A Great Cause and a Great Time

Every year, for the last few years, the folks at Universal have hosted a Entertainment Designer Forum.
If you are not familiar with this event, it is truly a wonderful event that is for a great cause.

Last night was the 3rd Annual Entertainment Designer Forum and it was the first time the event was held at Orange County Regional History Center in downtown Orlando. The event includes two forums with some of the top design experts in the entertainment industry, a silent auction on unique theme park related items, and this year included the wonderful "Serious Art Of Make Believe" exhibit that I wrote about previously here.

Before I get into the details, let me explain why the event is held in the first place. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society in honor of Stephanie Girard. But who is Stephanie Girard ? Well, she was a well regarded Art Director & Set Designer in film, television, and theme park industry. She worked on a multitude of projects at Universal as well such as Grinchmas and Halloween Horror Nights. She was an amazingly determined and  resolute person despite the fact that she battled with colon cancer for six years. Her determination and selfless nature were driving forces in the creation of the Entertainment Designer forum which was created with the explicit desire to raise money for cancer. In 2010, with the help of veteran Universal scenic designer Kim Gromoll,  the 1st Entertainment Designer Forum was born.

This year, due to my work schedule, I attended the earlier, 6:30 forum.
Mike Aiello was the moderator. Mike is the show director for Universal Entertainment.
The panelists included:

First Session:
Scott Swenson: Director of Creative Services, Bush Gardens, Tampa
Mike West: Executive Producer, Universal Creative
David Hughes: Senior Designer, Universal Art & Designer, Entertainment
Lora Wallace: Show Director, Universal Entertainment Productions
Ron Hines: Sr. Studio Director, Nickelodeon Recreation
TJ Mannarino: Director, Universal Art & Design, Entertainment

Second Session:
Mike Wallace: Designer, Universal Creative
Curtis Hopkins: Designer, Universal Art & Design, Entertainment
Guy Petty: Principal Art Director, Walt Disney Imagineering, Creative Entertainment
Vicki Bowlin: Art Manager, Universal Art & Design, Entertainment
Kenny Babel: President, White Bird Entertainment
Kim Gromoll: Designer, Universal Art & Design, Entertainment

The forum was exceptional as always. All of the designers are very entertaining,  informative, and very personable. I spoke with many afterwards and they all really love to talk about their love for what they do.

As for the silent auction, there was a large array of very cool and unique items from Universal, Bush Gardens, Disney, and even an amazing Frankenstein bust done by Ray Keim (a seasonal member of Universal's Entertainment Art and Design).

I typically don't fare well in these auctions... but with all the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society I'm glad to see the items do well. However, this year I did finally score a nice item thanks to my wife. We won a jumpsuit costume that was used in the Saws and Steam house from last year!

So if you are into haunted attractions, interested in entertainment design, or just want to help a great cause I highly suggest it. You can follow developments for next year on the FB page.

More pictures of the event can be seen here.

The Serious art of Make Believe

The Serious art of Make - Believe

Whether you are a art enthusiast, interested in how things are made, or just a Halloween Horror Night fanatic then I highly recommend The Orlando Museum of History's: The Serious art of Make-believe.

I first heard about the display from Behind The Thrills and decided, seeing as I am all of the above, that it was something I could not miss! So the first chance my wife and I had, we made the trek from Mount Dora to Orlando. I am happy to say I was in no way disappointed.

First off I did not know Orlando had a history museum. If you have been to the FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY in Gainesville it has a similar feel. While not nearly as large, is has a multitude of informative and creative displays regarding the history of Orlando. That, in itself, was enough to draw me there but once you throw in the fact that it's $9.00 admissions and a HHN exhibit it was far too tempting to pass up.

The  Serious Art of Make - Believe is located on half of the second floor. As you walk in, you are greeted by the familiar sight of Jacks Carnival of Carnage and The Terra Queen's motorcyle.  The walls are packed with sketches and props from  Halloween Horror Nights, Mardi Gras, Grinchmas, and even some various permanent park attractions. There are even a few interactive displays where you can draw blue line sketches,  a "find it" game where you try and spot various objects in a mock up of the prop warehouse, and even a display depicting how foam on plywood are made to like a cornucopia of textures and objects.

I finally learned the inscription on the '05 dagger!

"Cruentus Regina Infinitas Infinito"

The sketches were where I spent most of my time. Being an avid fan of Universal's Art & Design team (and an aspiring artist) I really like to see the creative ideas that spark the amazing sets the we get to see as a finished product. There was a great deal of art from HHN 15: Tales of Terror which I feel ranks as one of Universal's most creative years.

There were also several examples of progression in development. For example the original Carnival of Carnage website started out as rough sketches on three sheets of notebook paper

which progressed to a sketchup version

and then the final website version

I also spent some time drawing my own sketch.

The props are always awesome to see and I enjoyed picking them out and remembering which year(s) I had seen them before. From older props like Jack's box or the Caretaker's scissors to more recent props such as the vomit/garbage and the two wrath costumes from the "Seven" scarezone this year.

All in all, the trip is well worth the paltry admission fee. The exhibit  runs until April 29th 0f 2012 so there is ample time and if you want to go a step further there are two chances to meet the A&D team! So make the trip, have fun, and support Florida's museums all in one shot.

** If you just can't make it or just want to spoil the surprise, scroll down for a link to more pictures **

Orange County Regional History Center
65 E. Central Blvd.
Orlando, Florida 32801

Visiting Hours
Monday-Saturday
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday

Noon - 5 p.m.

Artists & Authors Series

Art & Design Team from Universal Orlando Resort

Thursday, December 8, 2011

6-9 PM $65 admission (non-members)

Meet & Greet the Art and Design Team from Universal Orlando Resort
The Serious Art of Make-Believe Exhibition
Sunday, December 11, 2011

Included in general admission. 

Click here for all pictures of the exhibit.