Rafi Nizam is an independent Showrunner, multi-disciplined Creative Media Executive and co-founder of the story studio Falcon & Storm. A 25-year veteran of the Media and Entertainment industry, Rafi originates and develops scripted IP and global transmedia franchises. He also assists companies in their growth strategy and creative transformation through executive leadership and his expertise in storytelling for business.

Rafi is a trained Artist and multi-award-winning Entertainment Executive with global recognition. Specialising in Story, his career includes Developing and Directing scripted live action and animated series, art direction for advertising agencies, leading creative at Sony Pictures, developing children's TV at BBC, Global Creative Director at NBCUniversal and subsequently Global VP Creative for Immersive Entertainment at NBCUniversal. In the latter, Rafi led Creative Innovation, Strategy, Narrative Design and Visual Development across traditional and emerging media with a focus on Animation, Spatial, Real-time and Virtual Production.

In parallel, Rafi is an independent Animator, Director and Character Designer winning awards for Directing, Animation and Design. So, alongside the management and executive path he has always nurtured his craft as a hands-on independent creator.

Through Falcon & Storm, Rafi transforms early-stage tech companies with the power of story and creative vision. As SVP and Executive Producer at Lunar X, Rafi leads the Story and IP Development team to create character-driven IP for all ages and provides leadership across the business to drive growth and build a future-facing entertainment company. As Chief Creative Officer at Masterpiece Studio, Rafi brings thought-leadership and champions best practices in design-thinking to shape and position a next-gen intuitive 3D creation platform that combines Generative AI, Virtual Reality, and Machine Learning.

Rafi spearheads accelerator programs such as IBC and continues to give keynotes at conferences such as VIEW, FMX, THU, Immersive Enterprise, Cartoon Digital, Manchester Animation Festival, Soho Media Festival, Siggraph and The Media Production & Technology Show. Rafi is regularly spotlighted at GTC events by Nvidia and is very pleased to have the opportunity to mentor young creatives and shepherd projects at Sony Talent League.

A multi-disciplined creator, Rafi's work for TV and Broadcast picked up numerous awards for Directing, Editing, Fiction and Production Design. His work in XR won Best Innovation, Best Use of Tech, Best Digital Product and Best in Augmented and Virtual Reality. As an independent Animator and Character Designer, his work has been awarded and screened at top international festivals and spotlighted for championing new methods and best practices for sustainable indie productions.

Rafi is also the creator of Arteana’s Art Squad, an animated series for children featuring vibrant characters who solve problems through the power of art. Produced by Falcon & Storm, with this project Rafi demonstrates a sustainable approach to producing high-quality animation by leveraging realtime tools, XR techniques and OpenUSD. Partnering with the US-based charity Curing Kids Cancer and tech company Noitom, Arteana’s Art Squad encompasses a live, animated improv format, to bring joy to isolated and sick children in hospitals. This initiative stems from one of the core values of Falcon & Storm: to apply expertise in story and tech towards positive social impact.

Rafi is the host of Beyond The Frames, the Media and Entertainment industry insiders podcast where he meets and interviews professionals to discuss the art, production and business of making entertainment, including animation, film, virtual production, spatial and gaming.

Rafi believes creative disciplines play a pivotal role in accomplishing business objectives. His expertise in driving audience-centric strategies, leading multidisciplinary teams, and identifying strategic growth opportunities relevant to business challenges has been instrumental in transforming both startups and established companies.

Rafi runs tailored workshops that help clients uncover, shape, and share their narrative as a business. Developing stronger storytelling forms better connections between teams and business units internally, and leads to genuine engagement with external partners and audiences.

With his guidance teams have undergone remarkable change: company culture benefits from a fresh appreciation for creative disciplines, improvements in operational efficiency, smarter development and production capabilities that unlock new avenues for commercial growth.