Ringling College of Art and Design’s Entertainment Design students spent their summers surrounded by Barbie and monsters and planning for themed environments. Get a look behind the scenes at dream jobs that will make your inner child swoon. 

Tia Kassim ’26, Entertainment Design 
Epic Resorts and Destination—Mattel Adventure Park project

“This summer, I had the absolute pleasure of working at Epic Resorts and Destinations as they design and build the first-ever Mattel Adventure Park with Mattel as our brand partner. As a rising Entertainment Design junior, it has been such a dream project to be a part of, and I feel so fortunate to have had such a hands-on creative opportunity as my first internship.

I worked directly with the Creative Development team, and because the company itself is so tight-knit, I was also able to look at the project management, operations, business management, vendors, and technicians as they moved through and turned over different parts of the process. The park itself was being developed just adjacent to the offices, so I was really fortunate to see the design process truly run from start to finish in so many aspects of the project.

During my work week, I would typically sit in on a few different vendor meetings to discuss how designs are being fabricated and the different specifications that need to be made. There would also be plenty of small projects with short turn-around times like play park padding designs, gazebo theming, rendering edits, or paint color specifications that I would tackle in my spare time. Alongside the Creative Director, I would also sit in on calls with the Mattel branding teams to discuss and review designs we produce, which was a great insight into the marketing and IP management side of the field. 

This experience truly was a dive into the deep end of the Entertainment Design industry, and I could not be more thankful for the opportunity.”

Ryan Winders ’26, Entertainment Design
Universal Studios Hollywood—job

“It has been a dream come true working in the prop house at Universal Studios Hollywood for their seasonal events. Although my work will be seen in the park, the vast majority of the props I fabricated were in an offsite warehouse in Glendale, California. My days vary depending on whether I am in the park or at the warehouse. There are good days and bad days, but it is an incredible experience all around. 

Universal prepares its events well in advance, and my summer has primarily consisted of holiday decor for the park’s Christmas event festivities. Many of the garlands that will be seen throughout the park I had a big part in refurbishing. The set pieces come in large crates where I then strip, fluff, put on new lights, decorate, and then repack the garlands into the crate. In addition to tons of garland, there are a few set pieces that I had the opportunity to work on that will be seen by guests in specific areas of the park. While much of my work is under NDA, I can’t wait for everyone to see it! My focal area of interest ever since I was seven years old is Halloween Horror Nights. Despite being put on Christmas for most of my time at Universal, I still gave the work I did 110%. Halloween is much more chaotic, and there is a lot more variety in the work with high expectations from management and designers/directors inspecting everything down to the smallest screw. 

I had a hand in creating sets for multiple scare zones and mazes that guests will be horrified by this September. In-park installs are where I learn the most. It is hot and sweaty in those maze tents but it is an absolute blast being inside them. Everything has to be secured so that guests can’t walk away with them which has been my focus during installs whether I am using wire, screws, or glue to carefully secure the props. My biggest takeaway from this internship has been improving upon skills I have learned working at other theme parks/haunted attractions. Despite my goal being on the design side of Halloween Horror Nights, it is valuable to know how your designs affect other teams as it has to be tangible and able to be fabricated in a set amount of time.” 

Juan Bonillo Ruiz ’26, Entertainment Design with a minor in Business of Art and Design and Graphic Design
BaseMint Creative

“This summer I have been working as a design intern for BaseMint Creative. They are a master planning, concept development, and schematic design vendor, serving the themed entertainment and hospitality industries. I learned about them when they visited campus to talk to us about their work and how they did it. 

I developed concept design work for different projects that the company is working on. This design work mainly focuses on creating artwork that communicates the intent early in the design process. My colleagues and bosses have helped me learn how to develop a style that allows me to communicate the most information effectively, as well as a wide range of other skills. For example, I have gained great insight into the structure behind companies and projects in the industry. I have also received mentorship in master planning for area development and the connection between landscape architecture and themed entertainment. One of my bosses is an expert in these areas and shares pieces of that knowledge with me during our reviews and daily conversations.

Regarding the company’s culture, I feel incredibly fortunate to have felt so welcomed and included as another member of the amazing BaseMint Team. The leadership of the company does a great job of being approachable, encouraging, transparent, and incredibly inspiring. This experience has been an essential complement to my academic education, helping me transition from student to professional.”