Creative Secrets of the SEALs

A full-time researcher spends at least a week collecting a dossier of information from the Internet, local libraries, and Lexis/Nexis about every SEALs project. The dossier for the proposed Mythos theme park in Greece, for example, included information about the country's tourism, contemporary culture, religion, and economic situation, as well as extensive background information on ancient mythology. For the LAPD project, members of Ault's creative-development team did their own primary research: They went on "ride-alongs" with cops, tagged along with K-9 units, and visited city jails and police stations.

5. Communicate constantly. "One of our mottos is, 'Never surprise the client,' " Ault says. "The worst thing that could happen is that we get to a review point, or to opening day, and the client says, 'That's not what I thought it would be.' " To prevent that from happening, BRC tries to keep clients involved and informed throughout the design and construction processes. A member of the account-management group talks to clients several times a week to informally keep them in the loop, and BRC schedules regular progress reviews and presentations. "We also have an open-door policy," Ault says. "If a client is local, or if a client is in town but not necessarily to meet with us, that client can come in at any time and look over our shoulder."

6. Credit where credit is due. Once a project is finished, Ault and Rogers take pains to make sure that everyone who works on it gets credit. They request that their clients install small "credit plaques" on each attraction acknowledging the BRC employees who developed it. And BRC creates a project poster of its own -- a full-color, movie-style broadside that includes some of the project's signature images and a list of everyone who worked on it, from concept to completion. The client gets several copies of the poster, as do all team members.

7. They've got a secret. To keep his SEALs sharp, Ault plans occasional "secret missions." The goal is to enhance intuitive knowledge about the themed-entertainment industry, both from the customer's perspective and from the employee's. One recent mission sent trios of SEALs to Disneyland. In the parking lot, they opened an envelope that held their instructions, which read, "You've just broken your leg. Rent a wheelchair, and experience Disneyland as a disabled person." Says Ault: "That one has affected the way that SEALs design, up to today." A future mission will require SEALs to go to Knott's Berry Farm and work for a half-day operating one of the rides there. "We want them to understand design from the operational standpoint too," says Ault.