This is a self-initiated project to demonstrate my ability to work within the themed entertainment space. For this project, I chose Universal Studios as my subject and created a brand new event for the theme park that guests of all ages can attend. Within this project, I brainstormed the idea of the event, created the branding, theming ideas for food and beverage booths, and creative for digital marketing.

THEMED ENTERTAINMENT DESIGN | BRANDING | MERCH

Building on the success of Universal’s Tribute Store Plaza from 2024, Blockbusters in the Park imagines what happens when Universal opens its vault and invites guests to step back into the stories that shaped the park itself.

For a limited run during the month of June, Universal transforms their central stage area into an open-air cinema for the movies that once lived here. As the sun sets, guests gather on the lawn, settling into blankets and low chairs, to watch full feature films tied directly to Universal attractions that once occupied nearby ride buildings and backstage spaces.

Not just movies on a screen, these are chapters of the park’s history, projected back into the place where they first came to life.

Throughout the day and into the evening, the park becomes a living archive. Themed food booths serve playful, nostalgia-driven snacks and drinks inspired by classic films and defunct attractions, encouraging guests to taste their way through Universal’s past.

Nearby, former ride locations are given new life with carefully placed props, set pieces, and photo opportunities, creating small moments of rediscovery where guests can encounter pieces of attractions they once rode, or stories they’ve only heard about.

Blockbusters in the Park reinforces the experience Universal already offers. A place to not only ride the movies with immersive experiences, but a place full of history where stories have lived, evolved, and continue to bring people together.

The event identity uses a simple, text-based wordmark in place of a traditional logo, allowing the supporting graphic elements to take the lead in storytelling. A starry sky motif appears consistently throughout the branding, reinforcing the open-air movie experience and the idea of watching blockbusters beneath the night sky. The music stage itself is reinterpreted as a minimal graphic element, subtly tying the visual system back to the physical location of the event.

As guests enter the park, they are greeted with the Blockbusters in the Park event medallion.

Social graphics reflect a mixture of branded content, life-style imagery, UGC and illustration.

Event signage includes banners and posters with the whole event movie line-up and well as signage for the VIP Experience of the event. For a deeper experience, guests can purchase a VIP experience that offers a backstage lens into Universal’s creative legacy. This experience includes access to a curated buffet featuring all event-exclusive food and beverages, express access to select attractions, reserved movie seating with provided lawn chairs, and a guided backstage experience showcasing larger prop pieces and retired ride vehicles, when available, giving fans a rare look behind the curtain at how Universal’s stories were built.

Merchandise takes inspiration from concert tour apparel, with the venue treated as the focal point and screening dates and films listed like a tour lineup. Silver fleck accents appear across select items, tying the designs back to the event’s starry sky visual language.

Revisiting Universal’s past and present IPs creates a natural opportunity for themed food and beverage experiences tied directly to the films screened during the event. Similar to how Halloween Horror Nights food booths extend the storytelling of each haunted house, these offerings translate iconic movie moments into playful, event-exclusive snacks and drinks — allowing guests to engage with Universal’s film legacy through taste as well as sight.

Designed as a weathered barn with an attached storm cellar, this booth draws inspiration from Twister and its iconic practical effects. A playful gag — the familiar cow lodged in the roof — serves as an instantly recognizable nod to the film. The food and beverage offerings lean fully into the storm theme, with items named after tornado classifications, funnel clouds, and hailstorms, including a fan-favorite event staple: twisted fries. One side of the structure features the Twister movie poster while the opposite side is dedicated to the menu board, balancing storytelling with operational clarity.

​Designed as a tribute to the former Nickelodeon Studios façade, this booth reimagines the building’s iconic architecture through bold color, 90s-inspired splat graphics, and signature green slime accents. The food and beverage offerings draw from classic Nickelodeon shows such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Double Dare, All That, and the unmistakable legacy of slime itself, translating familiar moments into playful, instantly recognizable menu items. To balance nostalgia with clarity, one side of the booth features the Good Burger movie poster, while the opposite side is dedicated to menu boards.

This project explores how Universal’s film history can be experienced beyond traditional attractions by inviting guests to slow down, gather together, and reconnect with stories that once shaped the park. Blockbusters in the Park blends past and present through environment, food, merchandise, and shared viewing experiences, highlighting the power of storytelling when it extends across multiple touchpoints.