{"id":7627,"date":"2021-09-07T10:15:26","date_gmt":"2021-09-07T14:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/?p=7627"},"modified":"2021-09-07T13:38:27","modified_gmt":"2021-09-07T17:38:27","slug":"theme-park-design-the-art-of-attractions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/2021\/09\/07\/theme-park-design-the-art-of-attractions\/","title":{"rendered":"Theme park design: the art of attractions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By: <\/strong>Beren Neale<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher: <\/strong>Creative Bloq<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date:<\/strong> March 11 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Theme park design: it’s rarely the first thing that pops into your mind when thinking about the creative industries. You\u2019ve probably been to a theme park, but you may have missed that the concept art behind these fantasy spaces is as inspiring as any imagery that\u2019s created for the latest Hollywood blockbuster.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more, it\u2019s a massive industry. There are more than 400 amusement parks in the US, and 300 in Europe. Disney alone made 20.29 billion dollars from its theme parks and resorts segment in 2018! Themed entertainment \u2013 and the art that underpins it all \u2013 is in excellent health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nathaniel West<\/a>, who’s worked on effects-heavy films such as Inception and Godzilla, and theme parks like Harry Potter World in Universal Studios Orlando, and Shanghai Hatching Ocean Park, says that, “Its all the same principles as far as the artwork is concerned.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Know the basics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

West explains, \u201cThings like value structure and knowledge of colour theory<\/a> is important. You also need to know how to work well with people and under deadline pressure, as well as understand the basics of environment lighting and design.\u201d      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what of the differences? Theme park art, says West, is more \u201coptimistic and bright. Films and games are usually moodier and darker, whereas theme parks emphasise colour and charm much more.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, you get to walk around in your own creation! The initial stages of concept art may focus on similar stages of film concept, like mood and colour. But then come the architects…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concept and animation background artist Qianjiao Ma<\/a> <\/strong>spells it out for us: \u201cYour concepts have to be buildable, and to consider things like ceiling height and furniture size. Unlike concept art for film, which is primarily concerned with cool visuals, theme park design requires the equivalent attention to design for the entire space, not just a single shot. As a theme park designer, I\u2019m also weighing up the visitor experience. How would the guests interact with the attractions?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For digital art legend Stephan Martini\u00e8re<\/a>, the first and foremost skill you\u2019ll have coming into themed entertainment, \u201cis your imagination.\u201d That will be quite a relief to those expecting you\u2019d need a degree in architecture. In fact, each themed project seems to differ as much as games, films or TV shows, fully depending on the client. Some want hyper-real visuals from the get-go. Others ask artists to work towards reality only once the loose brush marks have captured the feel of the park space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Films and games are usually moodier and darker. Theme parks emphasise colour and charmNathaniel West<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course, having architecture design skills can certainly help in understanding circulation or cost, but it\u2019s not a requirement,\u201d says Martini\u00e8re, who first got into theme park art back in 1980s with the Japanese indoor park Sanrio Puroland. \u201cTheme park companies have technical directors and architects who handle the more technical aspects,\u201d he says. Photoshop CC<\/a> is Martini\u00e8re\u2019s primary tool, and though his concepts are usually detailed, they always come with a painterly feel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A decade in the making<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yes, the chance to walk in a world you\u2019ve created is a huge appeal, but don\u2019t expect the relatively short lengths of film projects. \u201cThe timeline for theme park design is quite extensive,\u201d says Martini\u00e8re. \u201cOne of my credits, the Warner Bros. World in Abu Dhabi, took 10 years to make, from the initial concept art, to completion.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether the next biggest Disney instalment or a smaller scale affair, most theme park projects take years to design and produce, but, \u201cwhen you finally experience the Adventure Isle, The Pirates of the Caribbean or the Avatar\u2019s Na\u2019vi River Journey,\u201d Martini\u00e8re continues, \u201cit does bring a big grin to your face. Theme parks also reconnect me to my childhood.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with any job in any industry, it\u2019s a good idea to ask yourself, \u201cWhat extras can I bring to the table?\u201d In an ever-demanding industry, for 2D artists that usually means offering 3D skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cClients often provide you with rough 3D models, generally created in SketchUp,\u201d Martini\u00e8re says, \u201cso again it\u2019s not essential, but it\u2019s worth it. I was working on a futuristic project recently and was given the blueprints of the different spaces. Being able to build and design the space in 3D from measurements enabled me to be more accurate in creating the different architectural elements for the space, and also to make the concepts work visually from different points of view.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Pirates of the Caribbean boat ride, Martini\u00e8re received the 3D block-out model of each of the rooms of the ride along with blueprints, and references from the film. The first step was to have a meeting with the art and creative directors to discuss the visual and narrative direction of the ride,\u201d says Martini\u00e8re. \u201cDuring the meeting we also discussed the various technical requirements such as safety, boat clearance, light and FX uses. My task was to create detailed and elaborate paintings to define the mood, details and lighting of each scene.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create a visual guide<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The process took months of refinement for Martini\u00e8re, because his paintings were going to be the main visual guide for the rest of the process. \u201cI also produced the ride entrance poster once the ride was completed. The 3D block-out that was provided was sufficient for me to move on to the painting stage without further need to build extra 3D but for other, more recent projects that required a more tech look, I almost entirely built the scenes in 3D.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s great to discover a whole new world of art possibilities, but what if you don\u2019t know anyone working in themed entertainment? The truth is, breaking into the theme park industry is pretty much the same as any other. There are various approaches that you can take, from arranging to meet an industry figure at a convention, to sending your portfolio to the theme part art department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had no idea that there was a market for theme park art until I saw the work of Eric HeschongGreg Pro<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For veteran artist Greg Pro<\/a>, the key was being hungry for work. In art school he was being taught by the brilliant Fred Fixler, and when Landmark Entertainment contacted Fred for a job producing 12 oil paintings depicting a Japanese fairy tale, to be installed on a carousel in a theme park in Japan, Fred recommended Greg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had no idea that there was a market for theme park art until I saw the work of Eric Heschong<\/a>,\u201d says Pro. \u201cHis work inspired me so much that I wanted to be a part of that field. Soon after the carousel art was finished, they assigned me some concept art to do for a dark ride. I can\u2019t recall the project, but I remember using gouache to paint the artwork. That\u2019s when Eric suggested I try Cel-Vinyl paint.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro stayed on with Landmark for years, creating hundreds of concepts for theme parks all over the world. \u201cI was fortunate enough to work on many high-profile concepts such as Jurassic Park: The Ride, T2-3D: Battle Across Time, Skeleton Warriors, and even Michael Jackson\u2019s Neverland Ranch,\u201d he says.\u00a0Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do your research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Martini\u00e8re sees getting into theme park art as the same as film, game, comics or animation. Do your research, find out the main companies \u2013 Disney is by far the biggest player in the business, having kicked things off with the very first modern theme park, Disneyland, in 1955. Search out contact details, and send in your art that shows the skills needed to build worlds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know what to expect at first, but quickly realised I loved the challenge of learning and working within specific spaces, and finding ideas and solutions to particular technical requirements,\u201d says Martini\u00e8re. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For West, \u201cIt\u2019s like any field. If you do good work and you\u2019re professional, you will stand out within your industry. You might not be known around the world, but you can stand out among your peers.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: <\/strong>https:\/\/www.creativebloq.com\/advice\/theme-park-design-the-art-of-attractions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comment:<\/strong> This article is focused on illustrating the requirements it takes to become an artist rendering the future lands and attractions of prominent theme parks. I think one of the interesting things the article discusses is color theory. Theme parks differ from something like a movie set, because you actually get to interact in a theme park. Movie sets are often constructed to be moody and atmospheric in color whereas theme parks are more vibrant. This helps promote energy in customers that are living out their favorite stories in person. I think this is important to understand coming from the background of AM technologies. AM could be considered industrial and cold. It doesn’t have this same sense of vibrant vitality that walking into Disney World has, so making the transition to that technology to one of the house of mouse requires a certain amount of design translation skills. It may just be a little bit of post production work with the hands that helps add that extra layer to the 3D printed parts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By: Beren Neale Publisher: Creative Bloq Date: March 11 2019 Theme park design: it’s rarely the first thing that pops into your mind when thinking about the creative industries. You\u2019ve probably been to a theme park, but you may have missed that the concept art behind these fantasy spaces is as inspiring as any imagery […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":7628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7627","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-focus"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7627"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7627\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7634,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7627\/revisions\/7634"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}