Ticket to Ride
December 19, 2016
“I liked the relationship with the professors”
— Carlos Weiser, Universal Studios
Carlos Weiser, attraction designer at Universal Studios, was once an architect looking for a change. A decade ago, he had come to the US from Venezuela and gotten his bachelor’s in the field. But he quickly became disillusioned.
“It wasn’t so much about design, but a lot about management,” Carlos says of his experience in the architectural sector. “It got really boring. I’m an artist and I decided I needed to get back into that.” Unsure of what his next step would be, Carlos chose FIEA and enrolled in August of 2014.
“I thought it would be great to be an architect in a medium with no visual limitations,” says Carlos of making art for games. “That’s really what motivated me to go.”
Carlos’s professional background in architecture turned out to be a boon at FIEA as he found some overlap between the production and review processes, as well as the team-focused curriculum.
“I liked the relationship with the professors,” says Carlos. “You have a lot of direct contact.”
In his current position, Carlos applies a lot of what he learned.
“I’m still building buildings, but I’m also looking at getting the IP (intellectual property) into the ride. I’m still working with 3ds Max, modeling,” explains Carlos. “We do still have to respect the laws of physics, though.”
One unique aspect of designing rides, he notes, is that you’re developing an interactive experience for multiple participants at a time. “We can also use the time spent in the queues to give some information, or when you’re leaving the ride. You’re getting the same information, but from a different perspective.”
Carlos’s perspective has changed too. From frustrated architect to creative ride designer, his journey has been worth it.