Cinnabar California, Inc.

As Cinnabar’s most senior client-facing representative, Basil brings his experience working in high-pressure, high-performance environments to managing Cinnabar’s ongoing client relationships. He is adept at working with large groups of stakeholders and project participants to arrive at consensus-based decisions that maximize a project’s success.

Basil joined Cinnabar four years ago after spending six years as a professional journalist first at The New York Times in Paris, then with the Reuters News agency in New York.

Basil’s journalism experience has ingrained in him the ability to distill large amounts of information into clear, simple and direct ideas, allowing him to make decisions based on a project’s core merits. His experience has also taught him that good and regular communication, both internal and external, is key to keeping a project on the right track.

Jonathan founded Cinnabar in 1982 in a small Hollywood back lot. As Cinnabar gained a reputation for getting the job done and solving problems in a creative, collaborative way, it rapidly became one of the entertainment industry’s leading fabrication and special EFX companies.

Beginning as a welder/mechanic building floats for the Pasadena Rose Parade, Jonathan’s background includes a political career in the 1970s, working for then-California Governor Jerry Brown to help implement key Brown initiatives such as the Office of Appropriate Technology and the California Conservation Corps. Jonathan’s lifelong dedication to conservation has driven him to adopt sustainability concerns into his company’s work product, implement technical innovations in sustainable specimen display, and work to support resource-conserving behaviors from the shop floor to all phases of a project.

In recent years, Jonathan has focused Cinnabar’s bold approach to content delivery to producing, designing and fabricating museum exhibitions that engage, entertain and educate modern audiences.

Jonathan is a frequent speaker on panels addressing sustainability issues, audience engagement and storytelling in museums. He is a board member of the Western Museums Association (WMA) and the Ojai Valley Museum. Jonathan was one of the first people in Southern California to drive GM’s electric EV-1 car. He is an avid gardener.

As Chief Operating Officer of Cinnabar, Kip, with 28 years of experience in construction, fabrication, and management, oversees the operational, contractual, financial, and legal aspects of completing projects.

An avid builder, he became a site carpenter directly out of high school and, shortly thereafter, a project superintendent. Kip attended Montgomery College for Construction Management in Rockville, Maryland. Having actively participated in multiple associated trades, Kip understands what is necessary in bringing a construction project to completion. He became General Manager of a well known and respected high-end residential and custom commercial builder, Walter E. Lynch & Company, in Washington DC where he remained for 12 years.

Kip was also an integral part of the project management team handling the construction and subsequent renovation of the Jack Kent Cooke Stadium for the Washington Redskins in Landover, Maryland, giving him the additional learning experience of dealing with the legendary Mr. Cooke on a daily basis.

As a highly experienced financial planner and manager, Leslie oversees Cinnabar’s financial analysis, planning and forecasting, budget implementation and management, financial reporting and tax planning. She works with the management team to provide recommendations for procedural and systematic improvements to ensure that company objectives are being met. During a brief hiatus away from Cinnabar, Leslie worked with Playground Media Group in Santa Monica and LT-LA Communications in West Hollywood. She has 33 years of accounting and financial experience in various industries including construction, entertainment production and post-production services, publicity and marketing, and IT/Technical Staffing.

Andrea has managed many small and medium-sized exhibit projects at Cinnabar, and often plays a supporting role on larger projects by focusing on their most specialized and artistic elements. As a scenic artist, prop and model maker, seamstress and fabricator, Andrea is deeply familiar with the process of historical recreation and scenic finishes. She is particularly adept at collaborating closely with designers to achieve highly accurate, well-constructed and durable props and reproductions. Having working at Cinnabar for over 30 years, Andrea has developed a unique expertise of materials and techniques to create sculptures and props using a wide range of processes, from molding and casting to fiberglass to foam to resins and pigments. Andrea has an arts degree from CalArts.

Arus leads the creation and maintenance of all graphics production-ready files, proofs, samples and reviews. She oversees graphics production and quality control of printed materials, performs vendor check-ups and coordinates closely with shop fabricators and installers.

Arus’s background as a print shop manager strengthens her ability to maintain vendor relationships. Her knowledge of print materials and machines creates a variety of options through our creative process while her urgency to details helps keep our graphics organized and pristine. By thinking outside the box, Arus is able to come up with innovative solutions that are both quality and cost effective.

Brian has been with Cinnabar since 1983, serving as technical and engineering director and specializing in structural, mechanical and electrical systems. As a rule, Brian looks for the simplest, most efficient approach to any challenging or complicated engineering and fabrication process. Brian also has a thorough understanding of the requirements of multi-media installations allowing our exhibits and multimedia components to comply with building, electrical and ADA codes, and to be designed and installed with robust enclosures that can withstand the rigors and daily wear of intense use by large groups, while providing exhibition staff easy access for maintenance.

Jeff joined Cinnabar in 2015 as a Project Coordinator and has since worked as one of our most organized Project Managers. His experience as a Production Manager and Producer for television and media has allowed Jeff to remain organized while managing complex information on constantly changing projects. Working with Jeannie, Jeff has managed budgets, schedules and deliverables on two large, quick turnaround Cinnabar projects.

Juan’s background as a specialty fabricator for motion picture special effects and theme park attractions proved a rigorous training ground for his current responsibilities as Design Director. Juan is responsible for technical design, project layout and the direction of multi-discipline fabrication teams. He combines an extensive understanding of fabrication methodologies and materials with expertise in using digital tools such as SketchUp and AutoCAD, allowing him to translate designers’ schematic concepts into buildable, affordable elements. As a skilled practitioner of the design-build process, Juan takes a holistic approach to problem solving so that his collaborations with designers yield technically elegant results, while incorporating critical aesthetic and economic parameters. Developing solutions for key fabrication issues without compromising the designer’s intent is essential, yet Juan is able to execute this while also integrating other design attributes, such as sustainability and exhibit flexibility criteria, within schedule and cost constraints.

As Cinnabar’s first-ever Shop Manager, Lance oversees all of the Cinnabar fabrication departments, including Scenic, Sculpture, Logistics, Carpentry and Metal. He ensures that shop floor space is properly allocated, that materials are being ordered, and that all departments have the necessary information to keep work flowing.

Lance spent 10 years as a lead fabricator, where he oversaw the in-shop fabrication of all types of built elements from casework and cabinetry to integrating graphics and AV equipment into complex interactive exhibits. Lance has led teams of up to 25 fabricators on large projects. He coordinates closely with our Technical Designers and Project Managers to keep every aspect of a project on schedule, on budget and properly sequenced. Lance is a master carpenter and wood worker whose expertise ranges from CNC milling to highly custom cabinetry.

Paula has over 21 years of experience in creating immersive environments through design and fabrication. Prior to joining Cinnabar in 2018, Paula spent the last 5 years focused on design with BRC Imagination Arts and The Hettema Group. During the last 3 ½ years as a Show Set Lead at BRC she was involved in concept ideation for projects and continued through every aspect of the design process including construction drawings, AV + lighting + facility integration, set fabrication, production and installation until opening day for the Hebrew Bible and New Testament Theater permanent exhibits which opened in 2017 at the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C.

For the proceeding 15 years Paula worked as a Technical Design Lead and Manager for Lexington Scenery. Paula managed the design development of many of projects from schematic design through to installation by incorporating art direction, developing construction methods, integrating structural engineering, material selection, while managing a team of technical designers to align with schedules, milestones, and budgets. During her time at Lexington some of the noteworthy projects include The Thinkery in Austin, Children’s Museum of the Upstate in Greenville, Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, Disney California Adventure, Disneyland Hong Kong, and Universal Studios.

Paula holds a Bachelors of Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles.

Pixie is a dedicated and efficient Project Manager with over 17 years of experience in entertainment design and construction. Her experience in all phases of development, fabrication, and installing museum and retail environments, as well has her education in Fine Art and Design at Otis College of Art and Design, has given her a thorough knowledge of all aspects of management and production. This understanding, as well as her rigorous attention to detail, has given her a proven record in delivering projects on time and within budget, while maintaining the quality and vision of the client throughout.

Thomas Disney comes to Cinnabar a veteran of the stage. He received his BFA in 1985 and worked as a lighting designer and scenic designer, holding many credits in Union houses. Thomas joined the Cinnabar team in 1994, beginning as one of the “Cinnabarbarians” on the floor, and has since served in a variety of capacities over the years. Currently, he is our Logistics and Facilities Manager, or, he’s just trying to keep the incoming parts ahead of the outgoing parts.

Jeannie is one of the most experienced senior-level project managers in the specialty show-set fabrication industry. With an educational background in design, architecture and film and a post-graduate degree from UCLA, Jeannie brings over 20 years of experience to exhibitions and projects for numerous institutions. She possesses a deep understanding of the key processes and components of complex, multi-faceted projects and, from inception to completion, ensures a project’s efficient execution. Jeannie has been Cinnabar’s Senior Project Manager on three projects with a budget of over $5 million, and one project with a budget over $15 million.

While carefully balancing the project’s creative aspects, Jeannie is responsible for rigorous financial management, project budget performance and a diligent adherence to schedules. A strong collaborator and proven performer in the management of large teams with diverse groups of participants, over the past 19 years Jeannie has been instrumental in planning and directing Cinnabar’s most distinguished and noteworthy projects, both in the United States and abroad.

From executing large murals to models and miniatures, Randy’s keen eye and aesthetic have been essential to establishing Cinnabar as the premiere fabricator of themed environments. Randy joined Cinnabar in 1994 and has led projects ranging from museum exhibits to motion pictures and art installations. After attending Art Center College of Design, Randy began his career in the motion picture business honing his skills as a scenic artist. There he mastered the art of faux finishing, concepts of color mixing and matching, and the elements of color design. These skills, combined with his knowledge of creating and managing budgets with emphasis on deadline and client satisfaction, complement his leadership role as Scenic Manager.