Name: Christina J. Martin
Title: Lighting Designer
Years Worked at VT: Just over 1 year.
Favorite Project: I really have a few projects that I really enjoy, but the only one I can talk about right now is The Land Of Legends! This was my first time working on a large theme park expansion and new land. I love being able to design the world that people are going to get to explore. This is also my first project at VTI that is already open. Many times, the process takes multiple years to construct and put together, but the timeline for this project was so fast that people are already getting to enjoy it!
Tell us your most memorable or funniest memory at Visual Terrain: I won’t lie, we have A LOT of fun at VTI. That being said, I think some of my favorite memories are the birthday surprises. Lisa & David work really hard to make everyone’s birthday special, whether we are working at the office or at home. One time, they requested a mandatory earthquake preparedness meeting in the afternoon, but it was really a birthday surprise!
Favorite Aspect of Lighting Design: I’m a left-brained thinker by nature and always have been. However, my soul is really fed by creativity and art — which can be a struggle when you tend to think technically first. When I found lighting design, it challenged both sides of my brain. That’s the really cool thing about lighting is that is truly science and art at the same time. You can’t have one without the other. You could be fantastic at the artistic element, but if you don’t understand the science behind how the fixture makes the beam shape, the distance needed to get the right spread, how the fixtures function and are programmed and the colors mix – it’s quite possible you could end up with a mushy, muddy design.
What/Who Inspires You: I’m really inspired by nature and water. I’m an avid outdoors person. I’m constantly inspired by what I see around me. My husband and I like to travel, camp, kayak and hike. We’ve been all over the country and every place we’ve visited is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. I don’t know that I could pick a favorite place – but I’ll share my top two: 1. The Sedona, AZ Cathedral Rock hike (difficult, but rewarding especially if you time it so you see the sunset at the top) 2. Yosemite National Park in springtime. The famous waterfall hike.
Fun Fact About Yourself that No One Knows: I really love to bake! I’ve made breads, pies, cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and more. OH MAN! The only problem is I shouldn’t eat all of the sweets I make and bake, so I don’t do it very often. My most recent masterpiece was a homemade key lime pie for my husband’s birthday!
What is your favorite part about being a lighting designer? I love collaborating with the creative team and being able to create the atmosphere and environment of spaces and bring the space to life through lighting. There’s just something so challenging, yet fun about being able to paint with light. That moment when your collaborators are like “Wow, it’s everything I thought it would be” and the guests come in and are pulled into the world, that’s when you know you’ve done your job well.