Joe Falzetta
Joe Falzetta
Lighting Designer
Joe Falzetta has had a stellar career in creating the lighting design for some of the most iconic and immersive projects in theme environment design. Joe developed and implemented immersive lighting experiences at the Principal or Lead Lighting Designer level at every Disney theme park, as well as for Disney Cruise Line.
Joe was one of the pioneers in the field who helped define the approach to lighting design in theme parks based on experience in live theater - an approach that remains substantially in effect throughout the themed entertainment industry. Over 38 years with Walt Disney Imagineering Joe was a mentor to every lighting designer who passed through the WDI Show Lighting department.
Before joining Disney, Joe taught set and lighting design, and technical theater, at the university level for eight years. In 2018, Joe joined Gallegos Lighting Design as a Senior Consultant.
The following is an edited excerpt of an article Joe wrote, published in 2003, giving an idea of what is involved in the practice of lighting design for visitor attractions:
“The lighting fixtures for Spaceship Earth were chosen for optical efficiency and the ability to produce a very controllable beam of light in a small physical package. However, the color temperature of the light tended to flatten the texture and overall impression of the faceted sphere. The immediate solution was to introduce color. But what color?
“We had been getting some spectacular Florida sunsets. The satin aluminum facets of the sphere reflected yellow, gold, lavender and blue. It became a conscious decision to attempt to replicate them: yellow at the bottom, blending up to gold, then a blend to lavender, continuing to pale blue and finally into deep blue at the top. The result was an atmospheric mantle of color wrapped around the geometric, solid sphere: an absorbed sunset that lasted the entire night for the guests of Epcot.”