Creative Direction, former Disney Imagineer, Chick Russell, Executive Producer and Creative Director at Chick Russell & Company, former Disney Imagineer, Van Romans, President of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, former Executive Director, Cultural Affairs, Walt Disney Imagineering, Tim Steinouer, Creative Producer at Steinouer Creative, former partner at Design Island, Nancy Seruto, Owner of Seruto LLC, former Disney Imagineer, John Beckman, Director, Exhibit Design and Production at Adler Planetarium, former Director of Exhibit Design and Development at MSI, Chicago, Kurt Haunfelner, Senior Vice President for Exhibitions at California Science Center, formerly Vice President of Exhibits and Collections at MSI, Chicago. BW: Seeing the parks with people in them and seeing the way that people love the parkswhether its their first visit, their 10th visit, or their 100th visitis so inspiring to me and to all people who work or have worked in Imagineering. He is a producer and director, known for Georgia (1988), Pure S (1975) and Heartbreakers (1984). And it had a huge impact. The idea of immersing people into a story goes back thousands of years, but because I spent so many years at Disney, I like to point to Walt Disneys invention of Disneyland. And it was a joy to work with Leslie [Iwerks] on her documentary about Imagineering [The Imagineering Story, streaming on Disney+]. The During the previous two years, Robert Chapek has sold products at the Walt Disney Company valued at an estimated $6.66 million. During his tenure, Weis was instrumental in bringing about many areas and attractions known around the world today. We were so cooped up in our homes, alone and face to face with screens that we are craving interaction with other people, and we are craving new experiences that are different than what were used to. original park had not resonated with audiences as well as we hoped, so I was The Tokyo group was much smaller, because most of the work was going to be done in Japan. I may even find some time to just go down and walk around Disneyland once in a while.. As of 2022, Bob Weiss's net worth is $100,000 - $1M. Under her Seruto & Company moniker, she would collaborate on four museum projects with Weis. The closest we got to civilization was a rental car that a crew member drove out to camp each night, full of replacement batteries for the equipment and a satellite phone. Gensler has appointed Bob Weis as global immersive experience design leader. Amazon Voice Assistant is Finally Being Installed at Disney World Hotels. Im also passionate about doing things that are closer to peoples everyday lives, and theres no other place I can realize that passion than at Gensler. Many design fields think in this way: First, orchestrate the movement of people and ideas through the story and that will give you all the keys you need to design the physical space. was my introduction to Bob, he says. Remember to sign in or join D23 today to enjoy endless Disney magic! He is responsible for furthering Imagineering's vision and developing and delivering extraordinary products and experiences that enhance the emotional connection to the Disney brand. Hes very fluid. And today, with the recent additions of Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxys Edge, Disneys Hollywood Studios is truly a peer to the other parks at Walt Disney World. 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When I was at Disney, we worked on hundreds of different projects, but theres one project that I think is an interesting example of the types of things we can bring to the many different types of spaces we design at Gensler. He's a maker and movie director, known for Georgia (1988), Pure S (1975) and Heartbreakers (1984). He joined Walt Disney Imagineering, then called WED Enterprises, in 1980, soon after graduating college, and within eight months had relocated to Japan as part of the WED team creating Tokyo Disneyland. Bob Weis, former president of Walt Disney Imagineering, has accepted a position with Gensler, a California-based architecture and design firm. While studying architecture at California Polytechnic University in Pomona, he worked in Disneyland Park as a cast member selling popcorn and ice cream and absorbing everything going on around him. Bob had to have massive oversight of the art direction, media, coordinating. He was adroit with working with management, instead of bowing to it. Weis would prove a trailblazer with his approach to ACTION! There was a portion on cattle raising and a part on the oil and gas business. It turns out that one of the studio liaisons on ACTION! You are impacting how the conflict is resolved or how the art piece is accomplished. Steinouer would up joining Weis at Design Island (now Steinouer Creative), eventually taking its reins in 2007, after Disney recruited Weis back into the fold to lead the reboot of the Disney California Adventure park. nathan redmond mother. The Florida theme park showcased a behind-the-scenes look at the making of television and movies in a fictionalized setting reminiscent of old Hollywood. But we shouldnt give all the credit to the pandemic. Related: Legendary Disney Imagineer Retiring After 42 Years. We learned so much at WDI. what happens when the marshals came to your house / peroneal nerve entrapment / POST Theres plenty in there that Marty wrote, and theres plenty of references to Walts philosophy in his first decade in this business. This is why Gensler is so important in the development of immersive experiences. Taking a child to a childrens hospital for anything is probably the most traumatic moment for that child and very likely for that childs parents. We had planned on exhibiting it in an Africa pavilion. And it gave me a great understanding Hes able to provoke with properly timed and valuable what if?, Bob had gone through the Hollywood Studios park and Disneys America, so Imagineers had seen him lead large projects built on strong ideas, but he felt that he was moving away from being down in the trenches, says Rick Rothschild, who had worked at Imagineering with Weis on envisioning the US history theme park. I have huge admiration for [The Walt Disney Company CEO] Bob Chapek for marching ahead [with us] and believing in the projects that Imagineering does and that the audience would be there [when the pandemic eased]. The firm does business in hundreds of cities all over the world and across 29 different practice areas. Braden has been a Disney fan from the word go, and if not in the parks with his wife and family, can often be found doing things to incorporate Disney in the day to day, whether that be painting, trying out park recipes at home, or collecting the odd Disney antique! There was always an exchange of ideas. inspiration to generations of families and friends. Theres this level of everyone being equal, no matter their experience or position. back you can see the things the way you saw them before. During his time at Disney, Bob led more than 200 major projects around the world with a capital value of more than $30 billion. Visionary companies are seeking to create new experiences in the spaces they design with Gensler because they know that this is what people are yearning for as we interact with the world around us. That led us to come up with a park that would be linked by various ports of call around the world, which became the concept for Tokyo DisneySea. He would be putting real people in real places with real actors playing characters that would interact with the guests. Bob is incredible at pitching ideas. It laid the groundwork for many popular exhibitions, including Weiss subsequent CSI exhibit. Throughout the development and construction process, Weis and his team managed to bring the experience into the 21st century, while maintaining the historical integrity of the structure. This allows us to bring you the most interesting, entertaining, and unique entertainment experiences, covering theme parks, movies, TV, video games, and special events. Sklar left behind a massive collection of Disney artifacts and memorabilia that Weis has been reviewing with a team of specialists. Seruto recalled her first meeting with Weis. https://t.co/oJ3p2gKnyE, Gensler (@gensler_design) January 12, 2023. It really was a great way to learn from Disneyland. talented people in the world who bring their unique backgrounds and diverse In his mind, if you loved these things, it would be very hard for you to neglect them in your mind and heart. managing the process of translating our design intentions for our collaborator, DETAILS BELOW Bob Weiss (born May 7, 1942) is famous for being basketball coach. was my first big museum project with Bob, says Jen Bressler of Hunt Design, another long-term collaborator of Weiss. This is what visionary companies are seeking, and what we all are yearning for as we interact with the world around us. Working on the CSI exhibit evoked another family connection for Seruto. teams and include local writers, artists, craftspeople, fabricators and many As President of Walt Disney Imagineering, Seruto says, Bob brings three key traits that will help the company grow into the future: Vision for where the company can go, of its total potential and with clear insight on how it can and should adapt to meet the challenges of a complex and changing world. The firm does business in hundreds of cities all over the world and across 29 different practice areas. got to know and trust each other, which was key to making this project work. As a connoisseur of American history, Weis had worked on several military-themed projects. From the U.S. to Shanghai, Tokyo to Paris, Weis design and storytelling imprint has been indelibly left on theme parks, attractions and rides, resorts, and cruise ships. Former President of Walt Disney Imagineering Bob Weis is joining Gensler as Global Immersive Experience Design Leader! And Transparency Statement. Bob Weis President Walt Disney Imagineering Bob Weis is the president of Walt Disney Imagineeringthe creative, design and delivery arm of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. When the exhibit ended its run, I encouraged Disney to donate the entire collection to the Smithsonians National Museum of African Art.. Subsequent assignments included creative leadership on Disneys Hollywood Studios (at the time, Disney-MGM Studios), Tokyo DisneySea, and the reimagining of Disney California Adventure. I was always evolving and moving forward. Bob Weis is a storyteller. Weve also discovered that there are certain things that work across the globe that people want to do together. D23: In your farewell email, you wrote that Imagineering still reflects [Walt Disneys] creative energy, his storytelling, his belief in talent and collaboration, and his passion for always moving forward. Can you talk a bit more about how Imagineering remains driven by the spirit and imagination that Walt Disney established? The most emotional time for any Imagineer is when you when you stand out front when something opens and you see the fans come in for the first time and hear their reaction for the first time. Learn how your comment data is processed. An Adventure in Movie Making for the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Serving most recently as Global Imagineering Ambassador and before that as president of the organization, Bob cemented his legacy as a leader and creative force - helping to bring to fruition countless attractions, lands, resort hotels, cruise ships, and . He takes his work seriously, but also has an amazing sense of humor dry, insightful and super funny that comes out when you least expect it and always comes from a place of keen observation. This year, Weis took on the Global Imagineering Ambassador role which was once held by a mentor of his, Disney Legend and former Imagineering president Marty Sklar. The second part of the exhibit was a soundstage letting guests be the cast and crew of their own film that they would make., Guests would produce a trailer for an adventure film. Mr Chapek's total remuneration from the Walt Disney Company as CEO and director is $3,122,027. Another example of modern technology mixing with history, the Top of the Rock experience was multifaceted with a small gallery, a multimedia walk across a construction beam with a 1930s landscape projected below, and a 60-person three-screen theater showing a rotating selection of three films directed by Weis on the famous Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, Tom Brokaw speaking on the history of news broadcasting at Rockefeller Center, and David Rockefeller on the development and history of the complex. This is what successful experiences can become. I have close friends who have worked with Bob and they all say something similar a class act, a pleasure to work for, a humble leader who mentors and empowers his team, someone who takes risksa visionary guy! Ive never heard a negative word about Bob. You would come up with something unique, and then be encouraged to do more. What is more surprising is Weiss decision to come out of retirement for the job. He is best known for his Disney projects most recently his leadership roles on the Disney California Adventure and Shanghai Disneyland parks. Shame that Disney chased Bob away by forcing Imagineering to move to politically backwards Florida. When Bob came down to Fort Worth, we were in the middle of working on this forensics exhibit, says Romans. It all comes back to the three things I talked about earlier. When I joined Disney, work was ramping up on two major projects: EPCOT in Florida and Tokyo Disneyland. Early in my career I was also able to do projects in Tokyo, China, Europe, and other places, and that made me realize that culturally theres a lot of shared interest in what we expect of our spaces. Throughout the experience, actual forensic investigators appeared on screen. Its the next step. You are impacting how the conflict is resolved or how the art piece is accomplished. The firm already has such an incredible commitment to the cultural vibrancy of cities and the places where we live, work, and play. Ill continue writing my book for Disney Publishing on the Marty Sklar Archives, and I am developing a screenplay for Walt Disney Studios.. We had to come up with over twelve hours of audio and six hours of video. Read the whole interview with Weis on Gensler.com. He cared about the environment so his goal was to create a TV show that would make people love the ocean and the ocean creatures. It was very informative to my urban planning and architectural studies, because when you stand out on the street throughout the day, you see behavior; you see how people use the park spaces of Disneyland and how it changes throughout the day and through the cycle of the seasons. 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