When you're strolling through SeaWorld Orlando's Halloween Spooktacular this month, you may find yourself wondering who is responsible for all the elaborate, colorful designs. Meet Art Director Ashley Reiner, part of the SeaWorld team for nearly six years. She works with Entertainment Productions, and along with her team, plays a major role in designing visuals for events like Halloween Spooktacular.
Q: How is the Productions team involved with our special events?
A: I am part of an excellent team that oversees all aspects of decor and theming. We work with different departments on the execution of events, as well as coordinating graphics, tent installations, arrangement of plants, props and most everything you see.
Q: How are the visuals designed?
A: We start with the color palette and key visual elements. From there, we create multiple renderings of what we think the event should look like. We think about how everything ties together such as costuming and marketing visuals. This ensures a consistent look and feel across all aspects of an event.
Q: Anything specific we'll see at Spooktacular this year?
A: This year my areas include fall decor in The Waterfront, Sesame Street's Countdown to Halloween Live Musical Stage Show, and Penelope's Party Zone. I designed the overall creative look for the Bayside Stage and graphic elements such as the colorful seaweed artwork. Putting on Halloween Spooktacular is truly a team effort, and we try to help each other out whenever possible to make sure it's a successful event.
Q: What is the best part of your job?
A: Walking around during an event, such as Halloween Spooktacular, and seeing the smiles on the children (and parents) as they enjoy the atmosphere and experience, which I helped bring to life.
