Funworld
A Bob Rogers Story
Changing the world with transformational experiences
Bob Rogers at work in his office at BRC Imagination Arts. CREDIT: Michael Costello
The house lights dim, and the delicate sound of a flute performing Claude Debussy’s “Syrinx” draws the audience into the experience. The curtains open, revealing a serene scene of seabirds skimming shimmering waters beneath the distinctive rocky cliffs of Étretat, Normandy, along France’s Alabaster Coast. Over the next 18 minutes, audiences glide through scenic landscapes, French villages, and iconic landmarks, all bathed in golden sunlight. Presented across five screens that envelop viewers in a 200-degree experience, “Impressions de France” at Epcot continues to charm park guests more than four decades after its debut—presented in its original format with no updates needed.
“It’s the France they want, rather than necessarily the France that’s really there,” says Bob Rogers, describing the enduring appeal of “Impressions de France”—the opening-day attraction film that continues to play in the France pavilion at Walt Disney World’s Epcot. Rogers played a large role producing the film before Epcot opened on Oct. 1, 1982. “You know, it’s a selective version of what was true at the time. Probably, maybe is or isn’t.”
While the film’s romanticized vision of France may differ from the country as it exists today, it remains a carefully crafted interpretation—one that captures an idealized sense of place and strengthens the pavilion’s portrayal of French culture. Although it was not the first project of Rogers’ career, it is among those that have demonstrated remarkable staying power—just like the man behind the film.
Bob Rogers is an active attractions industry trailblazer, IAAPA Hall of Fame inductee, and creator who served on the IAAPA Board of Directors. At IAAPA Expo 2026 in Orlando, Rogers will once again curate and host the Legends Panel, a session that he has led for more than two decades. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—the organization that creates, administers, and presents the Oscars—and remains an active figure in Hollywood, where for 45 years his Burbank, California-based firm, BRC Imagination Arts (BRC), has remained headquartered.
Sitting down with Rogers and members of his team at the BRC office, Funworld was treated to stories from master storytellers.
A Start Scripted in Hollywood
An early project in college served Rogers as a crash course in the art of storytelling. While a student at CalArts, he volunteered to help co-write “Cinematography: A Guide for Film Makers and Film Teachers” with his professor, Kris Malkiewicz, whose limited English made writing the book a challenge. The book went on to become a standard introductory text on cinematography and has since been revised multiple times.
“I put up my hand instead of studying whatever I was supposed to be studying at CalArts,” Rogers recalls. “I sat with him and wrote every word of that book.” Rogers would sit across the table from Malkiewicz, listen as his professor explained his ideas, then write them down and return his notes for review.
Rogers jokes about his aspirations in college. “I wanted to get in film. I wanted to be Steven Spielberg. At the time that job was occupied, and it still is. So, I had to find something else.”
He went on to direct commercials and educational films, but the consistent ribbon throughout Rogers’ career has always remained transformational.
“That is to say, transformation experiences that have as their objective, changing what people do afterward; changing what you do, what you buy, what you study, what you advocate for, what you choose, etc. It’s truly a change, and that’s your goal as an organization,” Rogers explains.
Today, Rogers points to BRC’s track record of designing immersive experiences that measurably influence audience attitudes and behavior. He cites the Johnnie Walker Experience in Edinburgh, Scotland, as an example. More than half of visitors initially say they do not like or drink whisky. Yet, by the end of the experience, the attraction achieves a 91% brand conversion rate. That’s well above typical benchmarks of 70% to 80%—along with recommendation rates in the 81% to 85% range.
Rogers says BRC has refined this approach for nearly 50 years, applying it to outcomes ranging from brand loyalty and purchasing decisions to increased engagement with historical, educational, and scientific causes. He says the company’s underlying methodology—the “secret recipe” behind these results—is what distinguishes its work and is now being explored in his new book.
Creating Staying Power—
And a World RecordGuiness World Records recognizes “Impressions de France” as the “Longest running daily screening of a film in the same theatre.” The Epcot film continued to be shown in the same unmodified form multiple times daily through Feb. 22, 2026—a period of 43 years, 4 months, and 20 days. The theatre closed temporarily for refurbishment from Feb. 23 - May 8. When it reopened on May 9, 2026, the theater resumed multiple daily showings with no editorial changes or updates, adding to the timelessness of the film, just like Bob Rogers himself.
Personal Transformation
Today, Rogers finds himself in a position similar to where he was as a college student.
“And what do you know? I’m still doing that same thing, half a century later: sitting with a world-leading technical expert and trying to figure out how to explain it to a nontechnical person—a nontechnical audience,” Rogers says of his newly published book, “Deep Story: A Complete Guide to Creating Transformational Visitor Attractions.”
“You know, the interesting thing is that the ideas he lays out in the book are the things he has basically trained us on every single day throughout our decades here,” says Matthew Solari, vice president of creative and story at BRC Imagination Arts. “That’s the philosophy we were gleaned on.”
In his garage, Rogers founded his company, then known as Bob Rogers & Company Inc., in 1981. Today, the company operates as BRC Imagination Arts and has grown into a team of “Swiss Army knives,” those who are producers, designers, artists, and strategists bringing diverse expertise to every project.
BRC’s portfolio is concentrated in five major sectors: museums, cultural institutions, and history organizations; brand experiences (for consumer products, like Johnnie Walker whisky); entertainment and themed attractions; science, aerospace, and educational experiences; and corporate experience centers for major global companies. This diverse body of work reflects BRC’s specialization in experiential design that educates, entertains, and influences audiences.
One of the team’s most recent accomplishments is its role as a key creative partner for the USA
Pavilion at Expo Osaka 2025 in Japan. Building on decades of world expo experience, BRC created a journey centered on the theme “Imagine What We Can Create Together,” using immersive storytelling to showcase U.S. achievements in areas such as technology, space exploration, and collaboration. The project also represents the enduring influence of Rogers’ creative philosophy, carried forward by the team he cultivated.
A Legacy Built to Continue the Story
Mindful of his team and the years of cultivation behind him, Rogers is focused not on stepping away, but on creating the conditions for the next generation to thrive. In early June, BRC announced a strategic leadership change. Ownership of BRC Imagination Arts transferred to Christian Lachel, chief creative officer; Carmel Lewis, president; and Brad Shelton, vice president of story and creative, along with Solari, formalizing a new structure. Yet, Rogers still goes into the office every day. He explains that he pondered the succession plan for a while, but ultimately chose an option that allowed him to stay on with his team.
The approach differs significantly from the path many companies like BRC have taken, where a founder sells the business and walks away with a substantial payout or the company is acquired by a Wall Street firm or venture capital group. In some cases, those firms restructure and sell the combined entity. Rogers acknowledges that this model works for some organizations, but he sought a different path, one that prioritized the team he built and allowed its members to continue advancing.
“I just discovered the best way to help them succeed is to let them alone and don’t bother them. For the last 45 years, every time Bob talked, you had to figure out which of three things Bob was saying: Was he giving you a direct order? Was he making a gentle suggestion that you could take or not take? Or was he just thinking out loud?” Rogers explains about himself when speaking in the third person.
Rogers is clear that today, his comments fall into only the latter two categories: they are either gentle suggestions or thoughts shared aloud—not direct orders.
For now, his next chapter is a blank page—but not for long—as the master storyteller looks to be transformational in his next era.
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