We’re directors, strategists and artists

Senior Management Team

Ryan Byrne

Founder

Ryan’s career began in private equity, moved on to founding a tech startup and eventually landed him back at film school where he got his MFA from USC and then directed the award winning feature film A Colombia. Ryan built The Buzz Lab with this same unique blend of business and creative in mind.

Jacob Hatley

Head of Physical Production

Jacob Hatley is an award winning documentary filmmaker whose work has been screened at SXSW, Los Angeles International and Copenhagen Film Festivals. He's the recipient of First Look’s Gold Medal at the Director’s Guild of America. In 2013, he was highlighted as an Emerging Filmmaker in Vanity Fair and has directed commercial spots for the Ford Motor Company and eBay. In addition, he has helmed music videos for artists such as Shawn Mullins, Levon Helm, Marty Stuart and Yonder Mountain String Band.

Carson Price

Senior Project Manager

Carson spent a decade writing grant proposals and working as a non-profit fundraiser in the areas of environmental education, sustainable agriculture, watershed restoration and ecological design. Now organizing and managing production for The Buzz Lab, she also keeps our office wagging with canine companions through her volunteer work as a foster guardian for LA’s Dogs Without Borders (http://dogswithoutborders.org).

Luis Rojas

Senior Art Director

Luis Rojas trained as a photographer in London for three years before he began his career as a graphic and motion designer. He has designed and led projects for Puma, Moschino, Samsung, and Lacoste among others. As The Buzz Lab’s Head of Design, he brings a keen eye for details and passion for storytelling to every project.

Joe Smith

Managing Director

Joe is a veteran screenwriter, film producer, and brand content strategist. He also ran an ad agency whose award-winning DRTV campaigns generated over $2B in sales for clients, and was a co-founder and Head of Content for Frequency Networks, a media distributor that provides digital video to millions of homes through major cable operators worldwide. He is an active Producer’s Guild of America New Media Council member and an alumnus of The American Film Institute’s Center for Advanced Film and Television Studies.

"Ryan and his team at the Buzz Lab do absolutely amazing work. High quality, quick, and most importantly, they capture complex messages and convey them in very simple and entertaining ways."
− Frank Addante CEO, Founder & Chief Product Architect at Rubicon Project