A Conversation with Nathan Marks, Senior Project Manager at Falcon’s Attractions
When you talk to Nathan, one thing becomes immediately clear: he has spent his entire career chasing creativity, adventure, and innovation. After nearly 14 years at Oceaneering Entertainment Systems (OES) and more than a decade in the entertainment industry before that, he now brings his years of expertise in various roles to Falcon’s Attractions. Nathan sat down with us to share how he landed in the themed entertainment world, what makes Falcon’s unique, and where he sees the attractions of tomorrow.
Nathan spent years working in commercial production before shifting into AV installation on major theme park projects, such as the Shuttle Launch Experience at Kennedy Space Center. That project is where he first crossed paths with OES, the company that would define the next 14 years of his career.
Once he joined the OES team, he found his niche as a translator between engineering and creative teams.
“We always joke that engineers speak in ones and zeros, and creatives speak in reds, blues, and greens. Someone needs to be the decoder,” he says. “That became me.”
Joining Falcon’s Attractions: A New Chapter
When Falcon’s Beyond acquired OES, Nathan and his team transitioned to Falcon’s Attractions, and what the team brought with them was quite special.
“Our entire history came with us,” he explains. “Processes, test vehicles, documentation, everything. We did not start from scratch. We picked up exactly where we left off, just with a whole new creative powerhouse supporting us.”
That powerhouse is the Falcon’s Creative Group team just down the hallway, and the two companies’ synergies have become a game-changer in the themed entertainment industry.
Falcon’s Attractions can provide end-to-end services, including seamless integration with creative.
A Role That Wears a Lot of Hats
“I do a little of everything,” Nathan says. “From project management, business development, creative brainstorming, in-service support, as well as collaborating with the Marketing department. Basically, everything from a blank sheet of paper to a finished attraction.”
His favorite part of working at Falcon’s is the spontaneous collaboration across departments.
“What I love about the collaboration at Falcon’s, is that it all feels very natural. Creatives wander down to ask the engineering team a question. Engineers go ask creatives about story or visuals. It’s all organic. It is constant. And it leads to better ideas.”
Pushing Innovation Forward
At Falcon’s Attractions, innovation is not an initiative. It is a way of life.
“We have a lot of really smart people,” Nathan says. “So, we give them the freedom to play. To experiment. To push what is possible.”
That philosophy produced award-winning technologies, including a TEA Breakthrough Technology Award for the team’s Revolution™ Tru-Trackless™ Ride System.
Nathan describes it casually. “We were one of the first to do fully autonomous trackless ride vehicles.” But the achievement is monumental. This technology unlocked creative freedom and levels of interaction that were simply not possible with vehicles locked to a fixed track. These systems can scale from tiny cabs to large buses, and parks benefit from consistent and reliable tech under the hood, no matter the theme.
“It is an arms race,” he says. “Everyone is chasing the newest, coolest attraction. Our job is to imagine what guests will want tomorrow, not what they want today.”
Around the World and Back Again
Nathan has built attractions on nearly every continent, from the Jumanji themed dark ride at Gardaland Resort in Italy to a project that kept him in Bali for six months.
“When you spend that long on site, you become part of the community,” he recalls. “By the end, you are like a local. You are part of a little family.”
Whether working in small regional parks or leading massive teams of hundreds on blockbuster attractions, the thrill is the same.
“It is always rewarding. But sometimes the small ones are even more special, because guests stumble onto them without knowing what to expect.”
Why Falcon’s Attractions Stands Apart
If you ask Nathan what makes Falcon’s different, he sums it up clearly: “Every day is different. And we can do it all.” From standalone services to complete turnkey attractions, Falcon’s can offer whatever the client is looking for. With Falcon’s Attractions working directly with Falcon’s Creative Group, we offer something unique in the themed entertainment industry. A one-stop shop for creative design, content creation, ride engineering, technologies, and in-service support.
“It is whatever the client needs,” he says. “From Disney scale teams needing added capacity to regional parks needing an end-to-end partner. We can do it.”
The Culture: Ones and Zeros Meet Reds, Blues, and Greens
Nathan lights up when talking about the culture at Falcon’s.
“It is the right people,” he says. “We are selective. The work is hard, and you want to be in the bunker with someone you trust and enjoy.”
The blend of creative and engineering mindsets doesn’t just work; it is thriving.
“We make each other better,” he says. “One plus one really does equal three.”
Why He Does It
For Nathan, the “why” is simple.
As part of the growing experience economy, his team focuses on creating moments that matter. “We build stuff people love,” he says. “No matter what is happening in the world, people go to theme parks. They need that escape. And we get to create it.”
He has been a theme park kid his whole life, drawn to immersive worlds and impossible stories brought to life.
“It is the suspension of disbelief,” he says. “As soon as you walk through the gates, everything else disappears.”
Advice to His Younger Self
If Nathan could talk to childhood Nathan, he knows exactly what he would say. “It’s going to be a fun ride.”
Looking Ahead
When asked what he hopes for the future, Nathan does not hesitate.
“More cool rides,” he says. “More clients willing to push boundaries. More wild and awesome ideas.”
And with Falcon’s Attractions expanding, innovating, and collaborating like never before, that future looks bright, creative, technically brilliant, and entirely immersive.
