CHRISTOPHER STAPLETON Creative Producer, Experience Architect & Design Research Director

As Creative Producer for premiere destinations, I mount one-of-a-kind attractions integrating architecture, live performances and interactive virtual worlds for use in entertainment, education and social media customer experience (CX). I lead projects from concept through to opening with budgets ranging up to $150 million within billion dollar destinations. Under my creative direction, I facilitate transdisciplinary collaborative teams of designers, game developers, architects, engineers, fabricators, estimators, schedulers, operators and maintenance teams.

As Experience Architect, I develop novel place-making and guest experiences from Broadway, filmmaking, theme parks, playgrounds and virtual games to define a competitive edge for global media technology brands. I blend artistic expression with emerging technology of Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) to create compelling immersive stories and games to enhance destinations for international audiences of Leisure & Entertainment, Education & Recreation Art & Culture, Dining and Retail, Health & Hospitality, Conferences & Tourism.

As Design Research Director, I initiate technology transfer projects for social entrepreneurs advancing simulation technology, techniques and talent for the worlds pervasive problems. I serve as an Innovation Broker for global media and technology brands such as Canon Inc. IBM, MGM and Nickelodeon.

PROFESSIONAL ROLES

SIMIOSYS

2007- Present: Design Research Director (2007-Present), Directed creative development teams to research, design, test, produce, install and launch premiere international products and experience venues.

• Space Florida. (Orlando, FL): Principal Investigator for StoryTroves, design research for Virtual Immersion Therapy (VIT) and addressing isolation with astronauts in deep space exploration.

• Canon Inc. (Tokyo NYC): Project Direction of Canon Inc advanced innovation partnership program to define and engage emerging vertical markets for diverse Mixed Reality enterprise solutions.

• NASA:  Experience Architect for experiential learning landscapes with novel VR & Augmented Reality User Interfaces (UI) to teach innovation skills and reignite the dream of space exploration.

• National Science Foundation: Project Research Director to innovate computer User Interface (UI) technology and learning strategies to enhance social learning behavior.

• US Department of Education:  Product Development of Virtual Classrooms for teacher training for classroom management in urban schools with the Haberman Educational Foundation.

1988-2015 Experience Designer & Creative Producer, Experiential Entertainment, Worldwide, served as creative principal for large-scale theme park & informal education destinations.

• Legend Cultural Development Ltd (Beijing): Directed Creative Development of entertainment attractions for Chinese Cultural Heritage Sites with Adirondack Scenic Studios.

• Meraas Holdings (Dubai): Directed Creative Development of internal capabilities and external requirements for several attractions for premiere Leisure & Entertainment. development.

• Wanda Group (Beijing, Toronto): Served as Client rep for Creative Direction with Forrec International for ride-films based upon traditional Chinese myths and cultural history. Multiple attractions with interactive, multi-screen, multi-sensory experiences.

• Universal Studios: Creative lead for concept-to-opening attraction development of tourist destinations, including rides, films, shows, retail, hospitality, food and beverage venues. Creative PM on all of Toon Lagoon at UIOA and 7 attractions and two theme parks at Universal Studios.

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• Disney Imagineering: Strategic Creative Consultant for story-driven conversion of digital game brands into physical tourist destinations for transmedia marketing at Disney World Resorts.

• Nickelodeon Studios: Creative Direction for groundbreaking, immersive recreation projects that transformed on-air branding into experiential entertainment venues including integration of SEGA Games with Nickelodeon’s Game Lab for group interaction with backstage tours at the original Nickelodeon Studios. That group is now called Nickelodeon Experience Design.

• Jack Rouse Associate: Design Director, projects include Dollywood, Nickelodeon • Richard Crane Productions: Production Design for projects including Dollywood & Nickelodeon • Sanrio (Tokyo): Production Designer for Landmark Entertainment Implemented themed show &

dining experiences for musical special-effects, stunt-show theater.

1980-1988: Scenic Designer, Production Designer and Producer, (New York City), Served as a member of the United Scenic Artists (USA Local 829) for numerous Broadway, theater, Film and Television productions. Served as Digital Media Producer for Doswell Productions.

ACADEMIC & RESEARCH APPOINTMENTS

2015- Present: Vice Chair & Chief Innovation Officer, Virtual World Society, Strategic Planner for VWS – Developed community engagement plan for global leaders to drive the future of Virtual Reality.

2007-2010 Founding President, The Island and Village of Geneva Rural Heritage Center

2007 & 2014 Visiting Professor & Advisor, Technical University of Munich (TUM)

1999-2007: Entertainment Research Director, Institute for Simulation and Training, Founded the Media Convergence Lab, pioneering interface design research for mixed and augmented reality for commercial, academic and civic application in entertainment, education, marketing and training markets.

• MGM Marketing: Brand Innovation of consumer experience (CX). Created an immersive-media Movie Trailer for experiential marketing for retail outlets.

• US Department of Defense: Creative development of extreme games for human performance training pioneering applications for Virtual Reality, Augmenting Reality and Mixed Reality

• Nickelodeon Studios: Research development for future production techniques with Augmented Reality and immersive, high-energy game shows.

1999-2007: Instructor of Transmedia Entertainment, University of Central Florida, developed and taught curriculum for interactive entertainment and experiential learning theory. Designed instructional strategy “InterPlay” integrating story, play and game with grounded theories of learning.

EDUCATION 1978-1984 MFA, New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, Design for Film

1978-1984 BFA, New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, Design for Theater

AWARDS 2001-2014 Best Water Ride in the World (14 years in a row), Amusement Today, Universal Studios. Miami 2010 ADDY Best Campaign Concept, US Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Award (2006), UCF Business Plan Award, UCF Partnership Award, FIEA Partnership Award.Awards

PUBLICATIONS Over 50 Publications: www.researchgate.net/profile/Christopher_Stapleton/publications

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