I missed experiencing Horizons at EPCOT by just a few months. I’m not sure I would have appreciated it to its fullest if I caught it at the end of its run. Thankfully, through the magic of the internet, I can capture the magic of… Read More »How good was Disney at predicting the future?
As much as anyone Dr. Randy Pausch embodied creativity and technology combined. His work founding and teaching at the Entertainment Technology Center for Carnegie Mellon University, his life long passions, including working for Walt Disney Imagineering, and his emotional “Last Lecture”, in fact a gift for his kids, are good models for us all. So it makes sense that Dr. Ed Catmull, the co-founder of Pixar and current President of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, be awarded the first Randy Paucsh Prize.
Without the leadership and vision of Dr. Ed, Pixar would not exist; without his passion for excellence and creativity, Pixar would not have hit every ball out of the park with a perfect record of films out of the Emeryville Studios. Catmull will give a speech at CMU on September 26th when he receives his award.
My review of the just-released book Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park by Jeff Kurtti is now up at LaughingPlace.com. I really hope you’ll read my review – or at least pretend to. In case you couldn’t tell or… Read More »Shameless Plug: Ken Reviews _Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends_
Ever look at a book cover and know right away you have to add it to your collection? I just had that experience with “Walt Disney’s Legends of Imagineering and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park” by Jeff Kurtti. That’s my grandfather Vic Greene… Read More »New Imagineering History Book for sale
The Walt Disney Company knew they had hit upon a good thing when they invited Dr. Randy Pausch to join their team at Walt Disney Imagineering to help build their virtual reality program. Yes, that’s the same professor who recently died after fighting cancer and… Read More »Disney develops close ties with Carnegie Mellon University
Note: Disney has released this obituary for Harriet Burns. I’ve included it in full here. Harriet Burns, Disney Legend and Veteran Imagineer For More Than 31 Years, Dies at 79 Helped to Create Classic Attractions For Disneyland and 1964 New York World’s Fair Harriet Burns,… Read More »Harriet Burns, Official Disney Obituary
Harriet Burns, Disney Legend and Imagineer has died at age 79. Burns was the first woman ever hired by Walt Disney Imagineering in a creative rather than an office capacity. Her role as an attraction and product designer for Walt Disney Imagineering laid a path… Read More »Harriet Burns, Disney Legend and Imagineer has died at age 79
If you weren’t lucky enough to attend Jeff Kurtti’s session at this summer’s NFFC Convention, then LaughingPlace.com has your best chance to see a preview of the Walt Disney Family Museum. It’s great that Jeff was there to provide this sneak peek, but the death… Read More »Walt Disney Family Museum Preview