Cedar Fair Entertainment

I led an in-house studio for one of the largest amusement park operators in the world, Cedar Fair (recently merged with Six Flags).

As a nimble team of storytellers, animators, and designers, we developed original entertainment content to enhance customer experience, deepen brand engagement, and generate sponsorship revenue. We also conceptualized and produced a wide variety of campaigns for ourselves as well as our commercial, government, and non-profit partners.

We reached millions of customers and employees through broadcast, social, mobile, digital signage, kiosks, and a video network with hundreds of touchpoints in our parks and hotel rooms. Below are some highlights from our original concepts.

Meet The Chefs Campaign

Creative Direction, Copywriting, Cinematography

We sought to raise awareness of our new Executive Chefs among customers and employees to boost customer satisfaction and recruiting efforts for our food & beverage program..

From an intense one-day shoot, we were able to produce short documentaries, digital signage, menuboard content, a recruiting video, and assets for print and digital. The documentary content alone produced 49MM new impressions per year. Applications poured in and chefs achieved local celebrity status.

The Team
Creative Director/Photographer David Markey
Producer/Photographer/Editor Adam Fischmer
Photographer/Editor Josh Flowers
Photographer Jordan Sternberg, Chris Foshee
Motion Graphics Phil Grosvenor

Cash Coaster Gameshow

Concept, Direction, Copywriting, Editing

Taking inspiration from the show Cash Cab, I conceptualized Cash Coaster: a gameshow where we recruited unsuspecting guests to test their ability to answer questions while riding record-breaking roller coasters. We used an iterative process and a lean production model to overcome numerous challenges including:

• capturing clean audio at over 70 mph

• maintaining safety protocols and normal ride operations by developing custom techniques to install or remove our equipment in under 2 minutes

• testing different casting processes to balance budget and speed against quality and consistency

The show became the flagship concept for the FunTV network, earning rave reviews from viewers and stakeholders. It brought in six-figure revenue from various sponsors in different industries. We made over 20 episodes in the US and Canada, and the format could even tie in with movie and video game releases.

Inside Track Documentaries

Creative Direction, Copywriting, Cinematography

We saw ample opportunity to create a series in the vein of Dirty Jobs, uncovering the surprisingly complex and innovative machinery and people that build and operate the world’s greatest amusement parks.

For several of the initial episodes, I ran camera, wrote voiceover, and edited footage. I also designed the logo and title sequence. In my role as project manager, I interfaced with stakeholders around the company to find story opportunities, arrange shoots, and get sign-off on finished episodes.

We produced over a dozen episodes covering topics from ride construction and maintenance, to decorative gardening, ice rink installation, and monster makeup. Comments online and on-site were enthusiastically positive, with ample praise for the Cedar Fair employees working day-and-night to ensure the fun and safety of millions of guests. Kids wowed their parents with facts they learned “while waiting in line.” The show generated revenue from external sponsors in several industries.

Airtime Infotainment

Creative Direction, Copywriting, Studio Build

We set out to create an “envelope” that could be produced on a short tunaround to deliver the high volume and wide variety of messaging requests we received. Our solution was "Airtime," a short format magazine-style series.

Our creative direction would have to facilitate consistent and efficient production while enabling localized branding. This drove our decision to build a simple greenscreen studio and create virtual sets for each Cedar Fair brand. Casting Kathryn as the host proved successful, leading to multiple seasons of well-received segments. .

Over two seasons, Airtime produced over 100 segments, effectively covering key products, events, and sponsorship messaging, while generating positive stakeholder feedback and significantly reducing production costs compared to external agencies. Additionally, the show facilitated corporate giving, exemplified by a substantial donation for children with life-threatening illnesses.