Urban Glam

This is the final project for my first sketching class. The assignment was to sketch a hotel suite in a style of our choosing. This is titled Urban Glam. I originally intended to have a Damask bedding and a Damask pattern in the ceiling of the seating are, but I lacked the skills at the time to sketch it. The Audrey Hepburn graphics shown are intended to be large panels that can be moved to open up or separate the two spaces. *The pictures of Audrey Hepburn and the picture on the wall in the seating area are based on work I found on the internet. They are not my original work and I make no claims to them. I simply used them for a student project. I would love to show sources, but these pieces have been misrepresented by so many other bloggers and sites I can not determine who the actual creators are, but I applaud them for their work.

Early Sketches

Here is some more of my work in my first sketching class. You can see a bit of a transition through the class from the black and white tiled kitchen (one of the first) to the living rooms and bedroom which came later. Some of them are a bit "muddy" because I tend to be a bit heavy handed and hadn't mastered it yet. I also was trying to show value since we weren't using color but it comes out looking to grey or "muddy" as my instructor, Cory, would say.

Additional Early Furniture Sketches

After posting the daybed I found these scans of the rest of the furniture I sketched that same week. Again, these are just preliminaries with construction lines, and some of the angles are slightly skewed. You may also notice things appearing slightly off on some of this earlier work because I did not have a scanner. I took pictures using my camera phone so it may be angled a bit rather than a flat scan, and the quality isn't the greatest.

One of my first perspective sketches

When I first went to sketching class I couldn't even draw a cube correctly. My teacher, Cory Golab, had the patience of a saint. Now I can draw and render in perspective with confidence :) This is one of my first furniture sketches when perspective was just starting to click for me. There are a few things that are off, like the lines on the right are not straight, and the shadowing could be better but hey for a beginner I don't think it's too bad. This is based on the daybed sold in Ikea stores. The picture on their website shows it angled from the front, but I thought I'd challenge myself and try sketching it from another angle. This was still just a preliminary so you can see all the construction lines underneath, but I still think it looks kind of neat that way.

Fundraising Ideas

This is a paper I wrote about a year ago for my English Composition class....

Imagineering

It is one of my greatest ambitions to become a Walt Disney Imagineer. The Imagineers are an ingenious group of creative people who develop and execute ideas for the Walt Disney Company. The Imagineers were originally known as WED (Walter Elias Disney) Enterprises and were founded in 1952 by Walt Disney himself. The term “Imagineering” was used by another company, Alcoa, in the 1940s until Walt picked it up in the mid 1950s. The term “Imagineer” is a portmanteau of “imagination” and “engineering” – the basic characteristics of the Imagineer job position.

Imagineers include engineers, producers, lighting designers, sketch artists, writers, play-writes, architects, illustrators, sculptors, graphic designers, and interior designers. According to wikipedia.com, over 140 different job titles fall under the banner of Imagineering. Imagineers design Disney cruise ships, theme park attractions, resorts, restaurants, stores, and much more. The Imagineer headquarters is in Glendale, California, where most of the Imagineers work, however Imagineers are also needed at Disney locations across the world.

Walt Disney Imagineering holds over 115 patents for rides, technology, entertainment, fiber optics, and special effects. They are most famous for their use of Animatronics. Although this isn't necessarily the field I want to go into, I can envision myself designing amazing attractions in collaboration with the Animatronic Imagineers.

Disney Imagineering is also famous for it's ability to tell a story. Everything they design visually tells a story and sets a mood. It's a very immersive experience, as if the visitor is actually one of the characters in the story. The Imagineers call this “The Art of the Show.” They design everything to be part of the experience from the character costumes and names of the items on the menus to the smell of freshly baked cookies as you walk down Main Street, U.S.A. Absolutely every detail is considered. I am a very detail-oriented person, and I love that kind of stuff.

Every year Walt Disney Imagineering hosts a design competition called “Imaginations.” This gives college students a chance to present their ideas and projects to a panel consisting of Walt Disney Imagineering executives. They get to showcase their work and gain insight on what it takes to become an Imagineer. All of the finalist win a trip to the Imagineering headquarters in Glendale, California and the chance to get an interview for a possible paid internship at Disney Imagineering.

After many hours of doing research on Imagineers I still do not have a clear picture of the qualifications necessary to be an Imagineer. One website claimed you have to have a Master's degree in your field, but other websites disputed. They also gave dozens of clear examples of current and former Imagineers with little or no formal education. Disney gives no official information on qualifications necessary for becoming an Imagineer. Instead they simply list information on what an Imagineer is and give examples of Imagineering creations.

I guess the best way to understand what is necessary to become an Imagineer is to find out what current and former Imagineers say worked for them. Doug Wolf, a Project Manager Imagineer, said, “Dream and pursue your imagination and goals. Do anything that stirs your creativity – read, write, draw, observe, and travel. Learn what you enjoy and excel at, whether it be model-building, drawing, writing, or construction. See if there's a fit. Most likely there is since Imagineering encompasses almost everything imaginable. But above all, enjoy what path your life travels and learn from each experience.” Joe Lanzisero, Senior Concept Designer, said, “Become a student of life.” Larry Nikolai, Show Design Imagineer, said, “Don't give up. If you really want to be part of Imagineering you will naturally keep growing while practicing and expanding your knowledge. Wander far and wide in your quest for experience. Don't just limit it to what you perceive as the world of Disney. Imagineering is always growing, too. It is always looking for new realms, styles, and possibilities.” My favorite advice was from Mark Rhodes, Show Writer Imagineer, “Beg, whine, and plead.”

Basically when it comes down to it, the single most important qualification necessary for becoming an Imagineer is creativity. I've got plenty of that. I would love designing hotels, rides, and shops in the Disney theme parks.

Disney has brought both tears of sadness and of joy to my eyes over the years. Now, with the addition of Pixar, Disney still manages to bring out my inner child. I've wanted to be an Interior Designer from the time I was very small. I had more fun arranging the furniture in my dollhouse or building things with legos than I did actually playing with the dolls or the lego people. I also have always loved all things Disney. I watched all of the movies until the VHS tapes wore out. Whenever we went to the shopping mall I would beg and beg to go to the Disney store. It has always been a dream of mine to go to Disneyland or DisneyWorld. Would you believe I've never been to either! Well, that will be remedied soon enough! I am going to be an Imagineer!

I would especially love designing in a more secluded area of DisneyWorld called “Give Kids the World.” Give Kids the World is a branch of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Make-A-Wish helps children with a life-threatening condition by granting them a wish. Some kids choose to meet famous people, firefighters, policemen, etc. Some children like to have one-day experiences where they can be a chef, rock star, etc for a day. Some children wish for computers, a bedroom makeover, or certain kinds of toys. A majority of them, of course, choose a trip to Disney. Give Kids the World is a 70-acre, nonprofit “storybook” village resort where these children and their families stay while visiting Disney through Make-A-Wish. Give Kids the World has over 140 Villa-style accommodations, entertainment attractions, whimsical venues, and fun specifically designed for children with special needs. Every year the Village hosts more than 7,000 children and their families.

My cousin, Tyler, was born with profound special needs. He remains undiagnosed to this day, but he was never able to walk, talk, feed himself, or do many things we take for granted. When he was four years old Make-A-Wish granted him a wish. Since he was unable to choose for himself his parents thought a family trip to DisneyWorld would be the best choice. They had a great time at DisneyWorld and they stayed at Give Kids the World. Only a few months later, Tyler passed away. Give Kids the World and Make-A-Wish provided an unforgettable experience to Tyler's family and to Tyler.

I would love to work with this aspect of Disney because of how Tyler's life impacted me. I want to bring that kind of experience to every special child out there who wouldn't experience these things otherwise. I would love to design interiors within Give Kids the World itself, and also to help make all of the Disney parks, cruises, etc equally accessible and fun to children like Ty.

I have always wanted to work with Disney in one way, shape, or form. I thought of working on one of their cruise ships or moving to Florida or California to work at one of their theme parks. I have applied at their stores in shopping malls, but the timing was never right. Then one day someone mentioned Imagineers to me. It instantly got my attention and I started to look into it. Becoming an Imagineer has been one of my greatest aspirations ever since. I'm going to apply myself very hard in school to learn everything I can and seek out every travel and life experience I can. Some day I will be an Imagineer. Until then, I'll just whistle while I work, put Tinkerbell on everything, and, most importantly, remember to, “Have faith in your dreams and someday, your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.”

Works Cited

“Walt Disney Imagineering.” corporate.disney.go.com, disney.com, n.d. Web. 01 Aug. 2011

“Walt Disney Imagineering.” en.wikipedia.org, wikipedia.org, n.d. Web. 01 Aug. 2011.

“Becoming An Imagineer.” imagineeringorg.wordpress.com, wordpress.com, n..d. Web. 01 Aug. 2011

“About Us.” gktw.org, gktw.org, n.de. Web. 01 Aug. 2011

Greetings

Hello friends, curious former friends, and strangers alike! My name is Megan Summer and I am a future Imagineer. No I don't have any contracts or job offers, and Disney doesn't even know who I am yet, but I know I am destined to be a Disney Imagineer. I still have quite a bit to do before I am ready to attempt applying for the job, so I am inviting you to enjoy the journey with me. This blog will follow me on my journey through school, work, and whatever life decides to throw at me. Along the way I'll share things I find funny, cool, or even just plain weird. I'll also show you some of my artwork as I begin assembling a portfolio worthy enough to be considered by the Disney Imagineers.
Please bear with me as my writing skills are a bit rusty. I'm also a bit along on my journey already so we have some catching up to do. Hopefully I will get it all across to you in a logical, easy to read manner. Well here goes ~ Happy Reading!