Born, raised and educated in New York, Flannery’s career began as a director of photography and a designer in the theatre, opera and dance. He achieved award-winning status as a director of photography and is credited with introducing theatrical lighting to major motion pictures and numerous television series for which he has received four Primetime Emmy nominations and the LDI “Lighting Designer of the Year”.
Flannery's work evolved to include producing and directing in diverse forms of entertainment and new media. In 1980 he founded a Los Angeles based production company supporting clients such as Disney Imagineering, Universal Creative, ABC Television Network and international performing arts centers, world expos and world events. His concepts, designs and productions set industry standards. His designs and attraction, Adventure Slots, for the Hollywood casino earned a THEA Award.
As a creator and producer of original intellectual properties and content, Flannery draws upon his experiences and visionary talent to translate words and music into compelling, iconic visual images through immersive and emotional experiences. He is recognized for being a visionary and pioneer of emerging entertainment experiences and technology.
Highlights Flannery’s illustrious career
Symphantasy®, a television special and a live concert series he co-created with Maestro Erich Kunzel, featuring George Clooney, Kelsey Grammer and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.
Majid and the Secret of Life, an animated 3-D stereoscopic dome film which is a permanent attraction and presented daily in the Doha Qatar Awareness Centre, museum.
Illusions, a stage spectacle, with an international cast, featuring 3-D stereoscopic animation sequences, presented nightly for one year in Shanghai China.
Elements, a theatrical production, with an international cast, integrating video projection. The show was presented nightly and ran for five years in Shenzhen China.
Water Fantasium, voted by critics as the No. 1 attraction at the Osaka World Expo, featuring water, animatronics, fire and special effects.
Fantastic Odyssey, one of the top three attractions at the Taejon World Expo, featuring water, fire, illusions and kinetic scenography.
Cosmic Symphony, presented nightly for over a decade this attraction was presented nightly at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo Japan.
Voyage 350, a purpose-built theatre resembling a tall ship, set sail nightly in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. A cast serving as the ships’ crew shared the story of the founding of Maryland with Illusions and film projected on three grand sails.
Flannery maintains active membership in numerous guilds, unions and trade organizations, including the ATAS (Academy of Television Arts & Sciences), PGA (Producers Guild), IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees), SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers), ICG (International Cinematographers Guild) and USITT (United States Institute of Theatre Technology).
Flannery is dedicated to teaching and mentoring. He has lectured and taught at many institutions including S.U.N.Y., U.C.L.A., U.C.S.B., Art Center College of Design, and the extension program at U.S.C.
Flannery was educated in the art of scenography for the theatre at the prestigious New York Studio & Forum of Stage Design. He studied filmmaking at Columbia University School of the Arts in N.Y.C. And he studied directing with Uta Hagen and Herbert Berghof at HB Studio.
