Room Escape Artist

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Imagineer & Puppeteer, Terri Hardin (REPOD S11E6)

 ”I wasn’t an Imagineer because of the dollar. It’s because I wanted to do something marvelous for people to enjoy.”

Peih-Gee Law
4–5 minutes

 ”I wasn’t an Imagineer because of the dollar. It’s because I wanted to do something marvelous for people to enjoy.”

Captain Eo. Ghostbusters. Men in Black. Team America. Star Tours. The Muppet Movie. If you’ve ever fallen in love with puppeted characters that felt impossibly alive, there’s a good chance Terri Hardin worked on them. A master puppeteer, creature builder, and performer, Terri has spent decades blurring the line between imagination and reality, helping bring some of the most iconic characters in film, television, and the Disney Parks to life.

Michael Jackson from Captain EO standing with various puppets from the set, including a robot man, a two headed creature, and a short elephant creature standing on two legs. image of older woman with long grey and brown dreadlocks, cat eyed classes, smiling broadly, in a rust color blazer and red patterned top

Thanks to the success and beloved characters of Jim Henson, puppets and fantastical characters were having a huge moment in the 80s and 90s. Studios depended on practical effects and humans to create and bring to life characters such as Stay Puft, the giant Marshmallow Man and Zuul, the Temple Dog in Ghostbusters, both of which Terri helped animate.

compilation of images from the Ghostbusters movie

Terri has such an impressive list of productions she’s worked on that her bio below is a 22 page document full of references to beloved films and characters. We’ve also linked to some videos of her work below in the Resources section.

Foster Farms “Foster Imposters” chicken commercial

Terri also worked as a sculptor and Imagineer at Walt Disney for many years. She is brimming with incredible stories about all the people she’s worked with including Michael Jackson, Dan Aykroyd and Jim Henson, and Michael Eisner. Terri talks to us about how she prepared herself so that when any opportunity came, she was ready. I especially loved her story about how she created the Dragon’s Lair attraction at Disneyland Paris.

Terri Hardin at Dragon’s Lair in Disneyland Paris.

Terri is an absolutely remarkable character herself, and she had both me and David laughing through the entire interview. Beneath it all, Terry is a passionate artist who breathes life into all her creations. Whether you’re a film buff, a Disney fan, a maker, or just someone who loves a good behind-the-scenes story, this conversation pulls back the curtain on puppetry as a craft. You’ll never look at puppetry the same way again.

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Buzzshot

Buzzshot is proud to announce their new “all-in-one” Booking System designed from the ground up for one type of business, escape rooms.

Offering:

  • Easy to use booking UI with no fees or hidden charges.
  • Customer waiver capture
  • Branded Team Photos
  • Player Messaging
  • Review Managment
  • Automations
  • Customer Surveys
  • Broadcast Emails

Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:

REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. FREE Trial Account with full features* including SMS messaging, and ‘Buzzshot Bookings’ trial upon request. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.

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PG’s Playhouse Podcast

If you love wordplay, puzzles, and trivia, this is the podcast for you! PG’s Playhouse recreates a fun game night with friends, all in a short, 30-minute format. Of course, what’s game night without making new friends? We bring on different guests for the different episodes!

Topics Discussed in this Episode

  • 00:00 Sponsor Break: RECON – The Reality Escape Convention
  • 02:41 Finding Puppetry
  • 06:37 Puppets Defined
  • 08:51 Saying No to Jim Henson
  • 16:33 Sponsor Break: Room Escape Artist Patreon – Bonus Episodes, Spoilers Club & More
  • 19:09 Working on Ghostbusters
  • 26:51 The Team Behind Dinosaurs
  • 30:14 Baby Sinclair Meets Eisner
  • 33:41 Puppets in Escape Rooms
  • 35:59 Room Escape Artist Patreon – Bonus Episodes, Spoilers Club & More
  • 38:38 Getting Into Imagineering
  • 44:30 Dragon’s Lair at Disneyland Paris
  • 52:49 Sponsor Break: PG’s Playhouse – Puzzles, Pals, and Trivia
  • 54:20 The Godzilla Ride that Died
  • 55:45 Imagineering Collaboration
  • 58:13 When Parks Cut Dreams
  • 59:59 Working on Captain EO
  • 01:08:09 Practical vs Digital Effects
  • 01:12:32 What Comes Next
  • 01:20:47 Credits
  • 01:22:21 Michael Jackson’s Three Wishes

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Resources Mentioned in this Episode

About Terri Hardin

older woman with long grey and brown dreadlocks, cat eyed classes, smiling broadly, in a rust color blazer and red patterned top
Terri Hardin Biography-2022 – Terri HardinDownload

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