ORLANDO, Fla. — For decades, the University of Central Florida has been a pipeline to the entertainment industry, churning out students into theme parks across central Florida.
One of them is Karlyn Leander. She’s a figure finish artist.
“Each of those figures has different aesthetic needs,” said Leander. “So it’s like silicone skin, fiberglass shells, show set painting, all that stuff. We go in and make sure those figures are looking as good as they did on opening day.”
And that experience is gained through real world knowledge.
“We’re required to do the same kind of work that you would do as a theme park designer,” Leander said. “We’re putting together a pitch deck. We’re learning how to present it and then we’re actually given the chance to present it to the very executives and creative directors and people that work at Universal.”
But UCF’s impact on theme park storytelling goes beyond what you see. It also extends to what you taste.
At UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, professor Jonathon Judy teaches students how food itself can be a storytelling tool.
“They really learn about it from the perspective of how does food go from the kernel of an idea to something that creates an immersive concept,” said Judy.
Those concepts are learned through things like sensory analysis. That’s the scientific method used to evaluate how food is perceived by the senses.
“You have five basic tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami, which is savory,” Judy said. “But there are thousands of different aromas, and when we have aroma combining with taste, we get flavor. And that’s where sensory analysis comes in and gives us a much deeper understanding of different flavors.”
Every detail is designed to ignite imagination and excite your taste buds.
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