OUR STORY
SLAY was built on a simple belief that the best creative work comes from people who genuinely care about what they’re making and who they’re making it for.
What started as one person’s vision has grown into a tight-knit team of directors, producers, strategists, and designers who found each other across different chapters of their careers and chose to build something together.
Nine years of work, real relationships, and a shared obsession with storytelling is what we bring to every project.
OUR TEAM
Founder
Shirin Etessam
As SLAY's founder, Shirin shapes the agency's creative and strategic direction at the intersection of storytelling and emerging technology. With a background spanning film, television, digital media, and AI-integrated brand strategy, Shirin brings a rare fluency in both narrative craft and emerging technology to every project she touches. She remains an active force in SLAY's evolution, guiding the agency's vision as it enters its next chapter.
Partner
Lyndsey Sprague
Lyndsey built her career over 15 years leading creative production and video strategy for some of the most recognized names in beauty and wellness. She splits her time between San Francisco and Mexico City. The cultural fluency that comes from both fuels her belief that the best creative work doesn't follow trends; it sets them. Her work explores what the future of storytelling looks and feels like.
Partner
JunAn Wang
JunAn is based in Brooklyn. He was built between East and West. Two decades of directing, brand strategy, and cultural work on both sides taught him one thing: the story a brand can't quite say out loud is always the most powerful one. He's never stopped looking for it.
Director / Producer
Alex Burunova
Alex grew up painting before finding her voice in filmmaking. She has directed award-winning shorts, episodics, and a Netflix special. Her debut feature, "Satisfaction", shot across Greece and London, was nearly a decade in the making and premiered at SXSW. Alex's work blends bold visuals with emotionally intimate storytelling, often exploring themes of gender, identity, and female empowerment.
Operations / Producer
Kerry Lien
Kerry is a creative operations leader with over 20 years of experience bringing complex productions from concept to completion. She builds the systems, workflows, and structure that keeps creative teams aligned and projects running smoothly. She’s focused on making ambitious work feel achievable without losing momentum or clarity.
Director / Photographer
Brett Marty
Brett is an award-winning director and photographer working across commercial, documentary, and narrative film. In a previous life, he drove a rusty old Buick over 22,500 miles from San Francisco to the southern tip of South American. Now, he brings a curiosity-driven, exploratory approach that grounds commercial projects in narrative depth and visual clarity.
Client Growth
Matthew McKinnon
Matthew is a Client Growth Partner who loves meeting new people, building relationships, and making things happen. He brings a mix of empathy, communication, and adaptability to everything he does. He is big on good energy, genuine connections, and turning opportunities into long-term wins.
Photographer
Gaby Oltean
A Los Angeles-based photographer originally from Transylvania, Romania, Gabriela creates emotive, timeless images across photography, concept development, art direction, and styling. Her mission is to capture complete universes and empower subjects to bring their own presence into each shot. Her work helps brands feel cohesive, intentional, and visually distinctive.
Cinematographer / Photographer
Eric Soboleski
A commercial cinematographer and photographer with 15+ years behind the lens. Eric crafts rich visuals across fashion, beauty, branded, lifestyle, and music. Using cinematography to make abstract ideas feel tactile, refined, and alive, he thrives most when collaborating to uncover the unique beauty each moment presents.
Lead Editor
Joe Tamayo
Joe is an editor and motion designer living in the best borough of New York City: Queens (his words, not ours). He has worked across branded content and campaigns for global clients including Sephora, Harry’s, Macy’s, and Duolingo. He brings a sharp sense of rhythm and structure to editing, shaping work that feels precise, dynamic, and engaging. His work has been featured on billboards in Times Square.
Digital Experience Lead
Ella Vinogradova
Originally from Russia and now based in the US, Ella shapes how creative work is structured, positioned, and experienced across digital platforms. She works across content strategy, audience insight, social media, and digital design to connect storytelling with real-world engagement. Her focus is on turning creative output into intentional digital ecosystems that resonate and perform.