Clifford Warner, chairman of Mycotoo, has a reputation as one of the top producers of award-winning experiences. These include Universal Studios’ WaterWorld stunt show and PortAventura’s Templo Del Fuego. As chairman of Mycotoo, Warner oversaw the production development, strategic planning and team staffing for Motiongate and Bollywood Parks. He built the award-winning creative team and facilitated the masterplanning, production design, engineering and management of the specialty groups involved with both parks.
Describing Mycotoo, he told blooloop: “It’s an ideas and entertainment business. It has to be entertaining, but it’s got to be a good business.” Warner added: “In worlds like Universal and Disney, the creative is the start, and then they start putting the business to it.”
Warner has worked with some of the most creative people in the industry, and was one of the original founders of Thinkwell Group. He served as CEO and chairman for more than 10 years. He produced projects including Warner Bros. Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter. In 2011, he founded Mycotoo, a thought leader in leisure strategy and entertainment industry trends. Warner speaks on multiple industry panels, and serves as the board member for the Yale Global Alumni Leadership Exchange (YaleGALE) and Ojai Valley Playwrights Association.
“We tend to gravitate to the developers that are passionate about their project, or have a big idea or vision,” said Warner. “Once you establish that vision, it really puts everybody on the same path. It’s a roadmap for everybody. When stuff comes up or everyone disagrees, you can all go back and look at that vision.”
“All creative people and all project support people work better when there’s a direction,” he added. “It creates a better harmony, and it gives us just enough direction so people can still have fun and be creative. But they’re solving a problem: there’s a solution to be found. If we get brought in early enough with the client, we can help really get that established.”