Matthew L. McCoy
(404) 592 7372
Matt@ThemeDesigner.com


Objective:

To create unique entertainment and educational experiences, from concept to completion, in the design of environments, attractions, exterior & interior architecture, shows and effects specific to theme entertainment, theme parks, retail, museums, theater, digital media industries and brand identity design.

Skills:

Experiential designing in creative direction; master planning, conceptual designing and rendering.

Accomplishments

"Spirit of The Festival of Trees Award" Choice award by Committee Chair. Atlanta Ga 2006
Recipient of the Patriotism Award (in recognition of individual and collective service) National Museum of Patriotism 2005
Recipient of the Alumni of the Year Award 2002 Kennesaw State University.
First Place- team-awarded world wide at 1998 IAAPA Red Hot and Gold Awards for, Theme Retail Design, as the principle designer and stylist of front Mall Looney Toons Exposition at Six Flags Over Georgia that premiered in Nov 1998 issue of V.M.S.D. (visual merchandise and store design) magazine. The project also recieved a TEA (Themed Entertainment Association ) Award.
Team awarded best design/ development in originality.GVox Music exhibit booth .E/3 trade show1998
Designed and developed "The Mural of the Athletes” for 1996 Atlanta summer Olympic Games that premiered on CNN, Fox, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution with other theme venues & events for various works from 1995 to 2004.

Work Experience

Heritage Centers, Museums and Exhibits
National Museum of Patriotism 2003-2008
Consultant and Lead Experiential Designer. This involved planning, design and development of interior/ exterior architectural treatments, multi-media interactive displays and theaters, transitional segways and graphics to complete the story. The Hall of Patriots, Military exhibits, The Immigrant Experience , The Atlanta Olympic Experience, 911 - One America theater exhibit and a Patriotic exit retail venue. This museum has had Fox News television nationwide coverage.

Black Patriots Traveling Exhibit 2005.
Designed and rendered a unique modular traveling exhibit involving african american patriots from the revolutionary war to Iraq, as a fund raiser for an soon to be sculpture on the mall in Washington D.C. for the Black Patriots Foundation.

"Ordinary Hero's" A Medal of Honor Recipients Exhibit. 2002 - 2003
Co-designed and rendered with Entertainment Design Group; The modular exhibit for Medal of Honor recipients traveled SIMON Malls 2002 nation wide USA. It was then acquired by the Smithsonian Institute. The historical exhibit involves pictorials and touch station kiosks that was based upon a book written . Co designed and rendered I-LAND teen- Interactive display kiosks centers in common areas for Malls.

Teaching South Children’s Museum - Atlanta, Ga. 2000 - 2001
Commissioned as exhibit designer and project management for the Native American Indian Exhibit. Designed concept“Paper Worx” Exhibit for GA Pacific. Provided creative direction, planning, concept renderings, producing 3-d diorama’s, facades complete with interactive "touch screen stations.

Gwinnett Children’s Art Museum. GWinnett Co Ga. 2000
Creative direction in planning and concept of exhibit areas based on the story of "Discovery" utilizing a kaleidoscope concept in H.G.Wels, Jules Verne time travel for the creativity in children’s art. Contacted by the museum project developer Atlanta GA .

Funk Heritage Center and Bennett History Museum - Atlanta GA. 1999 - 2000
Senior exhibits designer for Southeastern Native American Museum. Created interior environments that depict the Southeast Appalachian Settlers and Native Americans (pre-history to1840’s historical period). Created lobby “long House” entrance, 1840’s settlers Tool Museum Room recognized by the Smithsonian Institute. Dioramas in “The Hall of Ancients” involved murals, 3-D effects and fabrications, theater lighting and interactive “Giant River log "touch screen" stations. Included were a Grand Lobby Long House entry and a 1920's grocery store facade with a historical theme gift shop.

Atlanta Sci-trek Science Museum Nov 1995 - 96
Creative consultant and color stylist for the Coca-Cola Science Theatre and computer touch interactive's“Animal Petting Zoo”.

Theme Venues and Attractions
Six Flags Design. 1995 - 2003
Contracted as a creative consultant & co designer with regional designers and VP of design for Six Flags parks providing concepts and renderings for on site creative direction for construction of major new attractions. Theme attraction sets for Looney Tunes area Marvin The Martian play tower graphics & scenic backdrops at Six Flags New Orleans 2003. Superman coaster attraction area Atlanta 2002 & utilized in other Six Flags Parks nationwide. Six Flags Worlds of Adventure Ohio (park wide expansion project 2000) involving Batman The Ride coaster station, Gotham city gifts retail and concessions, Batman Stunt Show set stylization also used at other parks nationwide, Superman Ultimate Escape coaster station and Q-line entry portal, Superman retail booth, exterior design of 1950's area, Jettson - Googie styled restaurant &1950's gas station (expanded design used at W.B. Madrid Movie World), 1890’s Connie Island boardwalk & game facades, coaster street facades and park wide attraction ride colorize treatment design. Co designed the "Hurricane Harbor" Entry Portal water park used at other parks and premiered @ IAAPA 2000. Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom park expansion project 1999, creative direction of elements of The Penguin's Blizzard River thrill ride, Batman Stunt show &Toon Carousel. Stylization graphics for events & park wide areas, “Batman The Ride” Gotham City Gift s retail exterior murals and interior new graphic displays for retail1997. Logo design of “Super-Seven” thrill coasters for advertising campaign. 1997.Set design of "Dexter's Lab Theater" from Character TV show. Was stylized to fit theater format with Cartoon Network direction, Burbank, CA.1998.

Van Gogh Productions 2003 - 2007
Co designed, rendered comps & fabrication elements for corporate "Pirates" stunt show set. Acting, voiceover work and designs for Telly Award winning Game Show production. Concepts and graphic designing for other various corporate show venues.

M2 Creative / On Stage 2002 - 2004
Lead designer of a major super hero stunt show for sets, venues, character design, costume design with project mgt on location Orlando Fla. Designed multimedia backgrounds as "NASA" concepts for “Right Stuff” show venue. Atlanta Falcons Game Day Live set design and Ford event venue design for 2004.

Coca-Cola Co./ Gilbert Creative Services. 2001 - 2002
Consultant / Lead Designer, of power Aid and Crunch Fitness venues 2002, Salt lake Winter Olympics. Developed of Power-Aid “cool zone” stations exhibition for nationwide campaign in Crunch Fitness centers 2002.

EDG Nov 1997 - 2003
Designed and Co-wrote Justice League Of America Stunt show set D.C. Comics proposed for Six Flags 2003. Co designed Coca Cola Scholars Foundation awards stage 2002 - 03. Color stylized Tomb Stone Arizona set & streetscape. Designed Super bowl 2002 party interactive “Super-Showdown” Las Vegas NV. Co-designed and rendered Daffy Duck theme area ‘Wacky Wharf” & Daffy Duck character apparel design for WhiteWater Park Atlanta Ga 2002. Co-designed new logo’s for White Water Park, Atlanta 2002. Designed children’s soft play Looney Tunes “Grande Arena, stylized set of a Country show, mermaid & pirate show and Fright-Fest with the children’s haunted house set design Six Flags Atlanta expanding into the nation-wide event "Fearanoia" in concept design, renderings and graphics 2002. Jazz Land New Orleans Fear Fest & Vision Land (Ala). Scare Fest, park wide event's and parade designs. Designed Chevrolet “children’s” play- interactive area Arbor Place Mall Atlanta. Set design of Wizard of OZ for 14th st Playhouse Theatre Atlanta Ga.2001. Creative direction co-producer of christmas scenic installations for Lazarus (Federated) Department store Philadelphia, SIMON Properties -Lennox Square, Cumberland Atlanta, and other Christmas mall projects including Atlanta New Year ‘s Eve celebrations and events.

Mountasia Entertainment International / Malibu Grand Prix. 1989 - 1996
Interior / exterior designing, creative direction for park wide designs and intent renderings for family entertainment attractions & centers USA , Lisbon Portugal and Montreal Canada. Developed scenery (on location) at 14 family entertainment centers nation wide. 1996 design & implementation of Atlanta Olympic mural honoring our US athletes.

Retail Design
Six Flags Theme Parks - Retail Creative World Wide Services. 1997 - 2007
Contracted as creative consultant, designer of branded retail environments. This involved creative direction in story lines with concept and design, intent renderings, re-design and placements of branded highly recognized commercial logo identities , graphics, store fixtures and display s for point of purchase. Warner Bros. 2004 Emporium retail nation-wide concept designs, Superman retail co-design Mexico City & New Jersey 2004, Madrid Spain Movie World Theme Park in co-design of park wide retail stores, department stores and designed park wide retail / food carts, June2001-March2002. Designed Superman retail store and retail carts for new attraction coaster Atlanta Ga.2002, Six Flags Belgium consultant and color stylist of Looney Tunes stores, Flags Department store venue, Batman and Superman stores March2001. Six Flags Atlanta Front Gate Mall Project of Looney Tunes Exposition Retail Outlet Store &Flags Outlet Store as principal designer and stylist working with store planners. 1998. Co-designed and rendered first Six Flags"Ride the World" Mall Retail Outlet Store, Marvin the Martian and Lovely Lola Bunny Outlet stores 1998. Principle Designer, Stylist for of the first Cartoon Network / Warner Bros Super Stores with character theme environments developed at Six Flags Atlanta and Chicago 1998.

Other Work Experiences
I. C. Studios inc. Atlanta, GA. 1997 - 98
Co-owner and Senior designer of short run fabrication facility involving scenic installations, faux treatments and props for the Atlanta Turner Field Stadium, Atlanta Motor Speedway and color stylized sets for Walt Disney World Co & T.N.I. - Hercules Computer Interactive exhibit at E/3 Trade show Atlanta GA 1997 & in 1998, Created an award wining (Best in originality) G-Vox Music booth at E/3 trade show. Co-design & fabrication of Six Flags front gate entry retail and park wide retail stores in Atlanta (IAAPA award wining) and Chicago Six Flags 1998. Christmas set design and fabrications for Shopping Malls in association with other design / dev groups.

U.S. Marine Corps, 1983 - 88
Squadron VMFA 312. West PAC Pacific tours -Orient. Jet Aircraft mech and leadership training, other responsibilities included creating and enhancing the most famous / historical Marine Corps air squadron, by creating a new brand look involving a new permenant logo design (as seen today) graphics for media, marketing and signage.

Education

Harvard School of Design -Cambridge, Mass. 2003-2006
Accredited AIA executive education courses in Experience Design Architecture, Design Lead - Design Build and Master Planning
Kennesaw State University 1993
BFA, commercial arts & Illustration, theater design, course work in Communications & Spanish.
Southern Carolina Tech. Beaufort, SC Feb1988
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