Daren Ulmer, Premier Media-Based Creative Director, Industry Leader and Media Artist is pushing Mousetrappe, an experiential media firm headquartered in Burbank, CA, to provide high-level creative development and direction of intricate media designs and productions. Daren is the left and right brain for the company – managing to handle both the creative and technical disciplines for all complex media-based projects. He and Mousetrappe are known for expert innovations worldwide — continually improving the way media is implemented to advance story, enhance space, and create audience connection.

For 22 years, Ulmer has been a key contributor to the experiential attractions and entertainment industry with a solid reputation for problem solving ahead of the curve, avoiding costly issues that can plague sophisticated productions, and empowering project directors to use media in ways they may not have known were possible. Daren and Mousetrappe just get it done — without drama or headaches, they simply know how to make media work.

Daren was the driving force behind the look, visual effects, and overall media design, post-production and installation of Beyond All Boundaries the multi-sensory cinematic experience for the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. A winner of the Thea and AAM Muse Gold awards as well as a Visual Effects Society (VES) award nominee, Beyond All Boundaries set a new standard for excellence and received praise from the New York Post stating, “In the future, all history will be taught like this.” Having worked very closely with Executive Producer, Tom Hanks and Creative Director/Producer, Phil Hettema at The Hettema Group, Daren is proud of the numerous accolades and national media attention the project received.

Daren spent his 10 year career at The Walt Disney Company in various capacities such as creative development, management and production for theme parks and special events worldwide where he played a vital role in the conversion to digital playback and workflow for shows, rides, and parades including it’s a small world - Holiday (Disneyland), Mulan Parade (Disneyland and Disney Hollywood Studios) and Fantasmic! (Disney Hollywood Studios). Since leaving Disney, Daren has completed projects for Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World Parks, Harrah’s Entertainment, and many more.

In 2010 Daren and Mousetrappe designed and produced the projections and media on Hogwarts Castle during the Opening Ceremony of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for Thinkwell Design and Productions and Universal Orlando. Recently Daren designed the media for The Magic, The Memories, and You! that features a unique combination of CG architectural effects, matte paintings, animation, and other visual effects tightly registered 270 degrees around the highly dimensional surfaces of Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World, as well as an adapted show on it’s a small world at Disneyland.  These are considered the most story-driven and complex registered architectural projections ever created.

Mr. Ulmer is an active member of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), currently serving on the International Board, and is a past president of the Western Division. A featured guest speaker at the Council of American Jewish Museums with Moderator Marty Sklar, SATE 2010 (Storytelling + Architecture + Technology + Experience), IAAPA, and the Thea Awards Summit Conference, Daren will soon be speaking at the United States Institute for Theater Technology Conference.