Michael Riley
Creative Director
Michael Riley is the Creative Director and founder of Shine, where he combines design and storytelling to create cinematic visual experiences for film, television, and streaming.Raised in Palo Alto, California, Michael graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and has been directing and designing main title sequences, theatrical trailers, television commercials, and visual identity systems since 1991.
His passion for the intersection of design and storytelling began during an internship with legendary designer Tibor Kalman at M&Co. in New York. Watching Kalman use typography as a conceptual and expressive storytelling device in film titles and music videos fundamentally changed the way Michael thought about design. It was there that he discovered graphic design could do far more than communicate information—it could establish mood, reveal character, and become an integral part of the narrative itself. After graduating from RISD, he joined R/GA in New York, where he continued developing this approach to visual storytelling.
In 2003, Michael founded Shine, a creative studio specializing in main title sequences, motion graphics, theatrical campaigns, and brand identity for feature films, television series, streaming platforms, and global brands. Under his creative direction, the studio has built a reputation for thoughtful, concept-driven design that enhances storytelling through distinctive visual language. Every project begins with a search for the single compelling idea that defines the story and gives it a memorable visual identity.
Michael's work has been recognized by many of the industry's leading creative organizations. He was the first American to receive D&AD's prestigious Black Pencil for the Gattaca main title sequence. His work has also been honored with Art Directors Club Silver Awards for the Saturday Night Live main title and the Marvel animated logo, two SXSW Film Awards for Excellence in Title Design, six Primetime Emmy Award nominations, two Children's & Family Emmy Award nominations, and the New York Type Directors Club's 2022 Judges' Choice Award for the Perry Mason main title sequence for HBO.
Michael is a member of the Directors Guild of America in the Commercial Director category and previously served on the Motion & Title Design Peer Group Executive Committee at the Television Academy.
Bob Swensen
Executive Producer
Bob's extensive experience integrating design, digital production and live action includes hundreds of corporate identity, network branding, film title, visual effects sequence and commercial projects.
Over the course of 15 years, Bob has been Head of Production for RGA Digital Studios in New York, and Executive Producer for Warner Digital Studios, Imaginary Forces and Trollback and Company in Los Angeles.
Bob has executive produced sequences for films and TV such as Sidney Lumet’s, Night Falls on Manhattan, Brian De Palma’s Bonfire of the Vanities, Kung Fu Panda 1 and 2, Too Big to Fail, Modern Family and Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom. Also, he has executive produced the branding and design for the launch of the Fox Reality network and the re-launch of Lifetime, TNT, AMC, and Sundance Channel’s DocDay. Other clients have included Reebok, Pepsi, McDonald’s, Shell, Michelin, Intel, Taco Bell, Nickelodeon, Budweiser, Gap, Lands End, Sony Bravia, Qwest, Showtime, TCM and HBO. Awards for projects that Bob has Executive Produced include The Cannes Gold Lion, A.I.C.P. highlight and he has received four primetime Emmy nominations.
Bob is a graduate of Film Studies at New York University.
