DAVID TARANTINO
Since childhood, I have always been consumed with the Theatrical and Themed Arts, whether it was a production of Henrik Ibsen’s GHOST, a Mardi Gras parade float, or the whimsical world of a Theme Park. I decided when I got to college to pursue these interests. I majored in Theatre Set Design(BFA) at the University of New Orleans. Upon my completion of my degree, I enrolled at UNLV in the Masters program where I received my MFA in Theatre Arts.
For the past twenty years, I have had amazing opportunities working on Broadway shows, designing for Gladys Knight for her residency at the Flamingo Hilton, creating multi-million dollar corporate events and themed installations in Hollywood and Las Vegas as well as visual design for well known brands such as Unilever, Coca-Cola Enterprises and El Pollo Loco.
I have balanced my day job with personal creative work and continued education in these fields, which has garnered attention from a few indie design firms. Eventually, I got offers from more established companies such as Paramount and Global Experience Specialists, so I decided to design as well, on a freelance basis. This allowed me to work on other cool projects, from emerging brands to current events.
My creative approach is to find points of drama behind the idea I’ve been assigned to or am interested in. I do several iterations on each point and usually end up refining the one I find most theatrical and dramatic.
For me, designing has been a way for me to plant a desire in my audiences hearts; a yearning to immerse themselves into a fantastical story, a dream.