Nikiiyah Gest
Austell,GA
Summary
Administrative and museum studies professional with 4 years of experience in production coordination and executive support within the entertainment industry, alongside additional experience in arts nonprofits and museum environments. Background includes production coordination and recruiting support at Sony Pictures Animation and work with animation-focused nonprofits such as Black N Animated and Afro Animation.
Skilled in complex scheduling, cross-functional communication, document management, and event and program logistics across creative and administrative teams. Holds a Master’s degree in Museum Studies with internship experience at the California African American Museum, supporting proposals, programming, and visitor engagement initiatives. Passionate about museum operations, arts education, and contributing to inclusive cultural institutions.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
Work History
Press Guide
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
04.2026 - 04.2026
- Guided talent and supported event operations by coordinating reps, photographers, and production flow during the Oscars.
Visual Development Coordinator
Sony Pictures Animation
09.2024 - 01.2026
- Provided support to the Production Designer, Art Director, and Visual Development Associate Production Manager within the Visual Development department.
- Managed day-to-day and long-range schedules for the Art Director and artists, keeping production on track and deliverables on time.
- Organized and maintained asset libraries and utilized SyncSketch to efficiently review and organize artwork, sequences, and storyboard panels for cross-team access.
- Tracked milestones, captured clear notes, and flagged risks early to producers and directors to protect timelines and quality.
Intern
California African American Museum
06.2025 - 12.2025
- Supported educational programs by facilitating workshops and engaging with diverse audiences.
- Coordinated logistics for museum events, ensuring seamless execution and participant satisfaction.
- Developed promotional materials to enhance visibility of exhibitions and museum initiatives.
Story and Editorial Coordinator
Sony Pictures Animation
01.2024 - 09.2024
- Supported the Lead Editor and Associate Production Manager in the editorial department.
- Organized and published story panels in Flixi, ensuring accurate, version-controlled deliveries to Editorial.
- Prepped, coordinated, and captured clear, actionable notes for directors and producers.
- Tracked script edits, character changes, and plot adjustments to maintain an up-to-date record of the story's evolution.
Recruiting Trainee / Coordinator
Sony Pictures Animation
06.2022 - 11.2023
- Coordinated 500+ interviews across time zones, supporting production crew recruitment, note-taking, candidate experience, and event logistics. Manage interview logistics, both virtual and on-site, for candidates and special events.
- Supported three leaders across Sony’s recruiting team (Recruiter, Recruiting Associate, and Director of Talent Acquisition), coordinating smoothly with legal, marketing, creative executives, production coordinators, business affairs, events, and artist management.
- Prepared meetings by creating agendas, coordinating materials, building slide decks.
- Managed hiring trackers, meetings, databases, university-relations initiatives, and assisted with social media and outreach efforts while creating a diversity consultants internship proposal to strengthen inclusive recruitment pipelines.
- Support University Relations and Talent Outreach in planning and executing conferences, events, and special projects.
- Manage multiple candidate and interviewer calendars to seamlessly coordinate high-volume and fast-paced interviewing activity across many geographic regions and time zones.
Education
Master of Arts - Museum Studies
Southern University At New Orleans
05-2026
Certificate - Cinematography and Film/Video Production
NYU Tisch Film & TV Essentials Program
06-2022
Applied Human & Consumer Science Education - Coaching Minor
Ohio University
Athens, OH12-2019
Skills
- Canva/Microsoft/Google
- Suite/Adobe/Procreate/Photoshop/Zoom
- SyncSketch
SONY PICTURES ANIMATION - PRODUCTION CREDITS
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Recruiting Trainee / Coordinator (2022)
- K-Pop: Demon Hunters Recruiting Trainee / Coordinator (2023-2024)
- BUDS Visual Development Coordinator | Story/Editorial Coordinator, Art Coordinator (2024-2026)
- FIXED Recruiting Trainee / Coordinator (2022)
INDUSTRY PROGRAMS & TRAINING
- Silent Writing Retreat with Mara Brock Akil, Giveaway Winner & Participant
- Academy Gold Rising Internship Program, Intern
- HBCU in LA, Entertainment Industry College Outreach
- Disney on the Yard Mentorship Program, Mentee
- NYU Tisch Film & TV Industry Essentials
- UCLA Extension, Writing for Animation; Picture Book I
- Kidscreen Diverse Voices Mentorship Program, Mentee
- Production Assistant Bootcamp, Radio PA Trainee
- End of Episode Writing Class, (Crescent Imani Novell)
CREATIVE & WRITING EXPERIENCE
CEO & Freelance Artist, Mahogane Art LLC
- Lead creative direction, design, and delivery of custom artwork for clients.
- Manage full production pipeline from concept through final illustration.
Timeline
Press Guide
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
04.2026 - 04.2026
Intern
California African American Museum
06.2025 - 12.2025
Visual Development Coordinator
Sony Pictures Animation
09.2024 - 01.2026
Story and Editorial Coordinator
Sony Pictures Animation
01.2024 - 09.2024
Recruiting Trainee / Coordinator
Sony Pictures Animation
06.2022 - 11.2023
Certificate - Cinematography and Film/Video Production
NYU Tisch Film & TV Essentials Program
Applied Human & Consumer Science Education - Coaching Minor
Ohio University
Master of Arts - Museum Studies
Southern University At New Orleans