PRODUCTION DESIGNER – ART DEPARTMENT

I HAVE THE POWER!

Did you know Gentry Akens was a layout artist on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe? It’s true. Fat Albert too. There’s a fascinating story about how he got his job at Hanna Barbera, but we’re here to talk about Hollywood East!                                                                                               
Gentry has been a production designer for film and television for over 30 years now, but he got his start in that business right here in Orlando, working on shows like The All New Mickey Mouse Club at Disney, and Gullah Gullah Island and Taina at Nickelodeon.                           
Nowadays, he lives and works in Atlanta, a city that has far surpassed Orlando in amount of production, so he was able to provide us with a lot of valuable insights in comparing the two efforts.                                      
A soft-spoken man with some powerful stories. Thanks for talking with us Gentry!

 

 

 

Aaron Blaise

Gentry Akens

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Gentry Akens is an award-winning designer in the world of entertainment design. He is a truly multi-dimensional creative executive and entrepreneur with over 35 years experience in immersive, interactive family entertainment across a wide range of media and merchandising brands. His talents have been utilized by major corporations, including: WALT DISNEY WORLD, UNIVERSAL STUDIOS ORLANDO, THE DISNEY CHANNEL, NICKELODEON, HASBRO INC., MATTEL TOYS, SONY PICTURES, HANNA BARBERA STUDIOS and so many others. Specializing in production design for motion pictures, television, theater, video, animation, toy design, story development, and live entertainment, his masterful visionary skills create magic and marvel the world over!

His career began as a concept artist, layout artist and character designer on highly successful animated shows such as FAT ALBERT, HE-MAN, MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE and so many others, culminating as the Producer for the animated DVD series WEEBLES for Hasbro Toy Company. Influenced by his love for Charles Shultz and Walt Disney, his talented hands expose a depth of range in his rendition of characters, some as whimsical as his WEEBLES designs to more linear designs that require a more serious nature. As the Director of Creative Development for Universal Orlando’s CITY- WALK, Gentry’s special ability to lead large scale creative productions are evident in several venues at this world destination theme park such as, BOB MARLEY’S TRIBUTE TO FREEDOM restaurant & nightclub, THE GROOVE dance club and several nighttime entertainment environments on site. He was Production Designer for the 90’s version of THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB, EMERALD COVE, Nickelodeon’s GULLAH GULLAH ISLAND, TAINA and YOUNG DYLAN (season 4), the award winning short film IR/RECONCILABLE on HBO, and TV One’s BAD DAD REHAB. Gentry was Production Designer on the made for TV movie THE WALTON’S HOMECOMING, A WALTON’S THANKSGIVING and DOLLY PARTON’S MOUNTAIN MAGIC CHRISTMAS.

The global designer is highly sought after where brilliant creative solutions are in demand. Having traveled the world, his spark of enthusiasm and creative “know how” have assured clients in South America, Europe, Canada, Seoul Korea, Taipei Taiwan and more. His powerful, creative mind, innovative problem-solving skills and a truly collaborative nature make Gentry a great member of any production team.

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