Steve Tatham is leaving Universal Creative as of today to start his own consultancy. Holding the title Vice President, Executive Creative Director, Tatham had been based in Orlando for the past two years, rumored to be one of the leaders of the planned Epic Universe theme park. Prior to moving to Orlando, Tatham had been based in Osaka for four years, where he worked as Vice President, Creative for Universal Studios Japan.
Before joining Universal, Tatham worked for 28 years in a variety of roles for Walt Disney Imagineering.
Known for his weekly "Creative Inspiration" sessions at Universal, Tatham is now looking to bring his experience in themed entertainment to a variety of clients through his new website, stevetatham.com:
"Use the secrets of theme park design to supercharge your creativity. Walt Disney Imagineer emeritus and Vice President and Executive Creative Director at Universal Creative, Steve Tatham, brings the magic of theme park idea generation to you through keynote speeches, intense 'blue sky' workshops and customized consultation."
You can read more about Tatham in our previous articles: Here's How to Make a Great Theme Park Attraction and Let's talk Nintendo with the creative director at Universal Studios Japan.
Tatham's departure from Universal is the latest example of top companies hemorrhaging creative talent as the pandemic keeps international borders closed, travel restricted, and new theme park projects delayed or canceled. Universal has announced that it has delayed the Epic Universe project indefinitely, but with the departure of Tatham and others at Universal Creative, it is becoming clear that any substantial development of Universal Orlando's proposed south campus will not happen for several years — not until Universal and the industry get a clearer direction for what the market will support in a recovering travel economy.
Meanwhile, Tatham and other experienced creative leaders are setting out on their own — some going solo and others forming new design shops. That provides an accessible pool of world-class creative talent for any business looking to expand quickly once the recovery happens — talent that had been locked up by Universal and Disney before the pandemic hit.
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Epic won’t live up to its name given that most of the Universal Creative on that project have been let go. Aside from that fact that many of my friends that were part of it have been let go, I’ve accepted since May that the park is no more.
I comfort myself with the fact that Universal has not erased any of the plans for the park. When Universal decides that it wants to resume with Epic Universe, the plans will be there. And Universal will know how to put the band back together if it wants, too.
The issue, though, is that the pandemic has been a global disruption to the travel and entertainment industries. Epic Universe was designed before the pandemic, but did not have the opportunity to develop a fan base nostalgic for it before everything closed. A park that debuts after the pandemic will need to be designed for the post-pandemic market.
But neither Universal nor anyone else knows what that market will be, or how it might differ from the pre-pandemic market. Universal (and Disney and almost everyone else) laid off design employees because it could not justify the expense of carrying them while awaiting clarity on the post-pandemic themed entertainment market.
When that clarity begins to form, there will be plenty of designers and new design shops available to hire and contract to adapt or transform the Epic Universe plans to the post-pandemic market.
So fingers crossed for Universal Orlando's south campus — whatever it might be — in 2025 or so.
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This does not bode well for Epic Universe. The Disney+ Imagineering series has a great focus on all the amazing ideas they had in the '90s only for budget/talent cuts to lead to them not realized (and while they don't play on it, how several Imagineers jumped to Universal to help create IOA). I'd hate to see how current events have contributed to a loss of talent that means "Epic" won't be living up to its name as the early artwork promised.