Merlán Creative Studio creates quality content for everything from mobile applications and corporate presentations to projections and legal simulations. We offer Simulations, Animations, Motion Graphics, 3D models, Fly Through, Digital Murals and a variety of Interactive and Augmented Reality services.

Our talented team of artists, designers, modelers, animators and programmers combine production experience with first hand knowledge of the latest trends and technologies to help clients find the best approach to execute their projects. Merlán Creative Studio will work with you to develop the concept, find the right technology and produce the content.

We are content creators dedicated to providing the highest level of customer satisfaction. Our goal is to be known for our exceptional expertise in creating content, our quality service and reliability.

Come create with us!

 

Ernie Merlán
Founder

CEO of Merlán Creative Studio, Ernie has gathered the top creative talent to provide you with the best art department available for your project. Personally insuring that every project we produce is of the highest quality and that our service is unparlleled.

20 years of experience in the entertainment industry with clients like Imagineering, Warner Brothers and Sony. Originally trained as a traditional backdrop artist, he has transitioned to art director, designer and digital content producer. His project list includes: Templo del Fuego, Portaventura, Indiana Jones, Disneyland, 20K, Tokyo Disney Seas, House of Tomorrow, Innoventions, Muppet Theater, DCA, Pee Wee's Playhouse and the Maxk of Zorro.

Lawrence Spear
Vice President

Lawrence Spear is a Designer, Art Director, Artist, and Project Manager with 18 years of experience both in and out of the entertainment industry. Having worked in all phases of design, illustration, and production, he is driven by a passion for drawing, sculpting, technology, and team-building. As Vice President, Lawrence designs attractions, motivates the production team and directs the aesthetic development of Merlan Creative’s wide-ranging projects from concept through completion.

Creator of innovative work production strategies, he has been charged with the oversight of key operations for a variety of dynamic creative organizations (projects include design and art direction for the Flintstones premiere and Universal Studio’s Journey to Madagascar). Having become a recognized leader in the field of visual communication, Lawrence has also professionally worked with such high profile clients as Universal MCA, NBC, and the Walt Disney Company.

Karen Thompson
Designer

Karen Thompson is a Designer and Art Director with 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry in various phases of design, production, and installation for film, television, and themed attractions. Karen's strong background in painting and color design led to positions for Walt Disney Imagineering, Universal Studios, Paramount Parks, and Thinkwell Design and Production.

Her favorite recent project was designing murals for Universal Studios Singapore's Journey to Madagascar Ride. Karen also teaches Matte Painting at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.


Levi Ponce
3D Animator

3D animator on such projects as the Scrooge Train, the Clone Wars Video Game promo, as well as the 3D modeler on the digital murals for Universal Studio’s Journey to Madagascar. With ten years of experience in mural painting, he has dozens of Los Angeles County murals to his credit. In 2002 he exhibited at the Los Angeles Craft and Folk Art Museum. Always looking for new ways of combining his knowledge of traditional art techniques with new technologies, in 2005, Levi earned his bachelor's degree in Animation at California State University, Northridge.


Beth Semler
Designer

Beth Semler is a multi-talented designer whose goal is to find new ways to make people say, "Wow!" Past work includes 3d modeling for Thinkwell Design, design development for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, interactive design and CAD work for The Children's Museum of the Upstate, user interface and graphic design at ABC.com, interactive design and play-testing for Spaceship Earth and Toy Story Midway Mania, and game design for the Fountain at AC Pier.

She holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University: a Masters from the Entertainment Technology program, and a BFA in Scene Design.

Andy Neil
Motion Guru

Andy is an award winning editor for film and TV with over 10 years of experience in broadcast. Additionally, he is a producer and motion graphics artist and even trains others in the field. Andy has worked with some of the most recognized companies in film and television including Disney, Fox, and the CW.


Art Freed
Editor

Art Freed has been rocking the entertainment industry with superior creative and cutting-edge editing for almost 15 years. With a specialty in providing content for large-scale live events, including Premiers, digital signage and museum-style presentations for Walt Disney Studios Worldwide Special Events, Art also edits for both film and television.

As well as working with Disney, Art has spent some of his career as a freelance and online editor at the world-renowned post house, Laser Pacific. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors at the Digital Cinema Society and is th president of HotPixel.


Adam Kugler
VFX Technical Director

Since his start with Quad/Graphics in 1996, Adam has been working to combine his love of art and mathematics. An entrepreneur and innovative thinker, he has been the founder of two successful companies and has been a media and technologies consultant for several others. As a technical director Adam strives to find ways to push cutting-edge technology, solve technical problems, and create spectacular visual effects.

Adam’s artistic credits include FX work at Nickelodeon for the Emmy Award winning series Penguins of Madagascar, as well as Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, and Avatar: the Legend of Korra. Other artistic works include projects for the poker industry, a touring indie rock group, an international technology company, and several animated shorts. Adam holds a computer animation bachelors degree from Full Sail University.