For our final event of the semester TEA@USC is excited to welcome an incredible panel of speakers from Thinkwell. Join us for a discussion on the ways themed entertainment reaches far beyond the gates of a theme park and how it can continue to expand into other industries through working with non-traditional players.

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Journey into new portals with TEA@USC as we welcome the minds behind revolutionary immersive experience company Meow Wolf. Join us with Co-CEO Ali Rubenstien, Advisor to the CEO Jim Ward, and founders Emily Montoya and Matt King for an inside look into the history, evolution, and future of the company as they discuss how a social impact art project can fuel a business.

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The Third Floor is one of the world’s leading visualization studios known for their work on films such as Captain America: Civil War, Rogue One, and Gravity, as well as themed attractions like Fast and Furious: Supercharged and Escape from Gringotts. Join us with The Third Floor’s New Business representative Johanna Atilano and Vice President Dane Smith to discuss innovation in design for film & TV, games, virtual reality, and themed entertainment – and to explore how all of these different worlds intersect.

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In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, join us in conversation with Elisabete Erlandson, Doris Hardoon, Jennifer Kwoon, and Paige Woodward Scheier – four women leading the way in themed entertainment. Each will discuss their unique experiences, as well as the importance of representation and intersectionality for women in the themed entertainment field.

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Join us on Saturday 2/13 at 1pm for our second industry chat of the semester with Brandi Creason and Jamie Bartkowicz. These meetings are a great opportunity to talk to industry professionals and get advice in a casual, intimate setting. Jamie has spent the last 5 years working at Universal Studios Hollywood as part of the Entertainment Production Department. During her time there, she has worked on the Art & Design team for various projects, from seasonal events to park decor. However, Halloween was an everyday affair since her primary role was working on creating Halloween Horror Nights year round. Brandi has been in the film, television, and themed entertainment industries for over 27 years, including being a Production Designer for Universal Studios Hollywood’s Entertainment Department, with her lead focus working on the very popular, Halloween Horror Nights. Together they recently started and began teaching at The Essential Art Department.

Join us this Saturday 2/6 at 1pm for our first industry chat of the semester! These meetings are a great opportunity to talk to industry professionals and get advice in a casual, intimate setting. This week we'll be meeting with Show Writer and Experience Designer Stacy Barton. For the past twenty years she's specialized in story development for themed experiences, including major projects for Disney, SeaWorld, Ringling Bros. and others around the world. In addition to themed entertainment, she's also the published author of four books of fiction and poetry, five children's picture books, and 30+ magazine publications. Link will be sent on Slack.

Join us as we welcome Walt Disney Imagineering’s Scott Trowbridge, Margaret Kerrison, and John Larena for a special behind the scenes panel diving into the creation of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and its revolutionary attraction Star Wars:Rise of the Resistance.

When: January 28th, 6:30pm

Register to virtually attend here

Hear from USC Architecture alumni Phil Bloom, the Ride Guru himself, on how architecture and themed entertainment mix to design the amazing rides you see at parks such as Disney and Universal. As a designer on some of the world’s great themed rides - The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Transformers, Ratatouille Rise of the Resistance, and so many more, Bloom has extensive experience and knowledge of the industry to share. Join us in this interactive panel on Thursday, November 5th at 7pm PST and come prepared with questions as this panel will feature a strong Q+A session.

November 5th 7:00pm

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What’s the best way to organize a creative team? How did they do things back in Walt’s day, and how are today’s creative companies different? On 10/29, The Bezark Company will present “The Creative Tree,” a fast-paced exploration of the roles and structures of creative projects. We’ll present individual stories from our team members, as well as advice for students about how to build a career within this ever-changing industry.

Join TEA@USC and Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights Creative Director and Executive Producer John Murdy for a conversation celebrating the haunt industry, as we dive into his process of creating terrifying Halloween attractions.

*Open to public, but registration required*

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Join Executive Producer Seth Cover, Creative Director Courtney Kleinman, and Creative Director Samual Lundquist for a candid conversation moderated by Fri Forjindam on what it means to pursue a rewarding and passionate career in themed entertainment through the lens of creative failures, wins, lessons learned and what to invest in now to set yourself up for success.

Register here!

OPEN TO CURRENT USC STUDENTS AND FACULTY ONLY*

Join us Thursday, September 17th at 7pm PST as we hear from recent college graduates who have been successful in making their way into the Themed Entertainment Industry including working at WDI and Disney Parks Live Entertainment. Listen to them as they give advice on what to expect, things you can be doing while you’re still in school, and what they have found to be successful so far.

Featured Panelist:

Alex Kwok, Associate Ride Control Hardware Engineer-Imagineering

Kenya Collins, Associate Project Engineer, Imagineering

Marcel Santos, Art & Design Director-Disney Parks Live Entertainment

Stephen Claiborne, Associate Illusion Integrator- Imagineering

Join Worldbuildr Founder and CEO Michael Libby as he joins us for a conversation about his path into themed entertainment and how he created Worldbuildr. The company uses new, state-of-the-art digital tools like virtual reality and real-time game engines to revolutionize the design and production process for all types of immersive experiences, allowing designers to visualize ideas early, mitigate risk, and detect unforeseen problems earlier in the design process than previously thought possible.

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TEA@USC is excited to celebrate 65 years of theme park evolution with a special panel featuring Tom Morris and Disney legend Tony Baxter! Tom Morris, the Disneyland Historian himself, worked in Imagineering as a Creative Executive until his retirement in 2016 and worked on the creation of EPCOT, the design of Disneyland Paris’ Hotel, and many more projects during his near 37 year career at Disney. Tony Baxter, a Disney Legend, served as senior vice president of creative development for Imagineering until his retirement in 2013, having created iconic attractions such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Star Tours, Splash Mountain, The Indiana Jones Adventure, and Journey Into Imagination. Join TEA@USC (virtually) in listening to this iconic duo discuss theme park design in the past, it’s evolution to the present, and the endless possibilities of its future as we kick off the new school year virtually! We can’t wait to “see” you there!

When: August 20th 7:00pm (PST) Registration Closed

TEA@USC is thrilled to announce that we will be partnering with Midsummer Scream to produce There in Spirit, a day-long online event celebrating the start of the Halloween season featuring panels and discussions with leaders of the haunt industry! Running from 11am to 7pm on Saturday, August 1st, the daylong event is free to the public and streamed on YouTube and Facebook. We are excited to present a series of educational panels giving a behind the scenes look into haunts and other Halloween-themed attractions. This programming will run alongside Midsummer Scream’s livestream, allowing viewers the option to watch one “channel” or the other during the day.

Midsummer Scream is an annual convention that draws thousands of horror enthusiasts to the Long Beach Convention Center every summer. While COVID-19 means the event can no longer be held in person, we can still connect with the haunt industry “in spirit.”

Featured presenters and programming partners along with a full schedule, will be kept updated at midsummerscream.org/live