Mike Brister

Current

Composer / Writer at Tinderbox Entertainment
Systems Programmer / Owner at Logic Box, LLC
Automation Technician / Programmer at Cirque du Soleil

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Past

Show Control Programmer at Freelance
Show Control / Special FX Crew Chief at Walt Disney World
Lighting Designer at Walt Disney Imagineering

Show Control Programmer at WDW Ride and Show Engineering
Show Control Crew Chief at Walt Disney World
Show Control Programmer at Disney Cruise Line
Stage Technician at Walt Disney World
Performer at Excalibur Hotel & Casino

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5 more...

Recommended

3 people have recommended Mike

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Industry

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Mike Brister’s Summary

My name is Mike and I am a theme park designer trapped in a show control programmer's body.

Ever since I first saw animatronics as a child (a picture of the hitchhiking ghosts on a postcard from Disneyland), I’ve been fascinated by theme parks. Once I finally got my first chance to see one in person, I’ve wanted nothing more than to design and build themed attractions for a living. I’ve spent my career working (a lot of very strange jobs) towards that goal ever since. My 20 years of experience in the theme park and entertainment industries is a wide mix of technical, design, and performance in disciplines including show control, automation, lighting, special effects, show design, writing, art, acting, and puppetry. This work has been for a diverse array of companies including Walt Disney World, Walt Disney Imagineering, Cirque du Soleil, Six Flags, Sid and Marty Krofft, and my own small show control programming company, Logic Box.

Personally, I love creative work but I always approach it with a technical mind. I rarely design something that I don't already know how it will work. I enjoy big projects, solving tough puzzles, new technology, and working in multiple disciplines at the same time. I’m half science and half science fiction, half artist and half technician, half geek... well, actually, I’m not even a little cool. I’m all geek and always have been. And even though I know how they work now, at heart, I'm still that little kid who is fascinated by the hitchhiking ghosts.

Mike Brister’s Specialties:

AMX, Crestron, and Medialon programming; moving lights and fountain animation programming; show / attraction design and writing; photography and drawing

Mike Brister’s Experience

Composer / Writer

Tinderbox Entertainment

(Privately Held; Entertainment industry)

November 2008 — Present (9 months)

Music Composer and Story Writer for video games and other company materials (marketing, documentation, etc.).
Systems Programmer / Owner

Logic Box, LLC

(Computer Software industry)

January 2008 — Present (1 year 7 months)

Logic Box programs show control and automation systems for theme park, theater, museum, home automation, and corporate presentation. We work with AMX and Medialon primarily but can also program other systems including VB / VBA, Crestron, and Alcorn-McBride.

I am a part owner of the company and one of the 3 programmers (with Ray Dorman and Erik Moore). My specialty is unique user interfaces.
Automation Technician / Programmer

Cirque du Soleil

(Privately Held; Entertainment industry)

March 2007 — Present (2 years 5 months)

I am an Automation Technician and Board Operator for LOVE at The Mirage. I also helped program the AMX system for the Video Department at LOVE.

In 2007, I worked as an Automation Technician on Mystere at Treasure Island. I ran all 3 show tracks including Board Operator (I was the back-up). During that time, I also programmed Crestron and Visual Basic systems.
Show Control Programmer

Freelance

(Computer Software industry)

October 2006 — December 2007 (1 year 3 months)

I started programming AMX systems freelance since 2006. In December of 2007, this work turned into Logic Box. The freelance work was for 3 different integrators:

- Platt Design Group of Sierra Madre, CA
- Electronic Media Systems of Miami, FL
- Broadcast & Professional Systems Integration of Miami, FL

Clients have included the South Florida Water Management District, International Bank of Miami, Assurant Group, Wycliffe Wordspring Visitors Center, and the First Christian Church in Ohio.
Show Control / Special FX Crew Chief

Walt Disney World

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Entertainment industry)

September 2004 — March 2007 (2 years 7 months)

From 2004 to 2006, I led the Automation and FX team for the Lights Motors Action Stunt Show. I started during installation and testing and helped direct the design of the operator interfaces. I also programmed most of the AMX panels for Automation and Audio as well as some of the coding.
Lighting Designer

Walt Disney Imagineering

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; DIS; Entertainment industry)

2000 — 2004 (4 years)

I worked for short durations in the Florida Division as a "loaner" from Walt Disney World Entertainment. My work was mainly in the Magic Kingdom park and it included small architectural design work, attraction rehabs, directing focus calls, documentation, show quality reviews and moving lights programming. I also did a small amount of work at the Epcot park.
Show Control Programmer

WDW Ride and Show Engineering

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Entertainment industry)

May 1999 — November 2004 (5 years 7 months)

I worked for short durations in Walt Disney World's Ride and Show Engineering division as a "loaner" from Entertainment. I programmed AMX, Medialon, and MSC / LCU (a WDI custom control system) for various projects including Fantasmic, Live Show Captioning, the Ohana Restaurant, Goofy's Dancin' Jamboree, and Disney Cruise Lines.
Show Control Crew Chief

Walt Disney World

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Entertainment industry)

May 1999 — September 2004 (5 years 5 months)

From 1999 to 2000 and 2002 to 2004, I led the Show Control team for the Fantasmic stage. During that time, I made multiple updates to the AMX Axcess and other show control systems. In Jan 2004, I helped design, install, and program the conversion of Fantasmic to a new Medialon and Netlinx control system. Also in 2004, I was on the design team for a project called the "Fantasmic Rain Show". This 5 minute presentation used existing pyro, lighting, and fountain systems to present guests with short show in the event that weather canceled the full show. I designed and programmed the fountain choreography.
Show Control Programmer

Disney Cruise Line

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; DIS; Leisure, Travel & Tourism industry)

July 2000 — August 2000 (2 months)

In 2000, I programmed Walt Disney Imagineering control systems for Disney Cruise Line. This programming was for new shows added to the Walt Disney Theater aboard the Disney Magic Cruise Ship for it's change from 3 and 4 day cruises to 7 day cruises. This included the new Welcome Aboard show and C'est Magique magic show. While there, I also made minor updates to the existing Hercules and Disney Dreams shows. Over the next couple of years, I made other short trips to the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder ships to make updates to the show control systems.
Stage Technician

Walt Disney World

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Entertainment industry)

April 1998 — May 1999 (1 year 2 months)

In addition to my Crew Chief duties for the Fantasmic and Lights Motors Action shows, I also worked intermittently at several other stages and special events including Beauty and the Beast, Hunchback, Doug Live, Mulan Parade, and Millionaire. I was on the installation crew for Bear in the Big Blue House and Playhouse Disney.
Performer

Excalibur Hotel & Casino

(Public Company; Human Resources industry)

1995 — 1996 (1 year)

Additional Information

Mike Brister’s Websites:

Mike Brister’s Interests:

theme park and attraction design, technology, live entertainment, science fiction, novel writing, photography, simple web design, computer games, music composition, art, science, movie special effects, cartoons