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Disneyland Hong Kong

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

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BruceJackson
Posts: 251
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 7:28 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Disneyland Hong Kong

Post by BruceJackson »

I thought you folks might be interested in this project. I have been awarded the contract to do all the window signwriting in the Main Street section of Disneyland in Hong Kong.

Over 90% of it is gold leaf lettering, comprising 140 signs. Everything from small transom numbers to full-blown feature pieces with everthing thrown at them. A sprinkling of sand-blast/glue chipping/ pearl/applied gemstones.

It is a huge project requiring a team of five people for two months. We'll be starting the on-site work next week.

I'd like to keep you people informed as the project progresses but at the moment I don't know if it will be politic to release any photos. I can't risk publishing anything that might be commercial-in-confidence.
Dan Seese
Posts: 324
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2004 11:29 pm
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Contact:

Post by Dan Seese »

Bruce,
Sounds like my kind of fun!
Hopefully it will go smoothly enough that the inevitable problems don't throw a kink in the joy of the work.
I look forward to checking in periodically to hear how it's progressing. I've never worked for Disney but from the little I know I think you're probably quite right about not sharing any photos with us - at least at this point.
Having seen your work I'm sure this too will be masterfully executed.
Carry on!
Dan
Roderick Treece
Posts: 1086
Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2004 8:04 pm
Location: San deigo Calif
Contact:

Post by Roderick Treece »

Congradulations!
Need any help from an out -of -work sign painter?I've spent time in Hong Kong and know it a little.

Roderick

P.s.When we did the faux marble at the new "california " disney park I was told you could not publish photos of your work.Maybe thats why I 've never seen any photos of John Studden's gold leaf work at the park.
vance galliher
Posts: 321
Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2004 11:38 pm
Location: springfield, or.
Contact:

window work

Post by vance galliher »

congulations Bruce ! What a great opportunity for you. They certainly made the right choice when selected you. Do let us know how it goes, and when and if you're able post photos. Good luck to you and your group.
erik winkler
Posts: 1097
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:48 pm
Location: Amsterdam Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Disneyland Hong Kong

Post by erik winkler »

Bruce,

It is time to post the photo's :wink:

Erik
Realizing we are in the 2nd renaissance of the arts.
Learn, copy and trying to improve...
Still in the learning phase ;-)
Amsterdam Netherlands
www.ferrywinkler.nl
www.schitterend.eu
www.facebook.com/Schitterend.eu
Doug Bernhardt
Posts: 1077
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 9:29 am
Location: Ottawa Canada
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Re: Disneyland Hong Kong

Post by Doug Bernhardt »

This will be a treat....and hope to see a few foto's at some point. Congrats on a good/high profile project.
Anthony Bennett
Posts: 352
Joined: Tue May 11, 2010 4:50 am
Location: England
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Re: Disneyland Hong Kong

Post by Anthony Bennett »

Best wishes with it.
Tony Segale
Posts: 702
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 10:20 am

Re: Disneyland Hong Kong

Post by Tony Segale »

Lucky skunk!

Luck ain't got nothing to do with it.
When you build your career developing your skills, paying attention to detail, and fine craftsmanship,
big risks can bring big rewards.

Congrats, Bruce.

With patience, we shall wait for the ok to release photos of finished work.
and he took that golden hair and made a sweater for baby bear.
http://www.tonysegale.com
http://www.tonysegale.wordpress.com
erik winkler
Posts: 1097
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:48 pm
Location: Amsterdam Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Disneyland Hong Kong

Post by erik winkler »

Guys, this job was done 6 years ago or something.
I am a fan of his work, so when I was searching through the forum I found this threat.
I will try and email him to point him on the reliving of this post.

Erik
Realizing we are in the 2nd renaissance of the arts.
Learn, copy and trying to improve...
Still in the learning phase ;-)
Amsterdam Netherlands
www.ferrywinkler.nl
www.schitterend.eu
www.facebook.com/Schitterend.eu
DAVE SMITH
Posts: 1213
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:12 am
Location: ENGLAND

Re: Disneyland Hong Kong

Post by DAVE SMITH »

If anyone can pull this off it is this guy. Congrats Bruce on a well deserved Contract.
Dave
BruceJackson
Posts: 251
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 7:28 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: Disneyland Hong Kong

Post by BruceJackson »

Thanks for the interest and the compliments. Yes, the job was done 5 years ago now. Time flies.

I didn't post photos earlier because of a caveat placed on me regarding publishing photos of the work along with a text description of the work. Not wanting to upset my client, I decided to not put photos of the work online.
Given the elapsed time, I'll contact them to see if they will allow me to add some photos to this post.

The job was an amazing experience. I took a team of experienced signwriters, all of us having old-school backgrounds and 20 or more years experience with a brush. There were five of us in total. A bunch of mad Aussie signwriters let loose in Hong Kong.

The job a logistically difficult, being in a foreign country where even simple things like buying turps (mineral turpentine) can't be taken for granted. Turps in Hong Kong is not like turps in Australia!

The entire site was dealing with delays in the building program due to rectification work, which of course meant that every one was under pressure and people were working on top of each other and battling for access and space. On top of that was a bit of culture clash between the Californian management style of Disney and the Chinese contractors with their vast teams of workers. Many of them unskilled, but they were learning by a process of re-do the work several times until it was right. Amusing to observe, but agony to be entangled with.

On a positive side, WDI (Disney's design arm, who designed and built the park) has a very high standard, and it was great to work with a client who understands what gold leaf work is about and can judge it and make informed specifications and decisions.

We did signs on all the shop windows in "Main Street". The section of Disneyland containing the shops and done in a colorful fantasy of a 19th century American township. Beautiful buildings on both sides of the street and three blocks long, it leads from the front entrance with it's train station to the castle in the centre of the park.

Did it drive me crazy?...You bet...would I do it again?....in a heartbeat.
DAVE SMITH
Posts: 1213
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:12 am
Location: ENGLAND

Re: Disneyland Hong Kong

Post by DAVE SMITH »

That's funny! Stuart my mate in Newcastle just pointed out that this was an old post. I need to wake up. .. I was thinking Bruce had won another contract at Disney..

Blame Erik for bringing the post back.
erik winkler
Posts: 1097
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:48 pm
Location: Amsterdam Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Disneyland Hong Kong

Post by erik winkler »

erikwinkler wrote:Guys, this job was done 6 years ago or something.
I am a fan of his work, so when I was searching through the forum I found this threat.
I will try and email him to point him on the reliving of this post.

Erik
Davy old boy :wink: ....
Realizing we are in the 2nd renaissance of the arts.
Learn, copy and trying to improve...
Still in the learning phase ;-)
Amsterdam Netherlands
www.ferrywinkler.nl
www.schitterend.eu
www.facebook.com/Schitterend.eu
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