Art Director / Scenic Artist / CGI Production
ErnieMerlan@PacBell.net
(818) 620-3617

Management and creative skills:
Management and creative skills:
· Building and managing creative teams internationally
· Managing client/vendor relations
· Creating and managing budgets, schedules and spread sheets
· Concept, scripts and story development
· 3D computer simulations
· Member IATSE Local 800, IAPPA, TEA
· THEA Award for Outstanding Achievement
· Backdrop, theme paint and black light artist
· Photoshop, Maya and Illustrator, After Effects,
Word, Excel, Outlook, Dreamweaver, Flash
· Fluent in Spanish

Theme Park Experience:

Muppet Theater Marquee, California Adventures
California Neon Products
Scenic Artist Contractor (Anaheim / San Diego, 2005)
Hand painted new entrance to Muppet Theater Marquee in California Adventures at the Disneyland Resorts. Trompe l’oeil painting of theater curtains and Muppet characters on 25 sq ft of aluminum panels.

Universal Studios Mediterrania
Hotels Port Aventura and El Paso
Art Director (Spain, 2002)
Art directed two five hundred room themed hotels. Designed and supervised production of six murals and all exterior finishes. Supervised finishes for interior spaces. Produced and purchased props. Managed budgets, schedules, artists, crews, contractors and vendors.

Thinkwell Design
Concept Artist (Burbank, CA 2002)
Consultant for themed experience design firm. Responsible for storyboard and concept designs. Collaborated in design of amusement parks domestically and internationally.

Walt Disney Imagineering
Mural Makers
Scenic Artist Contractor (Tujunga, 1994-2002)
Senior Scenic Artist in painting sets, backdrops, props and logo design. Shows and Rides: Indiana Jones, Tomorrowland, Pocahontas, Hunchback and Toy Story traveling shows, Toon Town, Blizzard Beach, Disney Stores, World of Disney, E3, Innoventions, Roger Rabbit, GM Test Track, Animal Kingdom, Queen of Hearts, Sinbad, 20k, Journey, Volcania, Tokyo Disney Seas, Buzz Lightyear, Flick's Fun Fair, Disney's California Adventure and the renovation of It's a Small World.

Universal Studios Port Aventura
Templo Del Fuego
Field Art Director (Spain, 2001)
Winner of THEA's Award for Outstanding Achievement, 2003, Best Amusement Park attraction. Designed scenic finish of a Mayan temple replica: exterior, interior set and queue lines. Managed local scenic artists, paint crews, budgets, contractors, and vendors.

Sea Odyssey,
Scenic Lead (Spain, 2000)
Scenic finish of tunnels, submarines and submarine docks. Created finishes to produce an accurate interpretation of color renderings. Trained local artists in execution and finishes. Managed artists, crews, contractors and vendors.

Universal Studios Port Aventura,
Mediterranea
Scenic Lead (Spain, 1999)
Managed international crew in renovation of an entire land of the amusement park. Created finishes to produce an accurate interpretation of color renderings. Developed local painters to establish a permanent scenic crew for future projects. Managed schedules, finances, artists, crews, contractors and vendors.

Film Experience:

Sony Pictures Entertainment
“Legend of Zorro”
Scenic Lead (Mexico, 2004)
Scenic lead for explosives factory set. Aging and graphic treatment for old west town. Scenic treatment for train set.

Sony Pictures Entertainment
“Dance with Me”
Field Art Director/Scenic Lead (Dominican Republic, 1998)
Managed contractors, vendors, and local crew of painters in aging of a city block, murals and signage to convert a street in the city of Santo Domingo into a street in Santiago de Cuba.

Sony Pictures Entertainment
”Mask of Zorro”
Scenic Lead (Mexico, 1997)
Restoration of three haciendas, painting of gold mine and cave sets. Managed schedules, finances, artists, crews, contractors and vendors.

Video Experience:

Rhapsody, All Talk Video
Production Designer (Hollywood, 2004)

Lenny Kravitz, American Woman Video, Mars Media
Scenic Lead (Hollywood, 1999)

Web Design and CGI Experience:

Zeek Interactive
Web Artist Contractor (Seal Beach, 1998-2005)
Concept, Design Artist and Spanish translations for
interactive game company. Games include Robots CD for
Kellogg's and Disney's Beauty and the Beast online
game. (www.zeek.com)

Mars Rover Project
Studio Arts
Production Manager (Los Angeles, 2005)
3D Animated short film about robots in a bar on Mars contemplating the existence of life on other planets. Responsible for the script, production schedules, animation pipeline, and casting voice talent. Contributed to the character and prop design, modeling, UV mapping and texturing.

Print Experience:

Ground Zero Design
Print Photography Set Design Company
Art Director (Los Angeles, 2003-2005)
Execution of murals, finishes and set pieces for commercial and print advertising. Client list includes but is not limited to: Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, MatchBox, and Maxim Magazine.

Offset Printing
Designer and Print Broker (Burbank, 1990-1995)
Execution of murals, finishes and set pieces for commercial and print advertising. Client list includes but is not limited to: Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, MatchBox, and Maxim Magazine.

www.ErnieMerlan.com
Mural & Design Contract Work (Los Angeles, 1992-present)
Design and execute murals, themed environments and print images for retail shopping centers, casinos and high-end residences. Client list includes, but not limited to: Valencia Town Center, Janss Marketplace, Viejas Casinos, Peter McNicohls, and Don LaFontaine. Responsible for design, promotion, bidding, scheduling, artists, crews, and vendors.

Teaching Experience:

West Los Angeles College
Westside Extension Program
Instructor (Los Angeles, 2002-2004)
Classes: Faux Finish and Advanced Finishes and Trompe l'oeil.

Hollywood CPR
Apprenticeship Program for the Industry
Director of the Scenic Paint Department (Los Angeles, 2002-2003)
Designed and supervised production and finishes of sets, backdrops and props. Responsible for LOCAL 816 and LOCAL 729 curriculum, teachers and materials.

Additional Experience:

Warner Bros., Backdrops and Props for Motion Picture and TV.
Superior Backings, Concert and Video Backdrops.
J.C. Backings, Sony Studios. Backdrops for Motion Picture.
Cloud 9 Dzyn, Los Angeles Cinco de Mayo Festival Backdrops.
Vista Scenery, Scenery for Disney Stores and Las Vegas Shows.

Education:

BA in Illustration, California State University, Northridge
Storyboard and Design, The Art Academy of Los Angeles
Advanced Maya and After Effects, Friedman/Studio Arts, Los Angeles
Maya Fundamentals, Video Symphony, Institute of Entertainment Media Production, Burbank

Community Service:

Absolut Chalk, LA Works, KDYZ, Church of the Valley, LA Unified Schools, Arch Diocese of Los Angeles, Imagination Workshop, The Little Brown Church, Melody of Words.