Bob Rogers (designer)

Bob Rogers is an American designer, producer, and director, most known for his work in themed entertainment. Rogers is founder and chairman of BRC Imagination Arts, a strategic design and production agency. Rogers oversees the creative elements of all BRC projects, serving clients like Coca-Cola, NASA, Disney, Johnnie Walker, Universal Studios, Ford, General Motors, China Mobile, China Telecom, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. He is a former member of the board of directors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

As a film and television director and producer, Rogers has earned two Academy Award nominations, for the live action short films Ballet Robotique and Rainbow War plus a Los Angeles Emmy Award nomination as the producer of the documentary short The Wedge: Dynasty, Tragedy, Legacy. Rogers has also worked on pavilions at world's fairs, including Expo 86 in Vancouver, Expo 88 in Brisbane, Expo '90 in Osaka, Expo '92 in Seville, Expo '93 in Taejon (now Daejeon), Expo 2005 in Aichi, Expo 2010 in Shanghai, and Expo 2015 in Milan and Expo 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Career
Bob Rogers began his involvement in themed entertainment in 1968 with the Walt Disney Company, as a magician in the Magic Shop at the Disneyland theme park in California. Founded in 1981, Rogers' firm, BRC Imagination Arts has received over 400 international awards, including two Academy Award nominations and 23 Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) "THEA" Awards for "outstanding achievement in themed entertainment". In 2010, Rogers was inducted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame. In his induction by IAAPA, Rogers' company was referred to as "one of the world's leading creators of content-based visitor experiences for museums, cultural centers and theme parks".

In 1984, Rogers was elected into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, serving since as a voting member in the Oscar awards selection and rules process. In 2014 he was elected to serve on the board of governors (their board of directors) of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Rogers is also a former board member of Ryman Arts, a non-profit which provides recognition and scholarships to young artists of exceptional talent.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) invited Rogers to help develop its master plan for the exploration of Mars as part of their Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group. In September 2002, Rogers was awarded the NASA Public Service Medal.

In 2009 Rogers received the "Order of Lincoln Medal" in recognition of his and BRC's work creating the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

Rogers is a writer and popular speaker on the subject of content-based themed entertainment and is recognized among industry peers and the press as an expert in his field. Rogers has been quoted and interviewed in a wide range of media such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, Fast Company, Popular Science, and the Los Angeles Times. He was a featured guest on National Public Radio's program, A Prairie Home Companion.

In 2007 Rogers received the Thea Award for Lifetime Achievement. Each year one such award is given to an individual who is recognized, industry-wide, for their key contributions to the evolution of themed design and entertainment. Past recipients have included film innovator Don Iwerks and Walt Disney Imagineers Marty Sklar, Tony Baxter and John Hench.

Technical achievements
Rogers holds two patents in theater entertainment technologies. He is the inventor of the "Holavision" Theater; a special effect technique, which pairs live performances with "floating" aerial image illusions. Rogers' Holavision shows include Spirit Lodge at the Vancouver World's Fair, Mystery Lodge at Knott's Berry Farm, Animation Celebration at Universal Studios Japan, and Ghosts of the Library for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum.

In 2012, Rogers and BRC revealed plans for "The Vomit Comet", a zero-G roller coaster capable of delivering eight full seconds of zero-gravity.