Artwork for the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit multi-media roller coaster at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Illustrations fill the entire queue and animated characters appear on giant screens throughout the attraction.

Right out of art school I landed my first job with Universal Creative. I was hired for my then unique illustration style to create the visual identity of the Rip Ride Rockit. The facades of the attraction were doused in energetic ink sketches, splattered colors, and moire patterns. I designed 5 characters, each styled to identify with their respective genres of music (rock, pop, hip hop, electronic, & country). They were animated and displayed across a variety of screens throughout the queue, made to hype the passengers and provide instructions on safety and how to operate the onboard media controls.

I was introduced to working in a variety of unique formats and production pipelines alongside visual artists, architects, and mechanical engineers. I created storyboards and key frames to support the animators, promotional visuals and assets for advertising, and even created the sequence of lighting FX for the LED EQ panels on the exterior of the cars.

While the attraction had a great 15 year run (2009 - 2024), I will never forget the experience and the amazing team I worked with. How many people get to say they took part in designing a rollercoaster for Universal Studios right out of college?