Immersion Nation Podcast

This week in the interview we talk with the one, the only, Steve Boyle; CEO of Epic Immersive. From immersive hackathons in Paris to swing dancing in Japanese internment camps, we cover a whole lot of ground! We start by discussing steve’s background which starts with performance education in Thailand, India, and Indonesia while attending NYU, and ends in the unexpected origins of Epic Immersive. We trace the line between producing 100 actor shows, creating immersive work in China, and starting a secretive immersive incubator in San Francisco. Finally, we land on the part speaker series, part video game experience that is the upcoming ‘This Immersive Globe’.You can find the complete show notes and more details on the guests and experiences at this page on the Immersion Nation Website

This week in the interview, we talk with David and Lisa Sipra; the co-founders of Room Escape Artist, the most prolific publication covering escape rooms and the escape room industry. We start by talking about Lisa and David’s first escape rooms and how Room Escape Artist (or REA for short) came to be. Next, we move on to discuss how escape rooms are contending with the COVID-19 pandemic. And finally, we go in-depth on the creation of the first annual RECON, or Reality Escape Convention, which has been meticulously designed to take advantage of the online medium. You can find the complete show notes and more details on the guests and experiences at this page on the Immersion Nation Website

This week in the interview, we talk with two seasoned immersive performers, Amber Lawson, and Erik Abbot-Main. One who’s principle experience comes from immersive dance in New York City, and the other from interactive acting in Los Angeles. Their professional backgrounds couldn’t be more different, which makes the similarities in their tactics and strategies as immersive performers even more striking. We discuss how they invite their audiences into the world of an experience. Contrast the disciplines of immersive dance and immersive acting. And finally, explore the mercurial and beautiful experience of performing immersive art both for and with an audience. You can find the complete show notes and more details on the guests and experiences at this page on the Immersion Nation Website

This week in the interview we get some fresh perspective from outside the immersive community, talking with Jorge Demoya and Julian Rodriguez about the virtual reality experience, The VOID. We explore the delta between the reactions of a gamer and a non-gamer to this industry staple and go in-depth on ‘Ralph Breaks VR’. Finally, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the mixed VR and real-world experience that has made The VOID a leader in the immersive space. You can find the complete show notes, time markers, and more details on the guests and experiences at this page on the Immersion Nation Website

This week in the interview, we talk with Kendra Slack and Jordan Chlapecka of Linked Dance Theatre, a group based in New York City that creates immersive experiences that utilize a multitude of mediums in their work, but of course, emphasize dance. We talk about: Their paths and how Linked Dance Theatre somewhat organically broke down that fourth wall. Their most recent in-person immersive experience, ‘Remembrance’. The adventure and challenge of creating ‘Remembrance’ on Governors Island, which is right off the south tip of Manhattan. We discuss the concept of creating an immersive experience in the world of Guillermo del Toro’s ‘The Shape of Water’. And, naturally, touch on a multitude of other topics, including a mid-20th-century group of artists and activists called the Situationists who could very well be considered the philosophical grandparents of the rising Experience Economy. You can find the complete show notes and more details on the guests and experiences at this page on the Immersion Nation Website

This week in the interview we talk with experience designer Tommy Honton about finding hidden magic in the world and Tommy's origin story. The creation of Stash House, LA. Why the Los Angeles legislature is confused about immersive entertainment. The art of the 2nd or 3rd impression and how Tommy used his unique way of connecting with people to find his way onto the path of the professional immersive experience designer. And so much more.Note: This is the first episode of season 2 and as such, we’re going to be doing things a little differently! -- Each episode will have 3 segmentsFirst, a comprehensive explanation of the relevant experiences and an introduction of the guest. Second, the interview as always. Third, the Immersion Community Briefing, where we take a few minutes to discuss the happenings in the immersive world over the course of the last week. This week there are two relevant experiences. First, being StashHouse and the second being The Museum of Selfies. Visit the page for this podcast on the ImNation Site for complete show notes!

The results are in!For all of you who voted. Thank you so much for taking the time helping to help support both your favorite immersive experiences, creators, and the immersive community! On January 28th, we reached out to a myriad of wonderful immersive creators...Now, 18 days and couple thousand votes later, we’re back to invoke the names of 2019’s most remarkable immersive experiences. These experiences, both the recipients and the and nominees of the Immersion Awards, helped move both the entire immersive community -and the immersive world as a whole- to a turning point in 2019. The immersive revolution, movement, wave? The Immersive Renaissance that is already shaping the entertainment landscape of 2020 was aided, in earnest, by these 16 experiences.

Welcome to the 3rd and final part of this roundtable discussion on immersive entertainment and it impacts on the real world.Joining us we have Caroline Murphy, Chief Creative Officer of Incantrix Productions. Jessica Creane, founder of IKANTKOAN Games. Justin Fyles, Co-founder and Managing Director of Any One Thing. And Risa Puno, creator of The Privilege of Escape and Creative Time’s first open call artist.In this episode, we push out to the edges of reality and ask the question… What happens when we’re all creating immersive experiences for -and with- each other? When the line between the hyperreal and the surreal begins to blur into daily life?I should say, it might be a little tricky to jump in here if you haven’t heard part 1 and or part 2 because here, the concrete cadence of the conversation begins to transmute into the white-hot liquid theory around this increasingly immersive world we live in. Last time, we left off wondering how empathy, of all things, could be a destructive force. Well now, we talk about that- and how to avoid it. How to lend yourself to a shared moment in a way that respects the unimaginable experience of another person. All that, and so much more.Selected Links:Caroline MurphyIncantrix ProductionsInstagramFacebookTwitterSinking Ship CreationsCalculationsJessica CreaneIKANTKOAN GamesInstagramTwitterFacebookJustin FylesAny One ThingSouvenirInstagramTwitterFacebookRisa PunoThe Privilege of EscapeInstagram TwitterVimeo

This is part two of the three-part roundtable discussion on the real-world impact of immersive entertainment. This, in many ways, is the perfect set of episodes to be airing now, because this is the time of year where many so many people, subcultures, and industries zoom out to look at the broader picture. Where have we come from? Where is this all going? And what in the world does this all mean anyway? Well, I can think of very few people who are more qualified to help lend some clarity to these questions for the immersive community in 2020.Joining us we have Caroline Murphy, Chief Creative Officer of Incantrix Productions, Jessica Creane, founder of IKANTKOAN Games, Justin Fyles, Co-founder and Managing Director of Any One Thing, and Risa Puno, creator of The Privilege of Escape and Creative Time’s first open call artist. If you’re jumping in here and want more context for our contemplative immersive creators, they all have their own episodes on the podcast. They also introduce themselves in the first episode. Selected Links:Caroline MurphyIncantrix ProductionsInstagramFacebookTwitterJessica CreaneIKANTKOAN GamesInstagramTwitterFacebookJustin FylesAny One ThingInstagramTwitterFacebookRisa PunoThe Privilege of EscapeInstagram TwitterVimeoMentioned:2019 Immersion Awards: Nominations2019 Immersion Awards: VotingCaroline’s Immersion Nation Podcast interviewJessica’s Immersion Nation Podcast interviewJustin’s Immersion Nation Podcast interview Risa’s Immersion Nation Podcast interview •pt 1Risa’s Immersion Nation Podcast interview •pt 2Mattie Bryce: game designerChapter Markers can be found here

This week we have not one but 4 truly phenomenal guests. This is the first part of a round table discussion on immersive entertainment and its relationship to real experiences and the real world. Caroline Murphy of 'Incantrix Productions', Jessica Creane of 'IKANTKOAN Games', Justin Fyles of 'Any One Thing', and Risa Puno of 'The Privilege of Escape' guide us in exactly the kind of thought-provoking, assumption challenging and nuanced conversation that we here at Immersion Nation think is vital for the beginning of any cultural movement.The topics of identity, empathy, agency, trust, and diversity frame the dynamic perspectives of these creators. They work together to explore the intricacies inherent in creating experiences of depth and transformative potential for their audiences. Finally, the topic of what the future might hold for immersive entertainment speaks to both exciting and perilous potential for a world where immersive experiences are everywhere. Selected Links:Caroline MurphyIncantrix ProductionsInstagramFacebookTwitterJessica CreaneIKANTKOAN GamesInstagramTwitterFacebookJustin FylesAny One ThingInstagramTwitterFacebookRisa PunoThe Privilege of EscapeInstagram TwitterVimeoMentioned:Odyssey WorksShow Notes:Introductions [1:59]Why Is immersive So impactful? [4:02]Transformation and a self-selecting audience [6:13]Removing adversarial context, choices, and identity [7:47]What happens when immersive is everywhere? Self-examination, and diversity [11:52]Daily immersive, scale, and intimacy [13:46]Tension between documentation and over systematization [16:10]Diversity, setting the tone, and developing trust with an audience [18:00]An airplane, a brand, and the 3rd rail of social justice issues [20:35]Audience psychology in immersive experiences [24:30]Designing Internal Experience and what’s next [28:50]“Diversity of experiences and diversity of thought is so, so important. I think we’re at a place right now, where the more space we make right now, the more space there is going to be in the long run. We have the possibility of having a really exponential impact on that by taking great care” -Jessica Creane

In this episode, we talk about the 2019 immersion awards and take a look at the big picture of immersive entertainment in 2019. We revisit the concept of play with a few listeners of the podcast joining us to share their thoughts on the importance of play. Next, we discuss the potential future of immersive entertainment in 2020 and beyond. Finally, we end the show with the nominations for the 2019 immersion awards.Selected Links:2019 Immersion Awards NominationsReach out to Immersion Nation Jenny Weinbloom’s Talk at ID summitMeow Wolf’s, Vince Kadlubek, on expansion plansDiscussion about Star Wars: Galaxy’s EdgeSecret Cinema Creating Evermore ParkThe Void ExperienceAmazon San Diego Comic-Con 2019 immersive activationsShow Notes:Episode outline: 2019, The value of play, and 2020 [1:17]On the 2019 Immersion Awards [3:00]The immersive zeitgeist in 2019 [6:47]Jenny Weinbloom, rehearsal for resistance, and Immersion as a catalyst for social change[6:50]In case you missed it: Immersive Headlines in 2019 [8:58]Growth in immersive as a backdrop [12:58]The Value of Play: Part 2 [14:58]Listener’s thoughts on the value of play [15:23]Play, risk, and experimentation [19:07]Immersive in 2020 [21:31]2019 Immersion Awards Nomination [24:37]

By now, we all know, It’s all about connection. So why am I coming back to this topic here? Because connection can be manifested in so many different ways. It struck me when going through the first section of this interview. It seems like the way Ross cultivates connection is by seeing a spark in someone else, and lending himself to that spark in order to meet that person where they are, to speak to that person in their language. Depending on what part of the immersive world you occupy, that might sound obvious…? But, to be able to do that on every level from the experience participant to the producing executive is, I think, pretty exceptional. Today we dig deeper into how this idea of connection works in every part of the immersive design process, from vetting collaborators to the money math of big brands. This is the second part of my conversation with immersive experience designer, Ross Tipograph but! It is okay to jump in here. (Though of course, I would suggest you listen to both.) For context: Ross was recently named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work in experiential marketing and has worked on projects like the Amazon immersive experiences for the television shows The Expanse and Carnival Row at San Diego Comic-Con, in 2019. In his under 30 years, he’s been busy. Selected Links:Ross Tipograph-Linkedin-Facebook-Instagram8 PlayersForbes 30 under 30Giant SpoonThe aforementioned Amazon Activations:The ExpanseCarnival RowBook: The Director’s Voice Saint Anne’s warehouseUnder the radar festivalShow Notes:“For guests walking out of one of your experiences, what kind of reactions are you looking for?” [2:57]The exclusivity of a shared moment: The good and the bad [4:21]If ross had one month to prepare someone for directing an immersive experience [6:54]1- Reconnect with your why [7:23]2- Get ready to work with actors [8:42]3- Vet your collaborators [9:51]Preparing for collaboration [11:06]How Ross thinks about the macro of experiential and immersive [12:23]Why immersive makes sense for large brands [14:49]Making immersive viable, seeing the barrier clearly [17:13]Desperation and financially viability 101 [18:29]Excitement for the future [20:42]What needs to change; a fair but spicy take [22:35]Immersive about the here and now [24:21]Another alternative to nostalgia [25:55]A final note for creators [28:20]

We all have our superpowers. The set of unique experiences we have that make us uniquely suited for specific things. Often, our superpowers come from the combination of many different skills. Now, in our world, the world of immersive entertainment; theater and marketing may seem like an obvious combination. But Ross is a perfect example of the way in which these skill sets can come together to become greater than the sum of their parts. Theater and Marketing, at their core, have one essential but elusive thing in common. Connection. In the next two episodes, we talk about how the combination of these two abilities led Ross Tipograph to found 8 players, work on 4 experiences for amazon studios, work with the experiential marketing powerhouse, Giant Spoon, and to represent the experiential and immersive world on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2020Selected Links:Ross Tipograph-Linkedin-Facebook-Instagram8 PlayersForbes 30 under 30Giant SpoonHBO’s Sharp ObjectsWindy City PlayhouseInfluences and inspirations: ScreamInfluences and inspirations: Haunted Mansion RideBook: The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering Book: How to operate a financially successful haunted house New York Immersive NightShow Notes:Ross’ chosen Fictional world to live in [2:44]Why we rescheduled [4:32]Ross awarded Forbes 30 Under 30 [6:02]Ross Tipograph: Origins [7:29]Disneyworld and the haunted mansion [9:20]The 2013 turning point [11:00]Creating 8 Players [13:40]“Sometimes it takes busting open a door” [16:23]Make it Immersive! Sharp Objects [20:00]2 ways to make a small audience work [27:12]

To recap, last week we left off. Jeromy had gotten a call from a local bar/beer garden asking him to produce a Halloween season show for their upstairs space. They had a month to make this show, the rabbit cage, come together. We talk about this adventure in creation and how one could layer experiences together, in the make it immersive segment. Jeromy tells us about an experience he had with Sleep No More, and another where he was momentarily, and thrillingly convinced he was about to be abducted into an experience. Finally, Jeromy talks about the power of being seen and what could happen when an experience is bold enough to stretch the boundary of entertainment. The ideas that make the foundation of what we do when we create, or go out to an immersive experience are becoming more common. The language of immersive [beat] is beginning to be adopted because whether you’re designing a set, a workplace, a school, or your living room, it applies. If you’re listening to this, you’re witnessing the edge of what is likely a profound shift in the way our culture thinks about shaping the world around us. [beat] And no matter what happens, there is one thing we can be sure about the future of immersive experience… 2020 is going to be wild. Enjoy Selected Links:Dino Lion-Facebook-InstagramThe Rabbit CageFestival of DisruptionDavid LynchSleep No MoreDay for night festivalSundance Film FestivalGrey Area, San FranciscoThe 21 experienceBeta TheaterAlternate Reality GameOverlook film festivalShow Notes:•A month to create a show [4:03]•All ideas beget other ideas [5:54]•A brilliant spoiler (for The Rabbit Cage) [7:01]•Make it immersive [8:47]•The festival of disruption: Dino Lion Style [6:38]•Immersive is…. [11:30]•The in-between could also be an immersive experience! [15:25]•A Sleep No More Story [16:10]•An experience within an experience. Where the experience ends [18:31]•A story about the twenty-one experience. “These guys are going to get out and bag me and throw me this van” [20:24]•Jeromy Barber on exciting new things in immersive creation [23:01]•“I want to make work that authentically knows people… There’s a lot of power in being known” [25:24]•The lattice effect; on being a supportive structure [27:16]•Being seen; when fiction looks at you [30:13]

In 2005, Jeromy Barber moved from New York City to a small town in Texas.If Jeromy's life was a screenplay, and I was editing? I would probably advise the writer to make it just a touch less formulaic. It is fantastic. Jeromy has trained with the comedy monolith, Second City. Founded the improv focused Beta Theater in Houston and, of course, owns and operates Dinolion, a quote “Creative video house” which rocks the tagline “Projects we love with people we love.” and does everything from video marketing to, of course, immersive experience design. My read on The Dinolion brand, as a creative expression of Jeromy’s style, is bright and brash and I think can only really be described as brilliantly refined chaos. But that’s just my read on it, go check out their reel for yourself after the show; also, fantastic. Jeromy’s way of thinking about the creation of immersive experiences is incredibly innovative. So, again for you practicing or aspiring immersive creators out there, these two episodes will hopefully likely spark the same kind of curiosity and excitement that I walked away with. And for the immersive fans, adventurers, connoisseurs? Have you ever heard of a one-person immersive experience in a plane? Once again, fantastic.Selected Links:Dinolion-Facebook-InstagramThe Rabbit CageBeta TheaterBill CallahanDavid lynchFestival of DisruptionTranscendental MeditationSecond CityThe Steam Powered HourPollok TexasLonely girl 15Cassie is WatchingAlternate Reality GameOverlook film festivalThe Axelrad Beer GardenShow Notes:Jeromy’s fictional world [3:08]What is Dinolion? [7:16]The path from video to immersive [9:25]New York to Texas & discovering ARG [10:42]Consuming to create in a new medium [13:25]Starting with easter eggs [14:34]Cross-discipline: Video and immersive [17:18]Video in immersive experience [19:14]Spoilers and marketing for immersive productions [21:33]The ONLY person who has said the marketing is easy and the complexity ceiling[23:31]The golden ratio of immersive: post-experience interest is a champagne problem. [26:23]The draw to the haunt genera [28:14]The inception of The Rabbit Cage [30:29]

This episode is brimming, overflowing even with tips and techniques for those who like to look behind the curtain. If you didn’t catch last week’s episode, it gives some background on our guest Niyia Mack’s experience producing and consulting on immersive experience design. This week, Niyia answers questions about creating immersive experiences when you’re not based in LA, New York, or Chicago, what she’s excited about in the changing world of immersive, and how it’s possible to make more intimate immersive productions financially viable. Whether or not you’re a creative in immersive entertainment, getting a window into the world of those who carefully craft experiences for others can be incredibly eye-opening to the end of understanding the ways in which the world around you might be changeable, designable, and resoundingly story-worthy. EnjoySelected Links:Niyia MackNiyia Mack’s projectsJanell Langford’s ObsidiopolisSXSW panelSome of Niyia Mack’s work and collaborations:Meow Wolf DenverDelusionSpy Brunch’s “Safehouse’Speakeasy Society’s ‘Johnny cycle’CoAct Production’s ‘Sideshow’LEIAPasadena PlayhouseShow Notes:Creating a space of safety [2:41]Creating when you’re not in LA, NY, or Chicago [7:46]Finding the community [11:17]What Niyia is excited about in immersive? [12:48]LARPing and immersive rookies [16:47]Financially viable small shows [18:31]Surprised by the effects of immersive [24:18]

How does it all come together? How does one take a multitude of moving parts; actors, and scripts, and settings, varying degrees of audience agency and assemble them into emotionally evocative experiences? If you are the creator, the producer, the director, the writer venturing into unknown territories; the prospect of working in a medium where you are intentionally giving the audience an opportunity to exert their own philistine agency on your creation… Might sound like an undisguised nightmare. But, as it turns out, there is some methodology to this and! A select few brilliant producers with more than a little experience in the subtle art of immersive experience. Niyia Mack is an LA-based producer and consultant who has worked with Meow Wolf, Safehouse 77’, and 82’, Delusion, and CoAct Productions to name just a few. Niyia is here to share her experience creating in the immersive realm with all of you.Selected LinksNiyia MackNiyia Mack’s projectsJanell Langford’s ObsidiopolisSXSW panelSome of Niyia’s work and collaborations:Meow Wolf DenverDelusionSpy Brunch’s “Safehouse’Speakeasy Society’s ‘Johnny cycle’CoAct Production’s ‘Sideshow’LEIAPasadena Playhouse

“The art of immersive isn’t about the art of engagement, it isn’t about holding people’s attention... It’s about attachment. It’s about forging a connection.” -NoahYou can consume or you can create. Usually, it’s one or the other. Whether you’re considering a movie, music, or a book.. You can choose what you consume, for the most part, but you can’t alter the thing while in the midst of a storyline. Which, I believe, is part of what makes immersive so confounding. In the space of immersive entertainment, there is the option to do both. Today we have, once again, good sir Noah Nelson the creator of No Proscenium. Based in LA, for the last 5 years Noah has strived to knit together the immersive community across the country and help the world understand this change in the way that our culture consumes narrative and story. Selected Links:No ProsceniumInstagramTwitterFacebookSpiderman Into The SpiderverseThe VoidSelfie Palace that does it right: Museum of Ice CreamEverything Immersive Facebook GroupNo Proscenium PodcastHERE summitShow Notes:On oculus and interface [2:05]What is immersive? What is the goal? [3:40]The art of immersive isn’t about engagement [5:27]Emotional agency [7:18]You are Shia LaBeouf [8:54]The entertainment in immersive [10:55]Relearning what matters [15:35]You can’t spend all day long questioning reality [20:38]The trough of disillusionment [22:35]Rehearsal for existence & learning agency [23:53]What isn’t immersive? [27:37]Selfie palaces [29:03]Justifying immersive [30:14]

What is immersive entertainment? Oh my word, does anybody know?? When someone asks you what you did Saturday night, what is the 2 second explanation? I went to see this movie, I went to dinner at x place, I went to this concert. These work because everyone knows what the movie, dinner, the concert experience is. The experience is the medium, the method of communication. You don’t have to work to come up with that mental image. This reeeeally doesn’t work with immersive entertainment, which puts Immersion Nation, and our guest in a genuinely difficult position. Because we’re both on a mutual mission to explain the unexplainable. Our guest is the founder of No Proscenium, an immersive entertainment publication and hotbed of wisdom and support for the immersive community. Noah Nelson is here to help you and me understand why Immersive entertainment is so hard to define, and ultimately, why that might not event the goal we should be trying for.Selected Links:No ProsceniumInstagramTwitterFacebookEverything Immersive Facebook GroupNo Proscenium PodcastHERE summitThe RendonVampire of the masqueradeJay Bushman Sarah ThacherCandle House CollectiveDead PlayShow Notes:HERE summit [2:39]Immersive music proper [3:10]Chosen fictional world [8:43]Wreck it Ralph Breaks VR [12:11]*Spoiler* Into the Spider Verse [13:43]The ‘I’ word: Immersive [15:26]The Transmedia wars [17:04]The Origins of Noah the Nelson [20:04]“What I like about the field right now… What I worry about” [21:32]What is immersive? real for just a moment [22:57]The medium doesn’t matter [24:07]Lowering the impedance[27:22]

Now this is where things change. One small group of people, one small room, one unexpectedly vulnerable interaction at a time. And it’s not easy. It’s hard to just be present, let alone open up to strangers. And this is where Siobhan comes in. Someone who can take something serious, and turn it into laughter. Someone who can take something that is so hard to explain, a performance in a bathroom? And not leave you feeling like it makes sense, but like it’s the only thing that makes sense. Siobhan O’Loughlin has crafted and refined and created something in Broken Bone Bathtub that redefines what immersive entertainment can be. What is Broken Bone Bathtub?Broken Bone Bathtub is an immersive theater experience performed -typically- for a small group, in a bathroom. Siobhan O’Loughlin casts the audience as close friends, letting her borrow their bathtub after breaking her hand in a bicycle accident. In the name of keeping her cast dry, and finding some much needed human connection, she hops in the tub; over the course of the 60-90 minute performance, she interacts with the audience in a way that perfectly walks the line between the topical gravity of the story and the situational levity of the scenario. Selected Links:Siobhan O’loughlinBroken Bone Bathtub-Instagram-Facebook-TwitterPress and reviews of Broken Bone Bathtub through the years. Siobhan’s PatreonSiobhan’s Moth Grandslam and other videos-*Editorial favorite from clips in above link is ‘Every Time I Try’Show Notes:Siobahn’s fictional world: artistic renaissance [4:23]Are Patreon and crowdfunding platforms helping? [6:26]What is Broken Bone Bathtub? [10:55]Vulnerability and beginning the bath [15:00]Japan to LA, meeting the audience where they’re at [19:53]Spacial improv and staying on your toes [22:44]The language barrier in immersive performance [24:12]Moving with and through cultural barriers [26:05]The impact of immersive experience [28:25]Building the immersive community [30:55]

We often think of people as so individual, so removed from their context. As individuals. But try as we might, we are.. the constantly shifting point that sits at the intersection of our internal identity and our external environment. And if you think about the curve of human history, this fact has been the point *pause* of thousands of years of frustration. It’s a little bit of an adversarial relationship. Most of what we categorize as necessities, clothing, shelter, access to clean water are acts of environmental designBut on this episode, we’re discussing how this is changing. How shaping an external environment can enable changes in our internal environment, rather than prevent them. This is part two of a conversation with Risa Puno, creator of The Privilege of escape. An escape room, that uses environmental design to explore the concept of privilege.This portion of the conversation is by itself fantastic and illuminating and illustrative but if you find yourself wanting to know a little more about the context of the piece, you should go check out the first part of the interview, episode 23 which you can find wherever you might be listening right now. Beyond that, I hope you enjoy this window into the world of escape rooms, social dynamics, and the way our environment shapes our awareness. Selected Links:The Privilege of EscapeRisa Puno•@risapuno•On twitter•On VimeoCreative time-Sugar Sphinx-Pigeon lights performanceThe Onassis foundationThe olympic tower buildingOn Post Game FrothingShow Notes:The original room design [2:37]Harvesting spines, you know, the usual [3:42]The concept of neutral authority [4:14]The issue of provoking thought [5:26]The puzzles and the flow and easter eggs [7:20]Escape room life: Confusion and frustration [9:43]Privilege is everything you don’t have to deal with [12:23]Hacking empathy [16:19]You have to listen [17:04]Part refrigerator, part escape room [19:10]

The word ‘soundscape’ seems to get lobbed around haphazardly, kind of like a half deflated football picked up out of a sense of obligation around the Thanksgiving season. However, the idea of a ‘soundscape’ seems to have a bit more vigor when applied more literally to an immersive experience. Especially when the lens -or maybe more appropriately, the voicing- of an immersive experience, the original impetus, comes from a musician. Someone who’s first artistic language is not visual. Andrew Hoepfner, the prolific and determinately resourceful creator of House World, Bottom of the Ocean, Waves, and co-creator of Whisperloge, approaches immersive experience design in exactly this way. Sound and music are not just another layer in Andrew’s experience composition, but rather are the core, the engine that overtly drives much of what he creates. Right now, Andrew Hoepfner is hard at work in his Brooklyn creative space, Gymnopedie and preparing for the next iteration of the show, Bottom of the Ocean in December. More immediately, he joins us to discuss his path into and through the world of immersion. Selected Links:WavesGymnopedieHouseworld-Instagram -Facebook -TwitterWhisperlodgeShow Notes:Fictional world Andrew wants to live in [2:53]Emotional dynamic range [4:33]Creating the opportunity for peak experiences [6:09]House World, Whisperlodge, BOTO, and Waves [7:49]Curious origins of immersive interaction [10:33]The path from Michigan to NYC [13:55]When life gives you a 25 room mansion... [15:49]Melinda Lauw, and new things for Whisperlodge [20:01]

This is a season of the surreal. On some certain, inexplicable terms we find ourselves drawn to the ethereal, the supernatural, the unknown, and the misunderstood. At the intersection of all these things lies The Cutting Room Floor. The Cutting Room Floor is not a traditional haunt, no. This show lends a seasonally appropriate levity and exaggeration to the topics of regret and possession. There are ghosts, there are aliens, there is the Aurora Fox theater, but most importantly, there is Patrick Mueller, the artistic director of Control Group Productions with us right here, right now, to talk about this spooky season experience in Denver. Selected Links:Cutting Room FloorAggregate ImmaterialityControl Group ProductionsInstagramFacebookTwitterJoseph Campbell: Art and religion (interview)Denver Center for the Performing ArtsThird Rail ProjectsSweet and luckyTension experiencesShow Notes:Fictional or fantasy world [2:58]What is the Cutting Room Floor? [5:57]What is real world scary [8:00]The key concept is possession [9:21]So, What about regret? [11:36]Deadly serious [14:17]Unexpected audience interaction [18:01]A misunderstanding of immersion [22:28]Prepare your non-immersive savvy friends [27:29]Patricks’ experiences with immersion [28:45]Working with Third Rail Projects [31:06]Colorado Style immersive [32:41]Make it immersive [39:14]Playing with physics [40:29]Control Group’s Creative workflow [43:48]Considering tactics and wind tunnels [44:21]Changing from Sweet and lucky [48:43]Being handed the keys to the jeep of immersion [53:08]Immersive bus tour and other upcoming work [54:35]

On the date of this recording, 170 years ago, Edgar Allan Poe died. It is disputed exactly how Poe died, and why. But there is a theory...Now, if you were to find yourself in manhattan 50 years ago, you might also find a group of young adults, gathered in a basement with Poe’s words eager on their lips, and a singular determination to uncover the story behind the poets death. Would you join them? Today, Aaron Salazar of the Poseidon Theatre Company has made it possible for one to ask themselves this question. He joins the immersion nation podcast to discuss this immersive experience: Who Killed Edgar Allan Poe? The Cooping Theory, 1969. Selected Links:Who killed Edgar Allan Poe, The Cooping Theory 1969InstagramFacebook TwitterPoseidon Theatre companyDDM ProductionsRPM undergroundAaron Salazar The Turn Of The ScrewThe OthersBlackoutShow Notes:Recorded on the 170th anniversary of Poe’s Death [3:01]What fictional world would you live in? [3:23]What is ‘Who Killed Edgar Allan Poe? The Cooping Theory 1969’ [4:49]The cooping theory- electoral fraud and Poe’s death [10:46]Setting a societal scene, the context for tragedy [14:22]What you walk away with [16:39]Unexpected reactions: all the first timers [19:52]Herding fish [22:45]Make it immersive [23:52]Creating with classic works [35:47]Moving into immersive [37:40]“Critics don’t really know how to review this stuff” [39:03]The form necessitated adaptation [41:43]Those who do, and those who’d rather not [44:55]‘Submit to the extremity of the experience’ [46:37]Non-linear narrative- no experience is a straight line [48:51]The paranormal swamp [52:10]Your satisfaction level is dependent on your participation [52:35]Relentless [54:42]Aaron on Blackout [55:07]Where can people find all of these things? [1:00:10]

A door has opened with the rise of immersive experience. Immersive experience can be fun, and wondrous, mind bending, but it can also aid incredible empathy in a way that very few other things can. The privilege of escape is an escape room and an experience that uses this fact to address the real world problems of privilege and social inequity. Risa Puno, is a new york based artist that, in collaboration with creative time, has pioneered a new front, a new world of potential, for what immersive experiences can be. References & Selected Links:The Privilege of EscapeRisa Puno@risapunoOn twitterOn VimeoCreative time-Sugar Sphinx-Pigeon lights performanceThe Onassis foundationThe olympic tower buildingOn Post Game FrothingShow Notes:Fictional world for adventures [2:43]•PSA: We don’t wrap back around to that- the rest of the conversation was just too good! [5:53]•Creative Time and What is the Privilege of Escape? [6:04]•Why an escape room? [8:43]•Nuance in name and idea [11:52]•Communicating privilege through adrenaline and context [13:57]•What is the experience like? [16:37]•The setting- now with spaceship hvac! [19:35]•The depth of the space [22:44]•Post game debrief [24:22]•Games that show who we are [26:11]•The actors in the art [29:45]•You are the message [33:11]•Risa undercover- getting shut down [35:13]•Being right doesn’t matter Power dynamics feeling only 99% sure [36:10]•Awareness of one’s privilege [41:05]•Acknowledging one’s privilege [42:27]•Using the frothiness [43:24]

Why is play important? What is the value of play? Well, today’s episode of the immersion Nation Podcast is a little bit different. This is the first in a series of mini episodes that we’re going to be releasing periodically in place of our normal interviews. We’ve been asking guests of the Immersion Nation podcast why play matters.There are certain concepts that are intrinsic, not just to the immersive wave, but to how we understand and interface with the world as a whole. But often the importance of play fades in our mind as we get older…We want to know what you think!What do we lose when we forget how to play? Or Why do you think play is important?-We will share your thoughts on the next episode about about play•Email Nathaniel Sky, the podcast host directly with this link: https://www.immersionnation.com/contact/•DM us on instagram: @immersionnation•Or message us on facebook with this link: http://m.me/immersionnationSelected Links:Genevieve Gearhart on the podcastThe Speakeasy SocietyChristoff Visscher on the podcastTales By candlelightPete Billington on the podcastWolves in the WallsFable StudioShow Notes:Intrinsic to how we understand the world [1:20]Genevieve Gearhart on play [1:54]Is play escapism? [2:53]Christoff Visscher on play [3:59]Playing in reality [5:13]Pete Billington of Fable Studio [5:51]Forgetting how to play [6:38]What do you think? [7:58]What do you think? [7:58]

On May 18th, 2019, Ikantkoan Games founder Jessica Creane took the TED stage, under unusual circumstances, to give a talk about chaos theory. She explained that as a game designer, she takes complex systems and turns them into “playful interactive experiences” Today, Jessica joins the show to talk about leaning into chaos in daily life, learning how to harness it, and of course how one turns a haiku into a full contact sport. Selected Links:-TED talk- Gamifying Chaos: Embracing Uncertainty Through Play-IKANTKOAN Games-Instagram-Twitter-Facebook-Chaos Theory-Tickets-Know Thyself-Immanuel Kant-Koan: To provoke the ‘Great doubt’Show Notes:Fictional world for exploration [2:42]How does a Haiku become a full contact sport? [4:35]How to start designing games [7:23]What is the show, ‘Chaos Theory’? [9:18]What is the concept, chaos theory? [11:09]Finding systems in things that appear to be systemless [12:31]Why do you feel like people are drawn to chaos? [13:46]What is Know Thyself? (philosophy as a game?) [15:20]Making philosophy practical [17:53]Make it immersive [19:44]‘You mean I have to think??’ [24:32]Well what did you think this experience was about? [26:53]Fear of the unknown vs. attraction to chaos [28:49]How to build a little chaos into your life [30:50]What is devised theater? [34:22]Why the name ‘IKantKoan’? [35:49]The inception of ‘IKantKoan games’ [38:12]What’s next for Jessica and IKantKoan? [39:53]Stories from Jessica’s guests [41:50]Jessica on the TED stage [45:21]A major change on stage [48:22]Where can folks find Jessica’s work? [51:54]

On a humid August night in williamsburg brooklyn, Melinda Lauw, cofounder of the genre creating asmr experience, Whisperlodge, took the stage at new york immersive night. Melinda explained that she thought of immersive experience as a kind of wellness practice. At that moment I was sitting in the back of the room, utterly fascinated. Today melinda discusses this concept, the transformation economy, and the kind of things that are so pervasively common, they fade into the background and become invisible. Selected Links: WhisperlodgeInstagramFacebookCo-founder Andrew HoepfnerHouseworldMuseum of Ice cream Maryellis BunnIRL vs. URLTech balanceShow Notes: Fictional world: [2:35]Textiles, gradmas, the exotic [3:21]Fluffy guerilla art, the inversion of expectations [5:23]The transformation economy- one step further [6:23] Growing the audience for art [10:01]Immersive experience as a wellness practice [12:15]Craving Immersion [14:29]Make it immersive: A world without plastic [18:44]“I thought you brought the props!” [22:17]What is Whisperlodge [25:09]The Origin of Whisperlodge [26:17]Change in experimental outlet [29:28]Current work and Ice Cream [30:50]What I do didn’t exist [32:26]IRL vs. URL: A balancing act. [33:30]Environment and holistic experience [37:09]Working with the Museum of Ice Cream [41:48]New horizons in the immersive world: new combinations [43:52]

In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, sitting just off the bank of the mississippi river is The 13th Gate. A repeatedly nationally acclaimed haunted house and escape room. The founder and owner -an understated multi-medium master- Dwayne Sanburn joins the podcast to discuss the experience that has repeatedly set the bar for each of his respective categories.Opening on September 27th this year, The 13 Gate is a haunted immersive experience spanning 40,000 square feet. 13 highly detailed themed areas and approximately 160 actors to enable spooky season adventure. In addition to the expansive haunt, The 13th Gate holds 7 escape rooms and a 4 player virtual reality zombie game, all of which are open year round. Selected Links:13th gateFacebookInstagramTwitterYoutube13th gate escapeFacebook InstagramTwitterYoutubeHaunt ticketsEscape ticketsThe incredibly long list of The 13th Gate’s reviews and press coverageShow Notes:Favorite fictional world [2:24]What drew you to the haunted and horror genre ? [3:36]What are people missing in the haunted and horror genre? [6:09]here to fix your phobia [7:46]Real fear vs. fake fear [8:54]The nursing connection [9:43]What are people looking for? [11:41]Specifically in The 13th Gate [12:25]What is The 13th Gate [15:04]13th Gate Escape [15:28]Make it immersive: Unleashing the story [19:10]How many times through the warp bubble? [22:07]From haunted house to escape room [25:39]What is the value of play? [28:36]The search for shared experience [30:39]It’s supposed to be special [31:42]Explaining immersion [34:43]The takeaway [36:10]On the immersive horizon [38:22]

Stories are trust. They create understanding and shared meaning. Stories are the fabric of culture so it is befitting that Billy Angel has carved his path through the world with his stories. From the Netherlands, to the UK, to the co-founding of Story Works in the United States. In this conversation Billy tells the stories of... How he came to create an immersive tour across 60 schools by necessity and accident. How teaching mime opened the door for an exploration of the intersection of sound and movement. The circumstances of producing an all ages television series, jacob's ladderThe thread of self expression and the drive to enable the expression of others’ stories has given him a depth of multifaceted, and multicultural perspective. Before the modern era of immersive theater this perspective guided Billy and others on the same path to sew the seeds of the immersive revolution. Links and full show notes can be found

Identity is a complex topic under the best of circumstances. We are often defined by the invisible scripts we learned so long ago we forget we’re even reciting lines. The Severance Theory casts you in the role of someone contending with DID. Dissociative Identity Disorder, commonly known as multiple personality disorder. DID is tricky to portray through narrative. Especially so in the context of immersive theater. The creative minds behind the show, Lyndsie Scoggin & Danielle Levesque of CoAct Productions have created an experience that inspires appreciation for complexity, and insites curiosity about the mysteries of identity. In this episode, we discuss the why and how behind the creation of an immersive experience, where the single guest is uncovering both parts of their past and parts of themselves. --Chapter markers, links from the show, and more on CoAct's work: https://www.immersionnation.com/coactproductions-podcast/

Imagine if human touch were a felony. What would that world look like? Ben Cox of Trailblazer Productions is exploring this question in his productions of TOUCH & TOUCH: INCARNATION. Ben joins the Immersion Nation Podcast for an adventure through dystopian futures, cultural change, and the presently evolving idea of human connection. Ben has used this dystopian backdrop to raise the question, ‘what does it mean to be human?’. In TOUCH, you are placed into the midst of a rebellious group, fighting the regulation of touch. They use the tagline- “We are electric”. While metaphorically appropriate this mantra also has the obvious layer of scientific legitimacy. Now, more than ever, the questions of our common humanity deserve attention. This conversation frames the idea that immersive experience is becoming an incredible tool for the exploration of these questions. Full show notes at Immersion Nation: here

Any who have truly lost themselves in an immersive experience have glimpsed the potential of immersion as a whole. Caroline Murphy -co-founder of Incantrix production- discusses this potential, and the cause behind the air of wonder and openness that often follows audiences out the doors, after an immersive production. Caroline seems to have a particular propensity for looking at immersive design as both an engineering problem and a piece of social art at the same time. This ability has manifested in their productions of The Carnivale, Crown Me, and extends to inspire audiences of both immersive enthusiasts and the immersive unaware. Full show notes with selected links mentioned in the show and chapter markers can be found here: https://www.immersionnation.com/incantrixproductionspodcast/

Windy City Playhouse has so much coming up, we pulled this clip out of the conversation in Episode 13 to try out a new format. If you have not heard Ep. 13, you can check that out here:And, of course, you can DM Immersion Nation on Instagram if you have any thoughts, questions, comments, or just want to say hi.

Amy Rubenstein is in many ways the metaphorical tip of the spear within the burgeoning world of immersive theater in Chicago. As the artistic director of Windy City Playhouse, Amy explains the path to creating a bracingly lifelike visage of 1960’s Georgia in their recent show, Southern Gothic. If immersive theater can be thought of as practical magic, the show Southern Gothic, can be thought of -explicitly- as a time machine. Of an initial expected run of about 3 months, Southern Gothic was extended to more than a year of performances; marking a turning point for the immersive landscape of Chicago. In this show we talk about world building, the experience of an immersive actor, and why voyeurism and emotional intimacy are not always oppositional concepts.Make it immersive:James Cameron’s Avatar: [19:22]Show Notes:Favorite Fictional World [2:20]What is Southern Gothic? [3:03]What is an artistic director? [6:23]The only long run & site specific immersive theater in Chicago? [10:14]What was the most fun in doing this first Sandbox show? [11:41]The experience of the actor [13:35]Detail & the infinite learning curve [15:59]Make it immersive: Avatar [19:22]Actors as the Avatar: The gift of new shoes [22:40]No pressure audience [24:10]Those who don’t love traditional theater [25:55]Intense moments in 1960’s Georgia & takeaway [27:23]Watching one show 5+ times [30:47]Historical fiction & emotional realism [31:39]The Value of play [36:13]Where to find Windy City Playhouse [38:57]Selected links: Windy City Playhouse-Instagram-Facebook -TwitterSouthern GothicThe Recommendation

Any One Thing, can be thought of as similar to the futuristic Netflix series, ‘Black Mirror’ (excluding episode 1, for any who stopped there). Subtracting a heavy portion of darkness, ‘Any One Thing’ (or A1T) explores the edge of what could be possible with technology, today, or in the very near future. A1T, Co-founder, Justin Fyles joins Immersion Nation to discuss everything from data privacy to the relationship between mortality and digital legacy; The topic of their upcoming show. We touch on ‘Recollection’, their previous immersive theater work, along with some broader strokes around the business of immersive entertainment as a whole. Make it immersive:Redwall [21:13]Selected links: Any One Thing:InstagramFacebookTwitterShortage, East LondonBanksyRedwall SeriesEternal Sunshine of the Spotless MindBlack MirrorSleep No MoreSecret CinemaThe origin of thespian More on this episodeShow Notes:Why the train: [3:29]Fictional world: [4:05]What is Any One Thing?: [5:15]Using data in immersive experience: [8:00]The last show: Recollection: [9:27]How your data gets processed: [10:26]The Upcoming show: mortality and digital legacy [11:45]Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind & owning your personal memories [13:07]Designing the new show. Very site specific [14:40] The immersive business model: sustainable and fair [17:28]On Punchdrunk and Sleep No More: [18:36]Make it immersive: Redwall [21:13]Breaking reality gently [23:55]Extending the immersive world [27:00]The value of play: [29:25] Coming from the tech world + Origins [31:28]New work vs. Adapted work [38:36]The trick with the word ‘Immersive’ [42:08]Where is Any One Thing [44:30]More On Immersive entertainment at Immersion Nation

It’s rare that you find an actor in an escape room. It’s even more rare to discover that the actor doesn’t detract from you an experience, but helps create it. Cameron and Haley, are masters of this very thing. Madame Daphne guides you through a seance in attempt to contact the ghost of Harry Houdini. While many escape rooms worship at the altar of the clock, Strange Bird laughs in the face of convention; stopping the clock entirely to ensure that the story has your complete and undivided attention. Strange Bird’s loyalty lies with the hero’s journey.In the Episode: We discuss what makes an escape room shine, how immersion gives you a space to practice your emotions, and how Immersive entertainment opens the door to creativity to any with an idea, and a drive to create. Truly, the frame in which we view the world of entertainment is changing. The way in which we interact with one another could be shifted and reshaped, as we learn how to see each other and the world around us with new eyes. Make it immersive:Star Trek: The Next Generation [22:19]Selected links: Strange Bird ImmersiveImmersologyThe Man From BeyondKlingon culture?MystWalter the Falcon!They have a trailer?Strange Bird on:-Twitter -Instagram-Facebook Show Notes:Introduction & context [1:19]Favorite fictional world [2:20]An inspiring and beautiful game [5:13]When escape rooms shine[7:49]What is strange bird? [9:29]Why is Strange Bird so unique? [11:09]Avoiding distractions and building story [13:28]Directing the attention of an audience [15:18]Escape Room VS. Storyline [17:19]What is the ‘Why’ behind ‘The Man From Beyond’? [18:19]How Strange bird creates immersion [22:10]Make it immersive [22:19]Setting the stage [31:15]The coopers on the value of Play [34:05]Why you should be dancing around a fire [40:35]Where did the name “Strange Bird” come from? [42:20]Where’s walter?? [46:19]Explaining immersion [48:55]Strange Bird’s here and now [51:23]

“I’m absolutely convinced that the best way to learn is through play”Fable Studios has created a piece of Immersive storytelling that is pushing the boundaries of both technology and immersion as a creative medium; Wolves In the walls. A Virtual Reality story based on the book, Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaimen and Dave McKean. In this experience you are cast as the imaginary best friend of Lucy, a little girl who has become convinced that there are indeed wolves in her walls. It is hard to exaggerate the level of nuance and multidisciplinary expertise that has been deployed in the creation of this world. Wolves in the wall has sampled wisdom from gaming, film, behavioral psychology, and of course, Immersive theater; consulting with the master creatives at Third Rail Projects. Our guest, Pete Billington, is the Co-founder of Fable studios, a masterful storyteller, and a rare variety of systems thinker. He pulls from the well of his personal experience having worked on a wide range of projects including Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, The Matrix: Reloaded, and The Polar Express to inform the creation of Fable Studios. Make it immersive:Dungeons and Dragons [28:20]Selected links: Fable StudiosWolves in the wallsVirtual Beings summitPete Talks at MITOculus Story StudioThen She FellThe Uncanny/ Inconsistent ValleyAI for human behavior Reading an audienceNordic Larping TraditionsAltered Carbon“The future has arrived- It’s just not...”Transhumanism VideoShow Notes:Guest introduction [1:18]Favorite fictional world [2:54]Pete’s favorite character class and why [4:01]What is the major dramatic question? / What is wolves in the walls? [4:55]VR as a medium [8:00]Immersive Theater as a bridge for Fable [10:30]Keeping an audience on the ‘Golden Path: principles for directing attention [13:05]Uncanny valley vs. Inconsistent valley [16:21]The edges of technology: Creating with constraints [19:59]How has pete’s personal communication changed? [23:20]Deprogramming the storyteller brain [24:15]Make it immersive [28:20]Understanding your audience [29:20]Teaching an AI to read you [30:55]Trying on personalities [34:37]The Value of Play & the future of VR [36:16]Characters as an interface [38:54]Why it’s easy to ignore Alexa & Siri [40:16]The future is here, just not easily distributed [41:19]Co-founder, Edward Saatchi, The provocateur [43:14]Memory is the difference & Upload yourself to th

Palace games has been deemed the best escape room in the country. Based in the immersive tech capital, San Francisco they push to blur the lines between reality and fiction in their brilliantly engineered rooms. Adding to the environment, they are actually built into the San Fran palace of fine arts. We are joined by Allie Jorde, Operations Director, and Elizabeth ‘ElizaBot’ Sonder, Production manager and design engineer. We chat about what escape rooms give those who participate and why engineers make great escape room designers. Finally, we get a taste of the elements inside Palace Games’ 4th room, which is set to open later in 2019Make it immersive:Allie: JumanjiElizabeth: Philip K dickieon / blade runnerSelected links: Palace gamesNew Jumanji vs. Old JumanjiPhilip K DickieonDo androids dream of electric sheep?Still life with woodpecker (correction: tom robbins)Palace of fine artsPan Pacific international expositionEdison Room The Hero’s JourneyThe void and magicWolves in the wallsEscape room communitiesRoom escape artists Show Notes:Introductions [1:38]Fictional worlds for livin in [2:12]Why is Palace games special? [5:05]The why behind palace games [8:23]Inspiring makers & getting girls and women into science [9:00]Immersive jobs are the best! [10:27]Value of play [12:00]Picking locks in strangers houses [13:59]Challenge your thinking and kids in escape rooms [15:23]Make it immersive!! [16:42]The building process & the 4th room [17:19]Inspiration for the new room [18:35]Blade Runner world [22:00]Jumanji [25:02]Escape room lingo: funnel [26:36]Explaining Palace games to newbies [33:34]Excited for VR in escape rooms [37:00]Escape to play, play to escape [40:30]Context for experience [41:52]Opening the new room [45:40]

For 7 years Artistic Directors Genevieve Gearhart, Julianne Just, and Matthew Bamberg-Johnson of the Speakeasy society have shown LA’s immersive community the evolution of an artform. With more experience than most working in the LA area, they have a unique understanding of the word ‘play’ and why it’s so important to their work. The Speakeasy Society is responsible for works like:The Kansas Collection: A 10 part epic exploring the world of OZ The Johnny Cycle: a series about lost youth and the horrors of war- based on Dalton Trumbo’s ‘Johnny Got His Gun’.And Under the Bigtop: A series on time travel and the mystery of a 1928 circus -in collaboration with Two Bit Circus For any in the LA area: as of 7/5/19, they are currently working to remount the Johnny Cycle and are looking for folks interested in living through a glimpse of that world. Make it immersive:The Magicians [15:00]Selected links: Speakeasy societyJohnny cycle: VidyaKansas collectionThe magicians Dragon LanceForgotten realmsEdith Wharton: age of innocence Immersive Design SummitAgousto BoalInvisible theaterNo ProsceniumIndiecade festivalGOAT testKnotts Berry Farm: Ghost Town AliveHollywood fringe festivalThe PodMeow WolfJohnny got his gunDalton TrumboTwo Bit CircusUnder the Big TopShow Notes:Introductions & Favorite worlds? [1:55]What kind of experience are you trying to give your audience? [7:57]Setting the stage & onboarding [12:56]Value of play:-Genevieve Gearhart [17:28]-Matthew Bamberg-Johnson [19:23]-Julianne Just [21:40]Art and personal reflection [24:25]Veterans healing through immersion [25:05]Make it immersive: The magicians [28:10]Starting with the test & a secret entrance [30:25]No two experiences alike [33:35]Rationing resources with a group [38:50]What do you tell the uninitiated about immersion [40:30]You have importance, you are seen.. [40:50]Should you surprise a friend with immersion? [43:40]Immersion on the horizon: Thoughts on star wars, VR, and collaboration [45:50]LA Immersive Supergroup [51:11]GET IMMERSED: A billboard [54:20]What Speakeasy has on the horizon [59:42]A collaboration with Two Bit Circus: ‘Under the Big Top’ [1:03:18]The means, team, and times of Speakeasy Society [1:05:27]

Description: An immersive experience based on memory and scent. Christoff Visscher has learned how to harness the link between nostalgia and our sense of smell to create emotionally resonant stories, worlds, and perspective. Through Cantrip Candles and Tales By Candlelight, he is exploring the way a candle can represent a place, rather than just a thing. Perspective is invaluable but tricky to gain and attain. In this episode we talk about Immersion as a way of having perspective on tap, and the difference between escapism and play. In Christoff’s words “I look at escapism is running away, and I look at immersing as running towards...” Let’s unpack that a bit. Make it immersive:Harry PotterSelected Links:Tales By Candlelight Cantrip CandlesTypes of candlesScent and memoryHarry potter: Wizards uniteGreat hall candlesPlayback improvThe Guest and the HostGalaxy’s edgeStonemoss chappleRainforest cafeBlack holesShow Notes:Making candles [1:58]Scent and memory [5:05]What is tales by candlelight? [7:10]The why behind Christoff [8:42]Escapism vs. Play (the value of play [11:20]Favorite fictional world [13:20]Make it immersive [15:00]Perspective shift and self understanding [20:23]What does Christoff tell the uninitiated about immersive experience? [23:24]The balance of curiosity [27:00]Another perspective on Galaxy’s edge [27:58]Christof’s favorite candle [30:45]Identity anchor and reaction videos [32:37]The impact of immersive experience [34:40]‘What do we want people to feel?’ [36:50]What we don’t know, (+bad neuroscience) [40:50]‘A price must be paid’ + Applied empathy [42:50]Why tales by candlelight is slowing down [47:40]Finding burnout [49:20]

Description:Spencer Williams has followed a common thread. From documentary, to haunted corn mazes, to boutique immersive experiences for only 1 to 3 guests. The desire to watch a story, a world, a new perspective unfold brought him to the front edge of immersive entertainment. Creating Walk the Night Immersive, Spencer has developed Tales by Candlelight, The Guest and the Host, and a number of other productions in collaboration with world renowned Bluebarn theatre.As part of the first cohort of immersive creators, Spencer has helped give legs to the immersive revolution; he, like many others, found a home on the front lines of this changing landscape and decided to stay.Make it immersive:Creating magic realism: [2:15] Selected Links from episode:Walk the NightTales By CandlelightGrand Rapids, MI [shameless hometown plug]Capital WTwo Bit CircusGalaxy’s edgeSpeakeasy SocietyImmersive Sweeny toddSXSWestworldScent marketingImmersive Design SummitJenny Weinblum of Meow WolfGeoffrey Jackson Scott: PeoplmovrCeaseless funGiant SpoonSanta Monica Pier: (does strange things)The Guest and the Host: make musicShow Notes:Make it immersive [2:15]Using personal context to build worlds [13:30]Building options and making a new fields [18:45]Immersive impacting students [21:02]Immersive impact on theatre [22:28]Immersive advertising [25:16]Scent marketing + awareness [26:43]Stepping carefully [27:48]Immersive revolution: “What are we revolting against” [30:40]The importance of questioning + extended fandom [31:40]Facebook, consent, and why Opt-out, not Opt-in? [33:55]‘Move fast and break things’ vs. sustainability [37:37]High potential immersive creators [41:27]Spencer’s work & details of the experiences [45:03]Changes in ‘Tales by Candlelight' booking [50:08]Audience ask: ‘Find what’s near you’ [54:17]

Spencer Williams has followed a common thread. From documentary, to haunted corn mazes, to boutique immersive experiences for only 1 to 3 guests. The desire to watch a story, a world, a new perspective unfold brought him to the front edge of immersive entertainment. Creating Walk the Night Immersive, Spencer has developed Tales by Candlelight, The Guest and the Host, and a number of other productions in collaboration with world renowned Bluebarn theatre.As part of the first cohort of immersive creators, Spencer has helped give legs to the immersive revolution; he, like many others, found a home on the front lines of this changing landscape and decided to stay. Selected Links from episode:Magic realismNeal GaimanOne Hundred Years of SolitudeTitus AndronicusThe TempestSleep No MoreGabriel Garcia MarquezTom RobbinsBlue Barn TheatreJoseph Campbel:“If we fix on the old, we get stuck. When we hang onto any form, we are in danger of putrefaction.”No prosceniumAugmentary MaterialsWalk the Night Imemrsive’s augmentary materialThe Guest and the HostTales by CandlelightSan Francisco secret society (Latitude society)Speakeasy SocietyCloak and Dagger LARed FlagsShow Notes:Favorite fictional world [2:12]Spencer’s path to immersion [5:05]Shakespeare mixed with Texas Chainsaw Massacre [7:16]Ask of the audience & boiling enlightenment [9:34]World renowned theatre in Nebraska [13:00]10 million dollar theatre facility?? [17:50]1st Public Announcement: Bluebarn changes [18:20]Experiential vs. Immersive [19:45]From group to 1 on 1 (what is a 1 on 1?) [25:00]How the human mind understands story [28:50]Talking like stars and echoes [29:35]Open world vs. set paths (Sandbox vs. Tracks) [31:10]Why Names are so important [32:10]Words as tools and set pieces [35:00]Onboarding- new levels to the game [37:22]The beauty of Mario [41:45]

Monica Miklas and Lauren Ludwig travel through the fringe, to the front lines of immersive entertainment. Encountering overzealous onlookers, confused law enforcement, and a lifelong frustration with the 4th wall; they solve the problems that come with being on the front edge of a new wave. Based in LA, they are the skilled weavers of wonder that co-founded Capital WKnown for their shows: Red Flags, Rochester, 1996, and Hamlet Mobile. They have both spoken and taught at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, produced shows in Denver, and sustained a continuing run of the infinitely fascinating ‘Red Flags’ since 2017. In this episode: we discuss immersive entertainment as a tool for cultural realignment, the hazards of confused onlookers, the barrier to entry, and why you shouldn't think that a Disney or Meow Wolf budget is needed to create impactful and inspiring immersive entertainment. Make it immersive: [20:50]‘His Dark Materials’ and ‘Clue’Selected links from episode:Capital WHis dark materials Agatha christie comedy / clueDevised work (theatre terminology)Toon TownSleep no moreHamlet mobile Red FlagsRochester 1996Filming permits in LAMeow Wolf DenverTales by Candle LightMore than 5 sensesShow Notes:World of choice: [2:15]Their path to and with immersion [4:14]The first why behind the creative drive [8:17]Knowing it’s fake, critical distance, and safety [10:20]Story: Cops, helicopters, and very confused samaritans [13:30]The illusion of Danger [17:10]Onboarding bystanders [18:50]Make it immersive! [20:50]His dark materials [21:28]Clue [26:46]Rapid fire [28:07]Excited about upcoming immersion experience. Meow Wolf Denver [28:27]Smell in immersion [28:50]Immersion’s impact on today's culture [30:30]About Capital W! [31:35]Lauren and Monica's recommendations [32:46]More Episodes: ImmersionNation.com/podcast or your favorite podcast platform

Marcia Angel, Cofounder of Story Works, has been working in both drama and psychology for more than 3 decades. Her staple event, Playback Improv, is one of the oldest most personally impactful vehicles for immersive experience. Originating in Nepal, playback mirrors the stories of the audience through improv actors. In the midst of this performance, a truly unique social space is created. Marcia began hosting dramatic events with her husband and cofounder, Billy Angel, in her living room. This eventually grew into a larger room, a larger house, than a physical location. In the process, the events that would become Story Works moved from the UK, to Florida, to Grand Rapids Michigan. For the last 7 years, Marcia and Billy have worked to create a space for the sharing and celebration of creativity and personal stories. Make it immersive:Lion King [18:13]Selected links from episode:Story WorksJulie TaymorSound and MovementBodyworkPlayback TheaterJonathan FoxBody MirroringSonic resonance[sp] Dalmiere Boustous (Couldn’t find this guy. Again, Playback is very hard to film and or record)Show Notes:Lion King, Julie Tamar, and animals as people [1:49]Her path to immersion [4:04]What is playback? [6:05]No such thing as fictional stories [8:57]Immersive theatre: history, community, and cultural context[12:04]Make it immersive: Lion king [18:13]Auditory/sonic mirroring [24:43]Space, volume, and noticing cultural differences [28:06]Playback improv with kids [36:27]Filming Immersives experiences [37:24]Vulnerability in a participatory audience [41:18]Surplus Reality and (not so)rapid fire questions [43:22]Surplus reality & Marica’s daughter [45:34]

Ian McNeely & Austen Anderson are the shakespearean trained, co-founders of Broken Ghost immersives. Deploying a seemingly infinite supply of creativity, they create experiences that cater to any type of player. They have created The Bunker, and Rogue’s Gallery, and formerly the wake. Multi-layered doesn’t begin to cover the degree of engagement that Ian and Austen create in their shmorgishborg of immersive optionality. Their love of game format pairs particularly well with their acting skills. The product of this is a format of immersion that has exists at the rare intersection between personalized narrative and environment interaction. Make it immersive: Farscape & Star Trek [21:25]Selected links from episode:Broken Ghost ImmersiveThe BunkerRogue’s galleryFarscapeVR baptismMega Games: (watch the skies)Interactive events via interwebs, browser, or phone: WilderanceShow Notes:What fictional world [1:40]Path to immersion [3:40]Creativity Remote performer [6:00]State of Escape Room industry in NY [8:08]To speak or not to speak in immersive experience [9:30]Text, IM, and emotional discourse in immersive experiences [11:17]VR baptism, dynamic proximity, and social spaces [13:58]Over-communication vs decisiveness in groups [19:06]Make it immersive: Farscape & Star Trek [21:25]Social experiments as immersive games [26:48]Rapid Fire questions [29:09]Exciting potential immersive experiences [29:35]Getting folks engaged & on boarding [32:00]Impact of immersive theater on traditional theater [35:05]What do people take away from immersive experiences? [40:17]Where can you find broken Ghost [43:14]

Scott Cramton is the founder of American Immersion Theater with over 1,000 immersive shows under his belt. Over the course of 15 years Scott has developed and refined socially immersive experiences. Scott was born with a cleft palate and -naturally- chose to act professionally. Often, one’s greatest weakness has potential to become their greatest strength. Scott’s path led him to creating an audacious and counterintuitive way of encouraging others to communicate and connect through acting. Scott’s -and American Immersion Theater’s- staple is the LARP-esque murder mystery dinner. Though, they also perform princess parties, superhero parties, feigned fame stunts, and a myriad of other events that defy a consistent label referred to as atmospheric entertainment. Make it Immersive: Willy Wonka [32:35] Selected links from episode:American Immersion TheaterPrincess PartiesSuper Hero PartiesFamous for a DayAtmospheric EntertainmentMeow WolfSleep no moreAct with AITOn acting podcastBuzzfeed: Famous for a day videoRobert ReichBoy from ozThe play goes wrong showWilly Wonka taste it roomShow Notes:About Scott & what he does [1:35] How many shows? [3:46]Murder Mystery tour through Europe & Middle East [5:03]Actors training, social immersion, and rethinking princess parties [7:07]Scott’s fictional word + Wonka marketing, quaker oats [12:40]What drew Scott to Immersion and his “Spite-Bulb” moment [15:28]Being decimated and catching up on acting skills [20:25]Creative impetus behind creating immersive spaces + screwing with actors, inception of MMC [22:50]“Wolverine” on stage, Boy from oz & the turning point, It should all be interactive [25:58]How to fake it on broadway, Immersive experience idea [29:19]Make it Immersive: Willy Wonka [32:35] Willy Wonka fan theories [37:18]Asking Mike TV about the fan theories [39:03]Brief nuts and bolts thoughts on selecting immersive worlds [41:15]Scott’s podcast & where can you find him [44:44]