meet the team
meet the team
meet the team
meet the team
meet the team
meet the team
meet the team
We Make Content Happen
We’re a group of storytellers, collaborators, and hands-on creators who love what we do. From first ideas to final edits, we’re all in. Meet the team behind the work!
Garrett Kafchinski
COO & Partner

Garrett Kafchinski

COO & Partner
Garrett’s first job was picking corn in upstate New York. After getting a B.S. in Cinema and Photography from Ithaca College in 2012, Garrett moved to NYC for an internship on a Halle Berry movie and never looked back. Since then, he’s worked as an editor for a PBS Special, a camera operator for reality tv, and a DIT for feature films.

His wide variety of experience is what enables him to find solutions for clients no matter the challenge.
Sydney Otieno
Graphics Department Lead

Sydney Otieno

Graphics Department Lead
Sydney has lived all over the world—born in New York, raised in Kenya, and educated across South Africa, Hong Kong, Atlanta, Miami, and Rome (Georgia). This adaptability extends to her work, where she oversees the design team, ensuring creative consistency across projects while actively working on client work and internal projects. Her past experience includes design internships at CNN and Wunderman Seattle (now VML).

Since earning her BFA in Animation from Savannah College of Art and Design, Sydney has settled in Atlanta, where she enjoys traveling, being a cat-mom, and playing Overwatch in her free time.
Jonah Crespi
Producer

Jonah Crespi

Producer
Originally from Boulder, Colorado, Jonah moved to New York City to pursue a career in film. He is inspired by the idea of transforming unique ideas into art on screen, and his love of the craft makes Jonah an incredible filmmaker.

Jonah’s experience as an editor informs his craft as a cinematographer and empowers him to tell energetic and emotional stories.
Desmond Du
Motion Designer

Desmond Du

Motion Designer
Born in Singapore, Desmond Du is a Motion Designer and Creative Technologist based in NYC. He holds a BFA and MFA in Motion Media Design from SCAD. Currently at Diagonal Media, he creates motion graphics across video, print, social media, presentations, and events. Previously, at WarnerMedia Studios, he worked on projects for NBA, Turner Classic Movies, and Cartoon Network.

Beyond design, Desmond is passionate about efficiency and organization. As a Creative Technologist, he develops tools, templates, and automation systems to streamline workflows—think of him as the Marie Kondo of Motion Design!! Passionate about teaching, Desmond shares his expertise through NoSleepCreative, a motion design YouTube channel, and his online course, Advanced After Effects: Coding for Motion Design, on Domestika.
Joe Lopez
Motion Designer

Joe Lopez

Motion Designer
Joe launched his design career as a freelance graphic designer and branding enthusiast. His heart beats for design, art, animation, and technology. An Air Force veteran, Joe’s greatest joy is spending quality time with his wife and their six canine companions, and watching a good ol’ Texas sunset.

Joe’s core strength is his ability to break down complex problems and find solutions.
Dalmarcus Constance
Designer & Animator

Dalmarcus Constance

Designer & Animator
Going back as far as he can remember, Dalmarcus has always been an artist at heart. Whether it be drawing fan art of his favorite video game to competing in a local art competition, it’d be a struggle to find a moment of his day that wasn’t spent drawing.

An animation graduate from the Savannah College of Arts and Design, Dalmarcus has garnered a whole host of experience working on student films with classmates, and under some of the greatest animators of our time. When he is not drawing, he is likely either watching anime or listening to music in order to recharge for his next artistic outing.
Britt Carragher
Editor & Producer

Britt Carragher

Editor & Producer
Since earning her Journalism degree from Northeastern University in 2015, Brittany has amassed a decade of versatile experience spanning advertising, broadcast, and digital media.

She began her career as a Production Assistant at Arnold Worldwide, where she played a pivotal role in supporting high-profile commercial shoots, including campaigns for Ocean Spray Cranberries, Carnival Cruise Lines, and Jack Daniel's. Brittany’s unwavering commitment and meticulous attention to detail quickly earned her a promotion to Production Coordinator, allowing her to develop a comprehensive understanding of the business.

Driven by her passion for storytelling, Brittany transitioned into Assistant Editing at NBC Sports during the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics and beyond. This opportunity enabled her to merge her creative vision with technical expertise, delivering exceptional content to air.

In 2017, her outstanding contributions led her to a position as Assistant Editor at Yahoo, and by 2018, she was promoted to Editor and Associate Producer. Brittany quickly became a key talent behind the scenes on The Morning Toast, a daily morning show that garnered over 24,000 views on YouTube and more than 28,000 views on Instagram.

Brittany began working for Diagonal Media in 2019 as the sixth employee and the first female to join the team. Throughout her time at Diagonal, she has showcased her versatility across a variety of projects, whether as an editor, producer, or project lead.

Outside of work, you can find Brittany dancing in the crowd at a bluegrass show or exploring the woods with her dog, Jack!
Anthony Pampinella
Editor & Animator

Anthony Pampinella

Editor & Animator
Anthony graduated from Point Park University with a degree in Animation/VFX. After graduating, he became a Media arts instructor teaching kids and young adults.

In addition to teaching, Anthony worked on various freelance projects ranging from motion graphics for TED-Ed, marketing promos, and stop motion animation. He was also an assistant editor on an award-winning documentary film.

When he’s not working, Anthony spends countless hours watching Seinfeld reruns, playing 2048 and listening to Radiohead.
Emily Rodriguez
Project Coordinator

Emily Rodriguez

Project Coordinator
Emily’s love for storytelling began in a small New York City apartment, where she and her sisters crafted amateur short films. That passion led her to Upstate New York, where she earned a Media Studies degree. With hands-on experience as a production assistant at industry giants like NBC and AEG Presents, Emily knows firsthand the power of a rockstar admin—one who keeps things running smoothly with precision, adaptability, and a can-do attitude.

Beyond the hustle, Emily finds joy in family time, live music, and scenic walks through the Hudson Valley. You’ll often find her capturing life’s candid moments on her trusty Kodak Half Frame Film Camera or diving into the depths of astrology.
Erin Kinkley
Production Coordinator

Erin Kinkley

Production Coordinator
Blake Drummond
Founder & CEO

Blake Drummond

Founder & CEO
Blake started his career working in production on shows like 30 Rock, Ugly Betty and White Collar. Blake founded Diagonal Media LLC in 2015, fusing his passion for innovation and creativity with years of practical film experience.

Blake’s strength is his ability to simplify complex productions by utilizing his strong planning and organizational skills. He finds the essence of each project, and dedicates himself to bringing that out in the final product.
Leslie Cunningham
Supervising Producer

Leslie Cunningham

Supervising Producer
Leslie is a director, writer and producer with experience spanning documentary, branded, podcast and digital video. She approaches storytelling as a writer-first, understanding the central “why” of a story to unveil the universal truths that create compelling and authentic narratives. As a director, she energizes talent and production crews around a collective, creative vision and guides all creators towards a cohesive and emotionally resonant story.

She is also a writer. She's currently working on her first, full-length novel and her short story, “Nobody is Happy in Kentown, Missouri” is available on Amazon.
Lillian Isabella
CMO, Head of Casting, Producer

Lillian Isabella

CMO, Head of Casting, Producer
Lillian is a communications ninja. Born and raised in New York, Lillian graduated from NYU, Tisch with a BFA in Theatre. After graduation, she jumped right into the digital marketing world at the non-profits Cherry Lane Theatre and then Tribeca Film Institute. She has since collaborated to create digital communications and social media marketing strategies for many private corporations as well as creative individuals.

Lillian brings her passion for effective communication and heartfelt connection to her work at Diagonal Media. In addition to digital communications, Lillian is a documentary theatre-maker. Her plays have been produced across theatres in NYC. In her free time, she serves on the Board of Directors for the National PKU Alliance, a national nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of those with Phenylketonuria (PKU) which she also has.
Alex Tragellis
Executive Producer

Alex Tragellis

Executive Producer
Alex got his first video camera in elementary school, determined to catch Santa Claus in the act. He didn’t—but that curiosity sparked a lifelong passion for storytelling. After earning his BA from Ithaca College, he spent six years in film—coordinating features and producing commercials—before landing at the greatest company in the world: Diagonal Media. (This is a paid advertisement.)

With a sharp creative eye, strong instincts, and a love for collaboration, he’s driven to bring big ideas to life.

He’s also a comedy aficionado who moonlights as a stand-up comedian. As Gene Wilder put it: “I take my silly very seriously.”
Maria Solano
Editor

Maria Solano

Editor
From sunny South Florida, Maria is a Latinx filmmaker and editor. She graduated from the University of Florida with a BS in Telecommunications and is now based in New York. She has worked on educational videos, social media promos, documentaries, and short films, both in front and behind camera. Her passion is to create captivating and diverse stories and she loves to face every challenge with a creative mind.

In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, learning languages, and acting.
Dan Yund
Creative Director

Dan Yund

Creative Director
After earning his BFA in Graphic Design from the Art Institute of Boston, Dan began his career as a graphic designer. He gained a wide variety of experience working for some of the biggest companies in the world before becoming his own boss.

Dan is an incredibly talented creative director adept at taking both simple and complex ideas from brands and making them beautiful. He has a knack for boiling down a brand into beauty.
Andrea Munger
Production Manager & Producer

Andrea Munger

Production Manager & Producer
Andrea is a filmmaker who was born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa. At the age of 16, her family relocated to Western Australia before eventually settling in the Northeast in 2012. While each place had vastly different people and cultures, Andrea realized that one thing remained constant – storytelling.

She believed that effective storytelling could bridge any cultural gap and could unite people in a unique way. With this belief in tow, she enrolled in film school at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Since graduating with an MFA, she’s worked on a variety of narrative as well as commercial productions with organizations such as HBO, Defining Studios, and Red Summit Productions. In her free time, she loves traveling… despite a crippling fear of flying.
Roxanne Kassapidis
Assistant Editor

Roxanne Kassapidis

Assistant Editor
Roxanne’s love for filmmaking began at a young age, making iMovie trailers on her iPod. Many years later, and she graduated from NYU with a BFA in Film & TV Production, as well as interned with various companies including the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

With experience across different aspects of film production, her true passion is editing. Having edited a wide range of projects such as short films, music videos and a feature film, she strives to make every piece of content the best it can be.

In her free time, Roxanne likes to learn Greek on Duolingo, watch scary movies, and hit the ski slopes.
Gabriel O’Connor
Motion Designer

Gabriel O’Connor

Motion Designer
Gabriel is fascinated with storytelling in all its forms, with new ideas every day that pull him in different directions. He’s created short films, animations, novellas and children’s books, board game prototypes, and some pretty inventive grilled cheese variations (yes, food can be storytelling).

Born and raised in rural Kansas, Gabriel’s value for the simple things keeps his focus on the heart and soul of every story. A French mom and several years in Europe have balanced that attitude with an ability to understand people and adapt to any situation.

When he’s not working, Gabriel’s either spending time with his wife and four kids or plotting out a tv series he just had a dream about.
Alex Tymchak
Associate Creative Director

Alex Tymchak

Associate Creative Director
Originally from the snowy wonderland of Buffalo, New York, Alex graduated from NYU with a BFA in Film Production and is now based in Brooklyn. He has worked as an editor on educational videos, music videos, documentaries, and experimental films, and believes his wide range of experience allows him to always find the strongest possible narrative in each and every project. Some of his previous experience includes work for Columbia University, BRIC TV, and Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Alex is also an avid lover of celluloid film and spends his free time shooting 35mm photography, as well as directing short films on super 8mm and 16mm. And running. He likes running, too.