Ellen Rose
1929 - 2020
Our Story
Black Swallowtail Studios was founded in honor of Ellen Rose, the grandmother of our CEO and Founder, Erik Massimino. When Ellen Rose passed away in April 2020, Erik returned home to support his family during one of the most challenging times imaginable, the loss of a loved one in the midst of a global pandemic. During that period, he found clarity in purpose and decided to honor his grandmother’s legacy by creating something meaningful.
The journey began by searching for the right location in Erik’s hometown of Eatontown, New Jersey. Over the next twenty months, Erik and his team faced one of the hardest challenges of their lives—building a company from the ground up during a global crisis. With hard work, passion, dedication, and the support of friends and family, they overcame supply and transportation shortages, contractor issues, permit delays, and countless other obstacles.
What began as a personal tribute evolved into a professional mission to build a place where creativity, community, and excellence could thrive together. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience in media production and live broadcast operations, Erik set out to create a space that empowers professionals, businesses, and creators to bring their stories to life.
Built through perseverance and purpose, Black Swallowtail Studios has grown into a full-service marketing and media production agency committed to helping others create lasting impact. Every project we take on reflects that same spirit of resilience and creativity, continuing the legacy that inspired it all.
Learn more about Ellen Rose
About the Founder
Erik Massimino is a five time Emmy nominated media professional with over seventeen national awards and nearly two decades of production experience. At just sixteen years old, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to invest his savings, not in a car, but in his first professional camera, setting the stage for a lifelong career in storytelling and media innovation.
Since then, Erik has collaborated with leading brands such as Reebok and Adidas and contributed to world class productions including New York Fashion Week, the MLB World Series, NHL Stanley Cup Finals, PGA Championship, the TODAY Show, MSNBC, Royal Weddings, Presidential Elections, and multiple Olympic Games including PyeongChang, Tokyo, Beijing, and Paris.
Driven by a passion for both creative excellence and technical mastery, Erik founded Black Swallowtail Studios to redefine what modern media production can be, making it seamless, innovative, and inspiring. His leadership and vision continue to guide the studio’s mission to deliver exceptional work that connects, informs, and inspires.
Today, his background in traditional professional production, combined with his creative modern marketing strategies, makes Black Swallowtail Studios a one of a kind agency. Under his leadership, the studio has evolved beyond production into a full scale strategic marketing partner that helps businesses tell their stories, expand their reach, and achieve measurable growth.
