MouseStation 81 – Imagineer Alex Wright
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Featured Topic – Imagineer Alex Wright
This week, we’ve got an interview that Mark did with Imagineer Alex Wright,
who he first interviewed back on Episode
7.
Alex is the show set designer for the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. The attraction
originally had a sneak preview for guests, was closed for retooling, had a
press preview, was retooled again, and finally opened officially in April.
The retooling was based on reactions during the previews.
The changes largely increase the audience’s chance to participate with the
cast of monsters. The differences in how the monsters view our world is fun
for people because it highlights the difference between the monster world
and the human world.
Early on, the audience wasn’t always ready for the type of show that they
would be experiencing, while the changes do a much better job of maintaining
the energy that the audience brings with them and setting their expectations
for what would be coming with the show.
Each monster has many people who help them with the many shows that they
perform. (wink wink)
From Alex’s Imagineer’s-eye view, the things to watch out for is the fact
that you’re transitioning between the human world and the monster world, and
that you should be prepared to talk to the monsters because you never know
when the monsters are going to talk to you.
Since Monsters opened, Alex has had the opportunity to work on the Haunted
Mansion renovations, assisting with show set installation. He has also spent
a lot of time working on a new exhibit for Innoventions that will open early
next year. He’s now working with the California installation team on developing
show set sketches and designs for last-minute changes that are going in. He
can’t discuss what’s going on, other than the fact that he’s working on it.
In the Haunted Mansion, he worked on the grand staircase scene and the stretching
room. Mark noted that he had actually had a stretching room full of first-timers
the night before, and they had actually started screaming before the recorded
scream.
Alex is also the author of the popular series of Imagineering Field Guides.
Alex Wright is also the author of the series of Imagineering Field Guides.
Cover artwork © Disney.
