Alfredo Ayala
Discipline: R&D - Theme Park Technology and Animation Company: Walt Disney Imagineering, R&D Learn more about Alfredo
Alfredo Ayala is a true “left brain/right brain” creator. Throughout his 29-year career at the Walt Disney Company, Ayala’s impact has ranged across multiple fields, including creative design; computer-based media and animatronic animation; special effects; new projection techniques; and most recently, bringing Artificial Intelligence (Al) characters to life. Alfredo’s achievements are too numerous to list in full; here are a few samples. Joining Disney in June of 1993 as a technologist/engineer/chemist intern in the lmagineering R&D organization, Alfredo found his work falling into two broad categories: 1) Animation, and 2) Everything Else. He first developed new, longerlasting, more realistic synthetic skin materials for Disney’s Audio-Animatronics characters. He introduced breakthrough methods to program animatronic characters without the use of complicated sliders and buttons, allowing more intuitive, natural movement. He developed figures that used computer intelligence to read audience expressions and respond appropriately. Alfredo designed the animation pipeline for “Cars Land” at Disney California Adventure and programmed the “car dance” pattern of “Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters.” He delivered the animation for the most complex animatronic face ever built; the Shaman animatronic in “Na’vi River Journey”, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Most recently, Alfredo helped create the Al animation of characters at the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience at Walt Disney World, and he is also a co-inventor of the interactive “Lightsaber Training Experience” there. In the “Everything Else” category, Alfredo pioneered new imaging and special effects technologies around the parks. He created the optical imaging system for “Mission: SPACE” at EPCOT, which provides guests colorful space vistas with tremendous depth. Alfredo helped pioneer Interactive-Floor surfaces, allowing guests to literally “step into” attractions. He pioneered the use of advanced projection effects to create the “launch” environments for Space Mountain, and to bring the Ghost Bride at Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion to life. He was the technical lead on the THEA award winning “Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure” at EPCOT and was the lead optical designer for the digital refresh of “Soarin’ over California” at Disney California Adventure. Alfredo holds 17 patents and is widely honored inside and outside of Disney. He was honored with the Prestigious “Norman Lear IMAGEN Creative Achievement Award,” as well as the “CNET en Español. List of the 20 most Influential Latinos in Technology” Award. Most recently, Alfredo has been featured on the Disney+ streaming series, “One Day at Disney”. He is especially interested in reaching diverse next-generation creatives and technologists from communities that have not had as much exposure in the past. Alfredo Ayala is a true Master of his Craft. Takayasu Fujita Kimura
Discipline: Rockwork Sculpting / Design Company: Walt Disney Imagineering Learn More About Takayasu
For more than 20 years, Takayasu Fujita-san has been an amazingly talented and hardworking member of our industry, not just in the themed environments such as rockwork design and creation but as a renowned artist and wood sculptor from Japan. Takayasu-san has greatly contributed to the success of numerous world-class projects around the globe as a mentor, sculptor and art director. Starting his themed environment career on Mt. Prometheus at Tokyo DisneySea as a rockwork field art director, he continued to excel and develop his reputation as one of the most respected and sought-after professionals in the business. In addition to his immense gift as a sculptor, Takayasu-san played a major role in developing the talent base for the Shanghai Disney Resort rockwork scope, one of the largest undertakings in the history of building Disney theme parks. With his quiet and humble manner, Takayasu-san has trained and led artisans for more than two decades globally. Over the years his impressive portfolio includes monumental figures created with steel and sculpted cement for Dubai Land, UAE; treehouses at Hong Kong and Tokyo Disneyland; floating mountains at Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida; Cars Land at Disney California Adventure; Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland; and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan — just to mention a few. In addition to helping to create world-class projects, Takayasu-san also creates and exhibits regularly throughout Japan his beautifully delicate “Hina Dolls” which are stylized wood sculptures treasured in the Japanese culture. His diversity in talent and scope is remarkable! Fujita-san is currently working on the Fantasy Springs expansion for Tokyo Disney Resort as the rockwork field art director for the Never Land attraction. In addition to that, Fujita-san is one of the carefully selected figurative sculptors who will be creating dozens of sculptural interpretations of Disney characters incorporated into the landscape. We are excited and honored to welcome Takayasu-san into our esteemed community of Masters of Their Crafts. David Willrich
Discipline: Technical Systems / Audio Visual & Multimedia Company: DJW (aka D J Willrich, LTD) Learn More About david
Nominated in 2020 (by 2 different nominators and multiple endorsers) Bio and Nomination Justification: For over 3 decades as the founder of DJW, David has personally been responsible for working with clients to design and develop the audio-visual multimedia integrated systems that match their needs and aspirations to create memorable, immersive, and engaging guest experiences all over the world. David and the DJW team’s body of work includes: hotels, museums, visitor centers, theme parks, and attractions. He and his fellow directors at DJW lead a multidisciplinary team all from their headquarters in the New Forest in Hampshire in the UK. David has served both as the TEA’s International President (2017, 2018) and President of the EMEA Division (2015/2016) as well as being on the TEA International Board and the TEA EME Board and co-chairing SATE Europe and SATE Asia many times. David has inspired many newcomers to take on more active roles in the TEA and has helped them connect to others in the industry. AS TEA President, David always made himself available to the members at large and demonstrated time and time again that he genuinely cared about them. Many credit David with being their role model for someone successfully in the themed entertainment industry coming from Europe. David is a master at using his enthusiasm for technology to deliver novel solutions, but never at the expense of the quality of the overall experience. Throughout his long career, David has built a reputation as a strong collaborator and colleague who works exceptionally well with all members of the project team. As an industry leader David has worked the following notable projects:
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Phil Bloom
Discipline: Designer of Themed Rides and Guest Experiences Company: American Scenic Learn More About Phil
Philip Bloom has created an innovative process of design in which story treatments are developed into the most integrated, immersive and progressive themed attractions anywhere. An industry veteran of Walt Disney Imagineering and Universal Creative, Mr. Bloom established American Scenic Design Inc. (ASDI) to provide design and consulting services for theme parks, museums, guest experience venues and location based entertainment developments. Known for its expertise in the creation and design of themed rides, ASDI also specializes in attraction design, show set design and exhibit design. Notable Projects include Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Ratatouille: The Ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Transformers: the Ride 3D and the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. Desireé Soto-Vaughn
Discipline: Art Direction, Design, & Show Quality Company: Meow Wolf Learn More AbouT DESIREÉ
Desireé Soto-Vaughn is more than just a figure finisher, designer, and art director. She’s a “secret weapon” that show teams are lucky to have on any project. She is intensely intuitive and often speaks quietly to herself about the tasks at hand: thinking through the best approach, the most artful decisions, and keeping a careful eye on schedule and budget. Soft-spoken and kind, Desireé is an artistic soul, a hard worker, and a nurturing teammate. Soto-Vaughn has worked in the themed entertainment industry for many years, starting as a Figure Finisher and Field Art Director at Walt Disney Imagineering in the 1980s and 90s. There she mastered the delicate specialty of bringing well-known animated characters to life in the physical world, respecting the official models while delivering specific, storytelling poses. In the late 90s and 2000s, Soto-Vaughn moved to Universal Creative, where she worked with an all-new aesthetic as Art Director of Animated Figures and Props for Men In Black: Alien Attack. Later she was an Art Director on the Universal Studios Singapore project, where she supervised the US-based sculpting and figure finishing of all the figures for the Madagascar Boat Ride. Desiree joined the team in Singapore and helped with overseeing installation of the ride and retail store displays that included sculpted DreamWorks Madagascar characters. These were done especially well, and are part of the charm of the ride and the stores. Working with construction teams as a woman in Asia can be challenging, but the local contractors respected her and appreciated her guidance. This is a testament to her creative skills, but also as a manager, a communicator and a human being. Desireé has also worked on a number of independent projects in Asia, including Imagica in Mumbai India, and Art Director for Chimelong Ocean Kingdom projects. This time period was 2014-2017. Soto-Vaughn returned to Disney in 2017, to Art Direct the Hong Kong Disneyland ‘Iron Man Experience.” She continued to work in both Glendale and WDI Asia Ltd. for the Frozen Ever After and Oaken’s Sliding Sleigh Ride, Desireé provided art direction, production, installation and integration of all show elements.Desireé is a longtime mentor and is happy to share and teach what she knows to all who wish to learn from her. For all these reasons — her skills and talent, her vast experience in the US and Asia, and her abilities to mentor — Desireé Soto-Vaughn is proudly submitted as a TEA Master for 2022. |