When most people hear the words, “climate change,” their brains shut off. Even though it’s one of the most important issues that all of us Earth-dwellers need to learn about, most of us are bored stiff by it, or overwhelmed by the problems it entails. The Chabot Space and Science Center sees climate change a little differently: for them it’s an approachable issue with tangible and even fun solutions. [caption id="attachment_5901" align="alignnone" width="560" caption="Kids crowd around a retired spacecraft at Chabot's "Beyond Blastoff" exhibit"][/caption] Chabot has historically been a space-centric science museum, but it recently started focusing on earth sciences to cater ...
Stuart Brown, founder and president of the National Institute for Play When I drove up to the headquarters of the National Institute for Play, it seemed entirely fitting to me that there should be a treehouse and swinging rope adjacent to Stuart Brown’s office-in-the-woods. When he is not traipsing the continent spreading wisdom about the importance of play, Stuart works in an intimate, clubhouse-like room amongst the trees, running the NIFP and finishing his second book. [caption id="attachment_5671" align="alignnone" width="200" caption="Swinging rope under his treehouse"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_5630" align="alignnone" width="168" caption="Stuart's first book"][/caption] Having already written the book on play (literally), Stuart shares his findings ...
Sitting on a park bench is usually a simple activity, consisting of people watching, relaxing, and perhaps some sandwich eating – but not much personal meaning. For Richard Ford, however, sitting on a park bench in the center of San Francisco’s Presidio felt like a walk down memory lane. Within a turn of his head were three major entertainment companies that played an important role in defining his career: Lucasfilm, The Exploratorium, and Disney (represented by the Walt Disney Family Museum). [caption id="attachment_5328" align="alignnone" width="560" caption="Richard Ford rides with his sons across the SF bay with the Giant's Stadium coke bottle"][/caption] Starting ...
Ever wanted to go to a museum where touching the exhibits is actually allowed? At the Exploratorium in San Francisco, children and adults alike are not only allowed to play, create, and interact with exhibits, they are encouraged to do so. With a name like “Exploratorium,” one would expect nothing less. Far from a traditional science museum, the Exploratorium has “explainers” rather than docents, a “tinkering studio” rather than a special exhibits gallery, QR codes for Internet and Smartphone interaction instead of just explanatory placards, and a consortium of artists and scientists instead of traditional curators. At a place where ...
Christopher Stapleton calls himself a Creative Venture Catalyst. His goal: to help shape the next generation of experiential learning. In our information-packed interview with Chris, we got a chance to understand his vision for the future of education. Chris currently runs Simiosys Real World Laboratory, a creative think tank that aims to transform education into compelling entertainment. His work combines story structure, play primitives, and game mechanics with learning theories. [caption id="attachment_4886" align="aligncenter" width="560" caption="Simiosys Real World Laboratory: Dmitriy Dryagin, Sam Neblett, and Dana Mott"][/caption] Highlights of Chris’s career include the design and production of Broadway shows, feature films, and theme park rides ...
EntertainmentDesigner.com recently had the opportunity to sit down with Nils-Erik Winther, an executive at Bakken, which is thought to be the world's oldest theme park. Bakken has been around as a tourist draw since as early as the 1500's, and we were curious to hear what the park is like today. Here is what Nils-Erik had to say: **** EntertainmentDesigner: What is your role at Bakken? Nils-Erik Winther: I am the CEO of A/S Dyrehavsbakken – the facility company owned by the “tent-holders” from Bakken. My role is to facilitate the amusement park from marketing, security, and renovation. Our main objective is to ...
When one hears the word “conference,” what comes to mind is a stuffy auditorium full of briefcase toting, suit-clad people viewing Powerpoint slides of charts and graphs. At the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Expo in Orlando, this stereotype was far from true. The first thing one sees when descending the escalator into the city-sized Orange County Convention Center is the glimmering top of a working carousel, a giant lizard atop an inflatable slide, and the flashing lights of hundreds of games. The convention floor is a hubbub of dings, wooshes, buzzes, and other playful noises. Exhibitor booths ...
Nestled in the trees on the edge of Lake Merritt and hidden amongst the drab, cement buildings of downtown Oakland sits an enchanting world where fairytales come to life and kids are the ones in charge: Children’s Fairyland. EntertainmentDesigner.com had the unique opportunity to tour the 10-acre park and see dozens of storybook attractions, including the “Wonder-Go-Round,” a carousel with Alice in Wonderland characters, “Peter Rabbit’s Village,” where live bunnies reside in storybook houses, and a life-sized pirate ship turned playground. Fairyland is not only a fun and imaginative place for young kids; it is also a historically significant park because ...
EntertainmentDesigner.com recently had a chance to sit down with Andrew Gartner, founder and creative director of Gartner Design Company, which does everything from creating brand identities and film sets to designing hotel interiors and interactive museum exhibits. Just as Gartner Design Company’s repertoire is diverse and extensive, its founder’s background is equally varied. After studying architecture at UC Berkeley, Andrew designed interiors on both coasts, including California, where he was part of a team that designed a movie studio for George Lucas. He then started Gartner Design Company in New Mexico, but not before he designed museum exhibits, film sets, ...
Visit The Totally Fun Company website. If you’ve ever been to Universal Studios, you’ve seen the work of our latest interviewee. While you may not know Peter Alexander or The Totally Fun Company, you are guaranteed to know the rides E.T., Back to the Future, Jaws, and Earthquake. These entertainment experiences, along with many others, highlight the work of The Totally Fun Company, which does everything from designing rides to master planning of theme parks to producing shows and building family entertainment centers. We had the privilege of spending some time with Peter Alexander, president of The Totally Fun Company, ...
Written by: Brendan Brehm Thursday, March 1st, 2012 .
When happy hour rolls around you probably don’t head to your local church. But in Portland, Maine, that is exactly where you’ll find some of the best cocktails in town. The only service you’ll find in this church, however, is ... Read More
Written by: admin Wednesday, February 29th, 2012 .
As of today, children living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, now have the opportunity to spend the day living as an adult. Some of you adults out there may be wondering why any kid would want to do such a thing; ... Read More
Written by: admin Tuesday, February 28th, 2012 .
Entertainment designers find inspiration in many other fields besides their own: architecture, science, art, and music are all fair game. In light of this, we’d like to take a look at an architect we wouldn’t call an entertainment designer, but ... Read More
Written by: admin Saturday, February 25th, 2012 .
Do you believe in ghosts? Even if you don’t, you have to admit that they make a good subject for entertainment. There’s something in us that is fascinated by the appearance of otherworldly creatures: especially when they turn out to ... Read More
Written by: admin Friday, February 24th, 2012 .
Tomorrow is opening day for the revamped Blue Man Group show at Universal Orlando Resort. The three charming blue-skinned men first took up residence in Orlando in 2007 as the fifth permanent Blue Man Group show in the United States, ... Read More
Written by: admin Thursday, February 23rd, 2012 .
If you haven’t already, make sure Nashville is on your entertainment radar. We recently told you about a new Dollywood theme park coming to Nashville in 2014, and today we’d like to tell you about another exciting attraction opening this ... Read More
Written by: admin Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012 .
The enormous success of Universal Studios’ Wizarding World of Harry Potter no doubt sent a clear message to Disney. While mega media franchises such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones have served Disney well for many years, it was high ... Read More
Written by: admin Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 .
The V8 Hotel, just in case you were wondering, has nothing to do with the vegetable juice: we’re talking about beefy, eight-cylinder engines. This is a hotel designed for all the car fanatics in Germany, as well as the world ... Read More
Written by: Sasha Rosen Monday, February 20th, 2012 .
Ever wanted to go to a museum where touching the exhibits is actually allowed? At the Exploratorium in San Francisco, children and adults alike are not only allowed to play, create, and interact with exhibits, they are encouraged to do ... Read More
Written by: Brendan Brehm Saturday, February 18th, 2012 .
Ever wondered what it would be like to step inside your favorite TV show? Showtime figured that most people would answer yes to that question and decided to make it possible by creating the Showtime House. This “house” is unique ... Read More
