Daniel Flannery (born 1952) is an American artist, creative producer, theatre director, scenographer, film/television director, director of photography and lighting designer.

Career

Stage spectacles Illusion was a grand opera scale live production show in Changzhou, China. Flannery was commissioned in 2013 to create this show incorporating 3D stereoscopic scenography as a featured element of the show. The stage and house was wrapped with LED walls upon which 3D stereoscopic CGI completed the scenography. The audience wore active 3D glasses and the effect was true immersion. The production featured an international cast of 100 performers.

Flannery directed Xayron in 2010, which was filmed in Budapest.

Overseas Chinese Town Limited engaged Flannery in 2009 to create a western style production show. The show was "E" Elements Show. The production featured a variety of dancers, acrobats, synchronized swimmers, singers, musicians, magicians, and puppets. The show ran for five years at the Huaxia Art Centre in Shenzhen, China.

Flannery collaborated with Oscar Winner, Production Designer Eugenio Zanetti. Together they created Movistar Magica in 2005 which toured throughout Colombia. The tour kicked off with a live broadcast on network television from Bogotá, Colombia. The show was presented in parks and stadiums, featuring 500 performers on a stage that filled a football field.

Maryland celebrated the 350th anniversary of their statehood in 1985. The Department of Tourism for the City of Baltimore commissioned Flannery to collaborate with them to create a theatrical experience on Rash Field at the Inner Harbor for this celebration. Flannery and his team conceived and designed a food and beverage area that consisted of facades based on Maryland's early architecture. The main attraction was a 1200-seat theatre, inspired by tall ships, presenting an original stage production. The show was directed by Flannery and written by Cindy Flannery. The show featured actors portraying the ship's crew with historical paintings and photographs from the Peale Museum projected onto the sails and theatrical illusions.

3D stereoscopic dome films Majid and the Secret of Life is a 3D stereoscopic film presented several times a day in the Dana Dome, a purpose-built theatre at Kahramaa Awareness Centre. Conceived and directed by Flannery the film explores the origins of water on our planet through a young boy's dream journey.

World Fairs and World Expos For the Brisbane Australia World Expo 88, Flannery served as associate to Artistic Director John Truscott.

The 1984 Louisiana World Exposition presented an 'Aquacade' in the tradition of Billy Rose's Aquacade. Flannery designed the lighting for this 'Aquacade' attraction.

For the Osaka 1990 World Expo (the international Garden and Greenery Exposition), Flannery created Water Fantasium, the main attraction in the Dairinkai Pavilion. An original theatrical experience with a robotic conductor and an orchestra of water and scenography, it was voted by the Japanese media as the Fair's leading attraction.

In 1993, Flannery created Fantastic Odyssey for the Taejon, South Korea World Expo 93. After the Expo closed the attraction was relocated to a permanent location at Lotte World in Seoul.

Television and film In 1978, Flannery relocated to Los Angeles, California and joined the ABC Television Network as Lighting Director. While at ABC he received his first Prime-time Emmy Nomination for his lighting direction of CBS's TV Special Goldie & Liza Together.

Flannery served as Director of Photography on the popular television series Roseanne. His innovative lighting design for the show revolutionized sitcoms and earned him the International Monitor Award, LDI Lighting Designer of the Year, and three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lighting Direction.

In the realm of feature films, Flannery was theatrical lighting designer on such films as Death Becomes Her, Forrest Gump, and Noises Off.

YearTitleRoleGenreNotes2003Road to SlamballCinematographerReality-TV2002SlamballCinematographerTV series1998ReunitedCinematographerTV series3 episodes1988–1996RoseanneCinematographer and Lighting DesignerTV series196 episodes, 4 Emmy nominations, LDI Award, International Monitor Award1994–1995All-American GirlCinematographerTV series18 episodes1994–1995Me and the BoysCinematographerTV series8 episodes1993–1994Grace Under FireCinematographerTV series18 episodes1994Forrest GumpTheatrical Lighting ConsultantFeature Film1994Someone Like MeCinematographerTV series1993Joe's LifeCinematographerTV series11 episodes1992–1993Down the ShoreCinematographerTV series25 episodes1992–1993Shaky GroundCinematographerTV series7 episodes1991–1992Davis RulesCinematographer and Lighting DirectorTV series25 episodes1992Death Becomes HerTheatrical Lighting ConsultantFilm1992Noises Off...Lighting Design ConsultantFilm1992Woops!Cinematographer and Lighting DesignerTV series1991The Man in the FamilyCinematographerTV series7 episodes1991Baby TalkCinematographerTV series12 episodes1990Carol & CompanyCinematographerTV series4 episodes1989Chicken SoupCinematographerTV series1988PoisonCinematographerTV series1987The Rescue of Pops GhostlyLighting DesignerVideo game19841984 Summer OlympicsCeremonies Special Effects Director - 1982YesteryearCinematographerTV documentary1980Goldie and Liza TogetherLighting DirectorTV specialEmmy nominated1980OmnibusCinematographerTV series2 episodes1980Mr. and Mrs. DraculaCinematographerTV series1978–1980Family FeudLighting DirectorTV series3 episodes1977–1978The Way It WasLighting DirectorTV series12 episodes1971The Ed Sullivan ShowLighting TraineeTV series3 episodes

Themed entertainment WED (now Walt Disney Imagineering) contracted Flannery as a scenographic and lighting design consultant for The American Adventure and Kitchen Kabaret at Epcot.

For Universal Studios Hollywood, Flannery served as lighting designer, conceptualist and scenographer for Universal Studios on such attractions as E.T. Adventure, Kongfrontation, The Adventures of Conan: A Sword and Sorcery Spectacular, and Back to the Future: The Ride. For Universal Studios Florida, he was scenographer and/or lighting designer on E.T. Adventure, King Kong, and Jaws. Flannery was the principal architectural site lighting designer for Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.

Cosmic Symphony was an attraction Flannery created for Geopolis at the Tokyo Dome. The attraction ran from 1995 to 2007. In 1996, he was principal designer for Adventure Slots in the Hollywood Casino which won the THEA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Themed Entertainment.

YearTitleLocationRoleNotes2000Dome CinemaKangwon LandProducer1999-Islands of AdventureOrlando, FloridaPrincipal Architectural Site Lighting Designer1998Son et LumierePhiladelphia Historic DistrictConceptualist1997-Halloween Horror NightsUniversal Studios HollywoodConceived and Directed first original1996Adventure SlotsHollywood CasinoPrincipal DesignerTHEA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Themed Entertainment1995–2007Cosmic SymphonyTokyo Dome, GeopolisConceptualist, Scenographer, and Director1993–2007Back to the Future:The RideUniversal Studios HollywoodConceptualist1991–2003E.T. AdventureUniversal Studios HollywoodConceptualist, Scenographer, and Lighting Designer1990-E.T. AdventureUniversal Studios FloridaScenographer and Lighting Designer1990-Universal Studios FloridaOrlando, FloridaPrincipal Architectural Site Lighting Designer1991 Night Beautiful Award for Imaginative Nighttime Lighting Design1990–2012JawsUniversal Studios FloridaScenographer and Lighting Designer1990–2002King KongUniversal Studios FloridaScenographer and Lighting Designer1987AtlantisSingaporeConceptualist, Scenographer, and Creative Producer1986–2008KongfrontationUniversal Studios HollywoodConceptualist, Scenographer, and Lighting Designer1983–1993The Adventures of Conan: A Sword and Sorcery SpectacularUniversal Studios HollywoodConceptualist, Scenographer, and Lighting Designer1982-The American AdventureEpcotScenographer and Lighting Design Consultant1982–1984Kitchen KabaretEpcotScenographer and Lighting Design Consultant1985Peppermint ParkSingaporeConceptualist, Scenographer, and Creative Producer1985Ice TunnelUniversal Studios HollywoodScenographer and Lighting Designer

Visual symphonies In 1977 Flannery was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic to create the original Star Wars Concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Flannery designed and directed the concert incorporating theatrical lighting, lasers, pyrotechnics and effects. The concert was a landmark event and Flannery began his journey of pioneering "Visual Symphonies", an entirely new concert genre. Flannery collaborated for decades with Maestro Erich Kunzel. Their first endeavor was The Great Symphonic Visual Fantasy in 1978 with the Cleveland Orchestra at the Blossom Music Centre. Together they created Symphantasy – a visual symphony series that was presented annually at the Riverbend Music Center with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.

YearTitleLocationRoleNotes1989Symphantasy IIRiverbend Music CenterConceptualist, Scenographer, and Directorwith the Cincinnati Pops and Erich Kunzel1988Symphantasy IRiverbend Music CenterConceptualist, Scenographer, and Directorwith the Cincinnati Pops and Erich Kunzel1988Great American ConcertHollywood BowlConceptualist, Scenographer, and Directorwith the LA Philharmonic and Erich Kiunzel1982E.T. in ConcertHollywood BowlConceptualist, Scenographer, and Directorwith the LA Philharmonic and John Williams1978Great Symphonic Visual FantasyBlossom Music CenterConceptualist, Scenographer, and Directorwith the Cleveland Orchestra and Erich Kunzel1978Stellar FantasySan Francisco Civic CenterConceptualist, Scenographer, and Directorwith the San Jose Symphony and George Cleve1977Star Wars ConcertHollywood BowlConceptualist, Scenographer, and Directorwith the LA Philharmonic and Zubin MehtaGreat Laser & Music Image ConcertHollywood BowlConceptualist, Scenographer, and Directorwith the LA Philharmonic and Michael Tilson Thomas1988Cincinnati PopsCarnegie HallGuest Artist (Scenographer)with Erich Kunzel

Olympic ceremonies The LAOOC contracted Flannery as a conceptualist working directly with David Wolper and Tommy Walker on the Closing Ceremonies of the Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics. Once the ceremonies were conceived the LAOOC contracted Flannery to direct and his firm to supervise the special effects and special lighting of the closing ceremonies. This included designing the infamous spaceship and alien.

In Universal Studios' bid to produce the ceremonies for the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic Games, Flannery served as conceptualist and artistic director.

Concerts Flannery was a photographer for Neil Diamond's live concert Love at the Greek, recorded at the Greek Theater in 1977.

Flannery was the lighting designer for The Sonny & Cher Concerts, their final years together 1977–1979. He continued to work with Cher as lighting designer on her Black Rose show in 1980.

Also in 1980, Flannery was the special effects consultant for Kenny Loggins' Keep the Fire concert at the Universal Amphitheatre.

Cincinnati Pops appeared at Carnegie Hall in 1988, with conductor Erick Kunzel and guest artist Flannery (Scenographer).

Flannery was lighting designer for the Hollywood Bowl Summer 1992 season.

Flannery directed In the House of Ethel, a 2007 Winter Solstice celebration at the World Financial Center's Winter Garden in New York City. The concert featured magicians Raja & Jarret and poet Harry Smith.

Events