Creating Magic From Code
A degree from UNC Computer Science can lead to some magical careers.
Just ask Mark Mine (Ph.D. 1997), executive in the Creative Technology Group at Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) and the head of WDI’s Creative Technology Studio.
Mine (pronounced min-AY) and the Creative Technology Studio help Imagineers build better theme parks by creating new ways to design, evaluate, and present concepts and ideas. During his 17 years at WDI, Mine has worked on some incredible projects, including the online multiplayer games Toontown Online and Pirates of the Caribbean Online as well as the attractions DisneyQuest at Disney Springs; the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland; the Radiator Springs Racers at Disneyland California Adventure; Toy Story Midway Mania at multiple parks; and the new Ratatouille: The Adventure at Disneyland Paris.
Before becoming an Imagineer or coming to UNC, Mine started his career at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). After receiving a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in computer science and electrical engineering from the University of Southern California, Mine started as a Spacecraft Systems Engineer working on the Voyager Missions to other planets. Mine began experimenting with virtual environments at NASA. When the Voyager Missions were coming to a close, Mine decided to enroll in the UNC Department of Computer Science to work with Fred Brooks, a decision that he attributes in large part to a NASA research article.
“It was an article in a magazine called NASA Tech Briefs about the virtual reality research at NASA Ames Research Center being conducted by Scott Fisher and Warren Robinett. It seemed like amazing, exciting work that I really wanted to pursue,” said Mine. “I eventually got in touch with Warren, who was a researcher at UNC at the time, and he convinced me to come down to Chapel Hill. My life has never been the same since that article!”
Mine’s dissertation focused on creating a unified framework for virtual-environment interaction based on proprioception, a person’s sense of the position and orientation of his/her body and limbs through direct manipulation, physical mnemonics, and gestural actions.
Mine was truly impressed with the work that Walt Disney Imagineering was doing in virtual environments. After initial work in online games and DisneyQuest attractions, his work on the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage opened doors to build the Creative Technology Studio.
The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage replaced Submarine Voyage, which ran from 1959 until 1998 but closed for seven years while Imagineers sought ways to re-theme the ride rather than demolish it. When Disney decided to tie the ride into the new movie Finding Nemo, Mine worked on technology to pre-visualize how the animated characters from the movie would look when viewed from portholes in the ride’s submarines.
“At first it was only me, then I was able to hire a couple of programmers and artists. The group probably officially got started around 2007 and has grown steadily since that time and now consists of about 20 people.”
Under Mine’s leadership, the Creative Technology Studio has expanded to create 3D pre-visualization tools, including the Digital Immersive Showroom (DISH), that allow developers to experience planned Disney attractions in a virtual environment before construction even begins (click here to see the DISH in action). These 3D pre-visualization tools have completely changed the way Imagineers plan, design, evaluate, and present projects, and they were even used in the preparations for the new luxury bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Resort that opened earlier this year.
While Mine could not tell us much about the projects he and his team are currently working on, the excitement in his voice is obvious when he talks about some of the upcoming Avatar and Star Wars expansions that are underway at Walt Disney World.
His advice for students or for those interested in joining his team is that Disney is always looking for candidates who are not only qualified, but really show they are passionate about the work. He recommends that students get involved in projects outside of class to show interest and enthusiasm for developing new technology.