Eddie Newquist

Early life and career

Born in New York, Newquist spent his childhood in Boston and Phoenix before moving to Los Angeles. He graduated from Loyola Marymount University where he received a film scholarship and was awarded “best student director” his junior year. Newquist launched his career during his senior year in college when he accepted a position with Douglas Trumbull’s Showscan Film Corp. He went on to create popular touring marketing events and attractions for major films including Twister, Apollo 13, Robots, Cars, Up, Bolt, Ratatouille, The Polar Express, Sherlock Holmes and Happy Feet.

Design characteristics and style

Newquist's projects are known for their immersive, educational and interactive nature. In a 2007 interview with InPark Magazine, Newquist shared thoughts on what makes theme parks successful: “Theme parks are in a unique position to package entertainment that allows or even forces the intersection of awe, amazement, pleasure and educational value. Such productions provide meaningful times for all family members – away from the children’s video game consoles. The promise of a child learning something on a trip to a park gets high marks from Mom every time.”

Career

Over his 25-year career, Newquist has held senior creative executive positions at GES, Universal Studios, Iwerks Entertainment, and Clear Channel Entertainment. Clients and partners include Walt Disney Studios, Pixar, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Ford and NASA.

He has worked with film directors Steven Spielberg and James Cameron along with special effects pioneers Douglas Trumbull, John Bruno, Stan Winston and Richard Edlund. For the opening of Universal Studios Florida he worked with special make-up effects artist Rick Baker to create the “Phantom of the Opera Make-up Show”.

Newquist’s exhibition work and films have been hosted by the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Discovery Times Square in New York, the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, and the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

Newquist currently serves as executive vice president and chief creative officer of GES, one of the world's largest exhibition and events companies. His projects range from corporate marketing events and branded entertainment experiences, to 15,000-square-foot touring exhibitions that can be seen in major exhibition centers, museums and science centers around the world.

Trivia

While working for special effects legend Douglas Trumbull at Showscan, Newquist worked on the production of the world’s first motion simulator-based attraction for the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada. He also worked as an optical assistant on the Disneyland attraction “Captain EO” starring Michael Jackson and produced by George Lucas.

As the creative lead and spokesperson for Harry Potter: The Exhibition, Newquist can be found co-hosting the opening of each venue. He has been photographed touring the film’s actors through the exhibition and with an owl on this wrist.

Awards and patents

Newquist has been recognized with numerous awards for his work in marketing events, exhibitions and attractions; some of which include:

Also an industry innovator, Newquist holds three patents for the development of advanced show systems and the design of high-capacity entertainment experiences (awarded between 1995-1999 for work on Universal Studios’ “Twister”, “Terminator 2-3D” and “Apollo 13” attractions).

Personal life

Newquist resides in La Canada, Calif., with his wife and four children. He himself is one of eight children. Newquist’s father, Harvey Newquist II was a pioneer in the computer industry and one of the five founders of Data General. His younger brother Jimmy Newquist is the lead singer of alternative rock band Caroline's Spine, and his older brother Harvey “HP” Newquist is the author of more than a dozen books including The Great Brain Book: An Inside Look At The Inside Of Your Head and For Boys Only: The Biggest, Baddest Book Ever (co-written with Marc Aronson).