Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Meet Disney's Darth Vader Marionette Designer David Hyde
attractionsmagazine.com: For many of us who grew up playing with Star Wars toys, the opportunity to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and take home an exclusive souvenir is like a dream come true. But what would it be like to not only help create the largest-ever expansions at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, but also have the designs you crafted transformed into toys that guests can purchase in the theme parks? To find out, we talked with master props designer David Hyde, a veteran of the theme park industry who has worked for both Disney and Universal, about becoming an accidental designer of collectible toys like the Darth Vader marionette now offered inside Galaxy’s Edge.
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I really enjoyed this article because I have been to Galaxy’s Edge a few times since it opened. I am always taken aback specifically by the correlation between the world itself and the toys and merchandise. The card games and dolls sold in the world directly match what a Star Wars character would play with, and I believe it adds a whole additional level of immersion to the created world. I am really interested in design for theme parks and think that as technology progress, the intricacies of theme park design will also progress. This is evident in the newer areas at Disney such as Galaxy’s Edge. I love the isolating feeling you get when existing in the land. It is like being in a bubble where the outside world does not exist. I am fairly confident that we will see theme parks slowly upgrade until everything has this feeling.
I have actually been to Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland back home in California (a fantastic experience), but I don’t recall seeing any sort of marionette style toys for sale there. Nevertheless, it was really interesting to read through this article on props designer David Hyde’s career and design processes of many of the theme park features, decorations, and props. Hyde explains that he first received formal creative experience from being assigned to work with art staff as a ride operator, before moving on to pursue various theme parks’ props making opportunities. There can be a lot of parallels drawn between props made in and for theatre and the theme park props Hyde talks about that he designed and made in this article; the concepts of repurposing and reuse along with the attention to the details of the props’ surroundings are all often important factors to be considered when making theatre props.
While I have never been to the Galaxy’s Edge them park in Disney world, I have wanted to go for quite some time. When I was little I went to Disney world and Universal Studios in Orlando and I was amazed at the level of detail of the theme park. Each and every set truly did transport you into the world and theme of that section of the park. I remember being particularly amazed by Harry Potter world and it is so incredible that David Hyde helped build many of the props in Disney Worlds Diagon Allay. I think many people undervalue the importance of a good gift shop too. Being able to purchase and object that perfectly matches the atmosphere and world you being transported within these theme parks can be so incredibly meaningful, and it allows for a new level of immersion helping intensify the experience. As a kid especially you never think about who designed the min-figure you just purchased at the toy store or gift shop, but now I constantly find myself wondering how such prop makers went about making and designing these toys because every angle, shape, and color is done with thinking and purpose behind it.
Woah, 3 of my favourite things in one article – Star Wars, Disney and Props! What was surprising for me is the fact that there’s a prop department in theme parks, and that they are responsible for building so many decorative objects in the rides. Building props that are later made into toys with upcycled material is a very inspiring approach in reducing waste. I think, as the article mentions, this brings a whole new vibe to the objects created, because it just contradicts the whole high-tech and futuristic background setting of Star Wars so much! If I was a tourist, I would love to buy the Darth Vader marionette because it’s just so unique and different from all the other plastic or flurry toys you see on the market. After reading this article, I think I now have a new job that I want to do!
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