Dave Upton is a theatrical lighting designer with a pretty cool entry on his résumé: He was an assistant on the light effects design for the Revenge of the Mummy ride at Universal Studios in Singapore.
Are there any similarities between roller coasters and theater? It’s all about storytelling. There’s an art director who has put together the storyline, and you have to support what they’re trying to tell. That’s the basis of every theater show, as well.
How did you get involved with the theme park?I was the associate for Eric Haugen, who was the lighting designer on the Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios in Singapore. [Haugen] knew me from my work in Florida. It’s the craziest process, because you have to work around moving roller coasters and automation pieces. You have to think of how to light things in a less-than-ideal situation, then you have to plan on the attraction running 20 years or longer. You don’t want to put in a lot of equipment that will wear out in a short amount of time. It was really interesting to figure out your space and coordinate other disciplines. Once I was in Singapore it was crazy, because they had never built anything like that. The guys they
Leave a Reply