of the primary contacts for the Studio with the Television Academy, in order to relay rule changes and confirm processes and get approval on our campaigns.

The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards: after a virtual broadcast in 2020, the ceremony in 2021 was very meaningful, as the stars and the shows return to the stage to applaud each other and their amazing accomplishments during a year where they overcame the numerous challenges with Covid.

As the Art Director on this show, I was tasked with collaborating with the Television Academy to ensure brand consistency across all elements created and adapted for the show, across digital, social, video and print.

There were many elements needed for this show but the most immediate and main need was to design and execute key art featuring the host, Cedric the Entertainer, that would compliment the statue art already designed by the Television Academy for fast approaching media buys as well as for on-platform (Paramount+, CBS, etc).

Examples of references pulled for the photoshoot of Cedric. Playful, celebratory, fun, silly, inviting and audacious, I wanted to feature Cedric’s personality as a comedian and a true master of ceremonies.

Cedric knocked it out of the park! Over 800 images were captured, which were narrowed down to 90 for his approval. Ultimately, only 1 image would be featured in the campaign.

After designing exploring a variety of color directions, we landed on a color palette that complimented the Television Academy’s “Light Fall” art. After the art went through various channels for approvals (Cedric, Legal, the Television Academy, etc.) and through finishing, it was adapted for print ads in People Magazine and Entertainment Weekly. The art was then adapted by junior designers for CBS Network’s core assets, including landing pages for Paramount+ and CBS.com, as well as for social media channels as well as for placements with additional streaming partners.

Assets for the event, that would incorporate both the art featuring Cedric and the Emmy Statuette, were developed. I oversaw the designers executing these assets, which included step and repeats, tune-in banners, branded walls, directional signage and digital reader boards. I was also responsible for ensuring that we maintained the Television Academy’s branding and colors as well as upholding the CBS Brand requirements.

Art directed the creation of social, art and logo assets for the Adele One Night Only special, which featured the singer performing past hits and songs from her upcoming album 30 — and sitting for an interview with Oprah Winfrey. These creative assets were used in-show, posted on Adele and CBS’s social accounts as well as on CBS and Paramount+ streaming apps.

Adele One Night Only averaged 10.33 million viewers in Nielsen’s final same-day ratings. It’s also the highest viewer total for a CBS entertainment show since Oprah With Meghan and Harry drew more than 17 million viewers in March.

#Adele trended in the top 10 in the United States for 11 hours overall and peaked at the top for five consecutive hours.

On December 31, 2021, CBS rang in the new year with a new concert special “New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash”, ending an almost 2 decade run without a NYE special. The five-hour celebration featured nearly 50 performances from locations across the city, including the mainstage in Nashville’s Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, culminating with the renowned Nashville music note drop and fireworks at midnight CT.

The emphasis on country music for this New Year’s Eve special gave CBS Network’s programming a different angle that sets it apart form the other live music specials airing that night. Music City would deliver an electric New Year’s Eve party unlike any other. As the art director for this special, I oversaw the redesign of the show logo, corresponding key art, screen and social assets.

The logo was inspired by the bar and store signage in the famous Nashville “Broadway” and “Cannery Row” districts. The various variations of slab fonts invoked a distinctively “country” feel that paired perfectly with the NYE special.

Additional color options were developed in order to match the decor/lighting across the various performance venues.