2025 | SUMMER REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

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Themed Environment Design

Themed Environment Design

An 8-week course focused on theme park design and creating story-driven guest experiences
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Overview Gallery Interview Pricing Benefits

Design your imagination into a unique reality

Design your imagination into a unique reality
Build a portfolio displaying a deeper understanding of environment design by creating an immersive story-driven experience with responsibility to real-world spatial constraints. In this course, students will refine their use of design fundamentals and gain an understanding of master planning, guest experience, iconic attractors, architectural scale, and spatial responsibility. Students will tell their stories through the use of character, prop, vehicle, and architectural design. This class is a rare opportunity for designers who want to learn to translate their imagination to reality through this unique design process.

Course Format

Standard

Skills Level

Intermediate to Advanced

Duration

8 weeks

Q&A

Once a week

Feedback

Individual recordings

Lecture Type

Pre-recorded
Assignment
Due each week. Expect to spend 8-10 hrs/wk viewing lectures, Q&A, and time on assignments.
PREREQUISITES
Strong draftsman skills in environment design, perspective, digital painting,
MATERIALS
Photoshop, SketchUp optional

The more you know, the better.

Course introduction: What is themed environment design? | Using a design process | Iconic attractors – Creating Weenies | Demonstration – Developing an Icon
A Brief History of Architecture | Genre/Archetypal Storytelling | Demonstration – How to add color to your value | Demonstration – 3D build and Render
The fundamentals of Elevation | Looking over examples of elevation | Ride system implementation | Design with Park Operations in Mind | Demonstration – designing in elevation
Custom Brushes | Creating an Architectural Kit | Forcing Happy Accidents | Demonstration – Designing with custom brushes
Queue Lines and their functionality | Park Operations – emergency egress and circulation paths | Think about the Guest Experience | Demonstration – Creating a Plan to your elevation
Building just enough | Create a compelling composition | Render Passes | Demonstration – 3D Massing Model in Modo
Understanding Visual Weight – balance and rhythm, tension and release | Design with 4 Values | Defining with Pools of Light | Leading the eye with paths | Demonstration – Painting with a 3D render
The proper use of scale | People are people | Area Development – The devil is in the details | Rendering with expression | Demonstration – Final Rendering

STUDENT GALLERY

Real heroes don't wear capes, they teach

For specific questions regarding TBA instructors, please contact CGMA Admissions Department at registration@cgmasteracademy.com

STUDENT INTERVIEWS

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Designing for the Physical World

Introduction Hi, my name is Audrey Jung, and I’m an artist from Southern California and currently live near Disneyland. I graduated from FIDM in 2009...

Interview with

Audrey Jung

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Sector 7 Theme Park POV Design and Illustration

Introduction My name is Chris Chien. I’m a concept artist specializing in themed entertainment. I’ve been working in the industry for 10 years. I graduated...

Interview with

Chris Chien

GET ONE YEAR ACCESS AND TRANSFORM YOUR ARTISTIC JOURNEY

Take your CGMA learning further with CGMA+, a companion add-on featuring over 70 new, stand-alone workshops—more than 250 hours of content you won’t find in your core CGMA program. You’ll learn from multiple instructors, each with a unique style, so you can see how different artists approach the same subject in various ways. This additional material builds on what you’re already studying, broadening your perspective and helping you look at topics from fresh angles. It’s a straightforward way to strengthen your studies and boost your skills.

View all CGMA+ Workshops

PRICING SCHEDULE

Even though our courses are the most affordable for the quality of education, these finance options allow you to focus on your goals instead of the barriers that keep you from reaching them.

3x Payments

$233

2x Payments

$349.50

Full payment

$699

View all CGMA+ Workshops
Summer TERM REGISTRATION Now Open
Apr 23, 2025 - Jul 14, 2025
Themed Environment Design

What makes this learning experience unique?

PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK

Receive personalized feedback on all assignments from the industry’s top professionals.

LIFETIME ACCESS

Enjoy lifetime access to the spectrum of course content, including lectures, live Q&As, and feedback sessions.

CERTIFICATION

Show off your Certification of Completion when you turn in 80% of course assignments.

FLEXIBLE LEARNING

Learn anywhere, anytime, and at your own pace with flexible, online course scheduling.

Need guidance? We’re Here to Help.

We can help with admissions questions, portfolio review/course recommendations!

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