The No Proscenium Podcast: Recent Episodes
Noah Nelson/No Proscenium
Exploring the renaissance in immersive theatre and interactive events. Hosted by Noah Nelson, creator of No Proscenium, a free events listing newsletter in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco. Visit NoProscenium.com to sign up. Get bonus content on Patreon
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This week on the show we’ve got an extra-long double header with some real clarity of purpose as we take a look at IMMERSIVE inside Theme Parks.
First up, Mike Ostrom, Manager of Entertainment and Events for Six Flags Magic Mountain and WOW! Entertainment Inc’s Mark Brymer join me to spill the details on DC Heroes & Villains Festival - an immersive theatrical takeover ofand Six Flags Magic Mountain and Six Flags Great Adventure this summer which kicks off at Magic Mountain in Southern California later this month, with a Grand Opening on June 21st and will hold its grand opening at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ on Aug 8th.
Then we have an all-star AFTER DARK with CNET’s Scott Stein, Overlook Film Festival’s Landon Zakheim, and NoPro’s Kathryn Yu and Parker Sela as we gather together to talk about Scott & Landon’s time at Universal’s Epic Universe, Kathryn, Parker, Landon, and Noah's time at Universal Fan Fest Nights, and the state of immersive — especially LIVE PERFORMER DRIVEN IMMERSIVE — in theme parks in 2025.
SHOW NOTES* DC Heroes & Villains Festival - Six Flags Magic Mountain * DC Heroes & Villains Festival - Six Flag Great Adventure * Wow! Entertainment Inc. * Scott Stein @ CNET * Overlook Film Festival * The Next Stage Immersive Summit * Miami Immersive Intensive
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Today on the show we’re talking about this year’s Tribeca Immersive offering at the Tribeca Festival which is currently running in New York City.
This year the lineup has come together thanks to a unique partnership between Tribeca, Onassis ONX, and Agog: The Immersive Media Institute. To tell us how that all came together we’ll be joined this week by Casey Baltes, VP Tribeca Games & Immersive; Jazia Hammoudi, Program Director at Onassis ONX; and returning to the show is Chip Giller co-founder and Executive Director of Agog: The Immersive Media Institute.
SHOW NOTES* Tribeca Immersive * Agog: The Immersive Media Institute * Onassis ONX * The Next Stage Immersive Summit
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This week on the show we go into the field for a visit to Sypher Arts Studio where Labyrinth Masquerade founder Shawn Strider and producer Jacquie Adorni give us a tour of the treasure trove of costumes that make up the living tapestry that is the Labyrinth Masquerade — the Twenty Seventh edition of which will take place this coming August 15th & 16th at the Historic Biltmore in Downtown Los Angeles.
The Masquerade hosts thousands of guests each year, with many cosplayers and costumers going all out to create elaborate characters. The Labyrinth Masquerade is the place to see and be seen whether you are a Sylph from an airy dimension never visited by humans, or a hapless mortal wisked away from their prom night by a mischievous sprite. To get a sense of how hard folks go check the Photo Gallery in Show Notes below.
SHOW NOTES
- Labyrinth Masquerade
- Labyrinth Masquerade Photo Gallery
- The Next Stage Immersive Summit
- The Matrix in Shared Reality
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Little Cinema's Jay Rinsky joins us to talk about his most ambitious project yet: bringing The Matrix — the 1999 blockbuster that defined action movies for a generation — to Cosm’s titanic video domes. In classic Little CInema style they’re using theatrical techniques to bring the world of The Matrix outside the film frame and onto the wrap around canvas of Cosm’s big screens.
SHOW NOTES* The Matrix in Shared Reality * The Next Stage Immersive Summit
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This week on the show we are joined by Katy Naylor of Voidspace to talk about Voidspace Live, the interactive arts festival which is coming up in London June 7th & 8th and which is featuring a wonderful cross section of London’s always bubbling immersive & experiential scene.
SHOW NOTES* Voidspace Live * The Next Stage Immersive Summit * NoPro Backer Focus Group (Round One - Pillar of the Community Tier & Above)
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We wrap up our Detor into Andor: A Star Wars Story's second series with one more trip along the Rimma Trade Route to talk with Jay Bushman about the final arc – ever – of the series which pushed Star Wars storytelling in bold new directions.
Spoilers Abound.
SHOW NOTESNight Drive - Synthwave Cyberpunk by Elysium Sound
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This week on the show we are joined by Donna Personna & Mark Nassar two of the three writers — along with Collette LeGrande — of The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot which has returned to San Francisco’s Tenderloin after a successful run in 2018. The immersive, interactive play brings to life the 1966 uprising in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district that was one of the first acts of organized LGBTQ+ resistance in the United States pre-dating the Stonewall Riots by three years.
Donna beings her real life experience of being part of the Tenderloin’s LGBTQ+ community at the time of riot, and her years as an advocate for transgender rights to the story while Mark brings a career that includes being one of the creators of the long standing interactive theatre hit Tony & Tina’s Wedding to bear on bringing this moment of sometimes hidden San Francisco history to life.
SHOW NOTES
- The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot
- Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton's Cafeteria
- Donna
- The Next Stage Immersive Summit
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Another Detour into the world of Star Wars as storyteller extraordinaire Jay Bushman joins NoPro host Noah Nelson to dive into the incredible third arc of Andor's second season.
SHOW NOTES* Detour: Jay & Noah Talk Andor Season One * Who's The Bossk: Episode 224: Lonni, You're Out of Your Element with Noah J. Nelson * Pros & Cons Season 2 * Aaron Burr's Farewell Address * Night Drive - Synthwave Cyberpunk by Elysium Sound
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Jon Pedigo is known to the NoPro universe as one of the creators of Bar of Dreams, which has charmed audiences on both the East and West Coast and to attendees of the 2022 Los Angeles Immersive Invitational as part of the team that created the brilliant Well, Well, Well that year.
Well, Jon will be back this weekend at the LA Immersive Invitational, teaming up with Karlie LeClare and Keight Leighn of Dream Logik (Snow Fridge), and joins us on the show this week to talk about Quonk, his project to create a sustainable venue to introduce immersive theatre to more audiences starting with Quonkhampton in Northampton, Mass.
SHOW NOTESQuonk
The Los Angeles Immersive Invitational
Who's The Bossk? Episode 224
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This week on the show we’re marking the imminent Halfway to Halloween point of the year with two interviews.
First up: Jason Egan of Egan Productions - whose Saw, It, andBlair Witch escape games are perreniall favorites in Las Vegas, joins us to talk about his origins in haunts, and his latest endeavor: The John Wick Experience at AREA15.
Then David Markland, co-founder and executive director of Midsummer Scream the world's largest horror and Halloween convention which will be returning to Long Beach this August, joins us to talk about Midsummer and the state of the horror scene as a whole.
SHOW NOTES* The John Wick Experience * Egan Productions * The Official Saw Escape Las Vegas * Escape Blair Witch * Escape It * Midsummer Scream * The Los Angeles Immersive Invitational * Life & Trust Cast & Crew GoFundMe
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As we near Episode 500 I want to start experimenting, exploring other ways to connect with members of the immersive creative community.
One idea I've been toying with is a side-project where we talk with creators about works they love and that inspire them, and so that's what we do this week with long time backer, storyteller extraordinaire Jay Bushman.
Jay and I have known each other for nearly 15 years now, he's integral to the origin story of NoPro, and we both love ANDOR, the second of which starts this week. Somehow, in all this time, we have NEVER talked about ANDOR with each other. Which is weird, honestly, as talking Star Wars with each other is one of the facets of our friendship.
Note: this is a full on SPOILERS ON conversation, and it's less about the show itself then it is about storytelling, meaning making, and... okay it's also a lot about ANDOR! But it's not a recap show, so if you haven't seen Season One you will get lost pretty quick once we get going.
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Another double header this week as first we're joined by Winston Fisher, Chief Executive officer of Las Vegas' AREA15 to talk about their 20-acre expansion this year which will see attractions like Felix & Paul Studios’ Interstellar Arc, The Museum of Ice Cream, and the highly anticipated Universal Horror Unleashed.
Then Graham Wetterhahn of After Hours Theatre Company and Nick Rheinwald-Jones of Spy Brunch join us for a chat about The Los Angeles Immersive Invitational, where competitors will be showcasing their creations on May the 4th at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s The Village at Ed Gould Plaza.
SHOW NOTES* AREA15 * Universal Horror Unleashed * The Los Angeles Immersive Invitational
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This week we’re joined by Margaret Chandra Kerrison, who is here to talk about her latest book The Art of Immersive Storytelling: Strategies from the Gaming World. Many of you know Margaret from her time with Walt Disney Imagineering where she worked on some projects dear to our hearts like Galaxy’s Edge. These days she is Senior Creative Director for TAIT.
Before we get into the episode — it’s time to break down just who will be joining us at the LOS ANGELES IMMERSIVE INVITATIONAL the first weekend in May.
SHOW NOTES* The Art of Immersive Storytelling: Strategies from the Gaming World * The Los Angeles Immersive Invitational * Patreon: How to use your audio RSS
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This week we’re joined by Alexander Patterson, founder of Beat The Bomb and we go on the origin story journey of the New York based company which traces its roots to Alex’s time with Tough Mudder all the way to its post-pandemic expansion, including the opening THIS WEEKEND of Beat The bomb Denver — the SEVENTH overall.
SHOW NOTES* Beat The Bomb * Beat The Bomb Denver * The 2025 Los Angeles Immersive Invitational
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This week on the show: another double header.
FIrst up: Mikhael Tara Garver and Jenny Koons of Culture House Immersive are with us to talk a bit about the work going on over there, including a fair amount about working with creatives from outside the realm of immersive to bring their worlds to life.
Then we check in with friend of the show Yannick Trapman-O’Brien, who is celebrating an anniversary for The Telelibrary — the much beloved one on one phone based experience that has taken on a life of its own — and is rebuilding the secretive Undersigned after losing some of the show to the devastating fires in LA this past January.
SHOW NOTES
- Culture House Immersive
- Yannick Trapman-O’Brien
- The Telelibrary
- Undersigned
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This week on the show we’ve got a double header.
FIrst up: Amy Ashton and Mia Fiorella of the La Jolla Playhouse will help me make a path through the lineup of this year’s Without Walls Festival, which is coming up April 24-27th on the campus of UC San Diego.
Then Jimmy Reckitt and I talk about making Vampire LARPS which is exactly what he does as the Head of Story for By Night Studios and their upcoming event Darkness Emergent: Los Angeles, the latest in the Darkness Emergent series of blockbuster LARPS which comes to the Biltmore Hotel in LA on Memorial Day weekend.
SHOW NOTES* Without Walls Festival Lineup Announcement * Without Walls Festival * Darkness Emergent * By Night Studios * Enemies of the Night Backerkit Campaign
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This week we are joined by Jack Aldisert of Deadweight Theatre, creator of The Manikins, which was the talk of the London immersive scene throughout 2024 — so much so that some legendary figures on that scene became collaborators — and which will be coming to the Overlook Film Festival in New Orleans this April and is sure to be all the talk there.
In the host chair for this discussion is Shelley Snyder, NoPro’s London Curator — and not only do Shelley and Jack deftly avoid serious spoilers (although those who love to go in cold, consider yourself forewarned) they also have one of the frankest conversations about making immersive work I’ve had the pleasure of listening to in quite some time. – Noah
SHOW NOTES
- The Manikins
- Deadweight Theatre
- The Overlook Film Festival 2025 Events
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This week on the show we’ve got a look at two of the experiences in this year’s SXSW XR Experience Competition —The Secret Life of Monsters: The Gateway Experience and Traces: The Grief Processor— we have the key creatives behind both joining us on the pod in a double header.
Once again the SXSW lineup is filled with as many XR experiences, IRL activations, and smarty pants panels a person can take in, and we’ve picked out the ones we’re most intrigued by in our annual SXSW FOMO Guide, which is up on the site and linked in the show notes.
Which includes a panel your podcast host is moderating.
SHOW NOTES* The Secret Life of Monsters: The Gateway Experience * Traces: The Grief Processor * The 2025 SXSW FOMO Relief Patch (A NoPro Guide) * From Creator To Closer: Your Path To Greenlight (SXSW panel w/Noah) * The 2025 NoPro Audience Awards
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This week on the show we’re joined by Erica Boeke, CEO of XPLAND — which covers the business of experiential from awards shows to activism, sports to immersive — and who are gearing up for their second XLIST — which puts the spotlight on the most creative visionaries in experiential. Nominations for which are open RIGHT NOW.
SHOW NOTES XPLAND * The XLIST Nomination Process 2025 * Audience Discount Code for Nominations: XLISTNOPRO25* * The XLIST 2023 * The 2025 NoPro Audience Award Nominees * Ballot Access for The 2025 NoPro Audience Awards (Backer Only)
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This week on the show we’ve got a double feature.
First up: Graham Wetterhahn of After Hours Theatre Company and NoPro’s own Parker Sela stop by to talk about Dark Library Paris: 1925, a new immersive cocktail experience that’s running in North Hollywood at present.
Then: immersive theatre creator Michael Bontatibus, whose company Witness we have covered in the past here at NoPro, joins us to talk about the state of immersive theatre as a whole, based on a recent essay he wrote entitled "What Happened to Immersive Theatre? How traditional and immersive theatre could rebuild together."
SHOW NOTES Dark Library Paris: 1925* * After Hours Theatre Company * What Happened to Immersive Theatre? * Witness * The 2025 NoPro Audience Award Nominees * Secret Cinema: Grease * Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas Tickets On Sale Announcement
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This week on the show we’re joined by Planning Your Escape author and one of the creators of the upcoming Mystery Ave. in Portland, the one and only Laura Hall — who will not be talking about EITHER of those things but instead talking about the Center for Immersive Arts — her project to help preserve key parts of the history of immersive art.That includes the resurrection of the classic Alternate Reality Game forum known as the Unforum, as a static archive that captures a key moment in time.
SHOW NOTES
- Center for Immersive Arts
- The Unforum (Archive)
- Planning Your Escape
- Mystery Ave.
- NoPro’s 10 Most Anticipated New Immersive Works of 2025 (Part I)
- Immersive Review Rundown: Worlds Beyond, Worlds Within
- CALL SHEET FEBRUARY 2025
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This week on the show, Stefanie Frey the Director of Organizing & Mobilization for Actor’s Equity Association — joins us to talk about how Equity — the union for actors and stage managers — has been expanding its membership into places like escape rooms and themed restaurants that touch upon our world of immersive experiences.
SHOW NOTES* Actor's Equity Association
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This week on the show, the Review Crew – in the form of NYC curator Allie Marotta, East Coast Editor at Large Blake Weil, Exec. Editor Emeritus Kathryn Yu, NYC correspondent Penelope Ray, and host Noah Nelson – gather to talk about the end of Sleep No More’s era defining run in New York City and the last run of shows and parties at the McKittrick Hotel, the show’s venue in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood which now recedes into history.
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The original plan for this week was for us to have no episode while The Next Stage Immersive Summit was on.
Because of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in LA brought about by the wildfires The Next Stage is postponed.
We'll have more on the plans for that at a later date. In the meantime check the show notes for how to help those in LA.
Show Notes* LA Fires: How You Can Help (compiled by Kathryn Yu) * GoFundMe for immersive actor Brandon Bales’ family to find a new place to live * GoFundMe for 2023 Next Stage Immersive Summit speaker Wendy McClellan Anderson * GoFundMe for 2025 Next Stage Immersive Summit speaker Suzanne Down of Cirque Berzerk * LA Immersive Industry Mixer at Squirrelor's Tavern
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A quick check in from LA as the fire situation evolves, including updates on The Next Stage Immersive Summit, which at present is still on at the Pasadena Playhouse Jan 17-19.
We will check in next week.
SHOW NOTES* GoFundMe for Suzanne Down to recover from the Eaton Fire
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This week on the show, Parker Sela takes up the host duties to interview Nicole Orabona and Nathan Leigh of CirqueSaw about their remote repertory season consisting of Void Main, a revival of POV: You Are an AI Achieving Consciousness and workshop dates for labRats and just why an online theatre company is going to all the trouble of coding its own platform.
SHOW NOTES
- CirqueSaw @ WellAttended (ticketing site)
- CirqueSaw Instagram
- Next Stage Immersive Summit: Program Guide
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This week we wrap our End of the Year podcasts with our annual gathering of the NoPro Crew to look back at the year that was in immersive and look forward to what might be.
Joining us for the chat are NoPro Toronto Curator Katrina Lat, New York Correspondent Nicholas Fortugno, correspondent-at-large Martin Gimenez, and Senior LA Reviewer Kathryn Yu.
SHOW NOTES* In the Matter of the Death of ‘Tamara’: A Post-Mortem – LA Times, 1993 * The Next Stage Immersive Summit
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At the end of every year we pull together a roundtable of journalists covering immersive to look back on what was and this year we’re talking with our colleagues in London, starting with NoPro curator Shelley Snyder, the Voidspace’s Katy Naylor, Immersive Rumors' Graham Fitzgerald, and Franco Milazzo stage critic for Broadway World UK.
SHOW NOTES* Voidspace * Immersive Rumors * Franco Milazzo, Broadway World * The Next Stage Immersive Summit * NoPro's Best of 2024: Immersive Moments
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This week Ilana Gilovich, Chief Storyteller for Emursive Productions, joins me for our first-ever conversation and yes, we get into just what the Chief Storyteller for the production company behind Life And Trust and the McKittrick Hotel – home of Sleep No More in NYC — does and nerd out as only two theatre kids meeting for the first time can do.
Happy Holidays: it’s one of THOSE No Pro episodes and a good one at that.
Plus: the latest updates on The Next Stage Immersive Summit including HASBRO & DISNEY LIVE ENTERTAINMENT. –Noah
SHOW NOTES* Life And Trust * Sleep No More * Speakeasy Magick * Emursive * The Next Stage Immersive Summit * Contact Noah about that thing he mentioned.
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This week Shawn Kittelsen SVP Creative at Skydance Interactive, the creators of the just released Skydance’s Behemoth (available now on PSVR2, Steam VR, and Meta Quest) joins us to talk about the game which puts players into the role of Wren, a lone hunter who sets off for the Forsaken Lands to lift a terrible curse. The only way to do so is by saying the towering gods known as Behemoths.
In this talk we get into storytelling in VR, the way dynamic, spatial games systems lead players to embody characters, and a whole lot more. It’s another very fun conversation about VR at the precise moment when the medium is hitting a stride on narrative focused experiences that rival the best traditional video games can offer.
SHOW NOTES* Skydance’s Behemoth * Ann Morrow Johnson, of Gensler, Joins Board of The Immersive Experience Institute * The Next Stage Immersive Summit: Speakers & Guests * The Next Stage Immersive Summit * The Next Stage Immersive Summit: Badges * No Proscenium Gift Subscriptions
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This week we have a delightful doubleheader.
First up we have Ryan Payton, director of Batman: Arkham Shadow. I’ve been following Ryan’s career since he founded his studio Camouflaj back in 2011 back when I was doing stories about the rise of crowdfunding and here we are on the cusp of 2025 talking about the greatest game to be released on the Meta Quest platform so far.
In this conversation we get deep into the storytelling that drives the action of Batman: Arkham Shadow, which is some of the best I’ve encountered in any video game in years. With that in mind, we avoid spoilers for almost half the conversation. Spoilers start at 19:23 of the pod and end at 37:20. We get into some of the big character beats. So consider yourself forewarned.
Then we settle in for a long chat about the state of XR with friend of the show Alex Coulombe — chatting it up about everything from the Unreal Engine classes he’s teaching to folks who are working with the Apple Vision Pro to the recreation of the Halcyon — aka the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser — an open source project in Unreal that he’s been helping to lead pretty much since he got back from visiting the ship.
SHOW NOTES* Batman: Arkham Shadow * Camouflaj * République * Get Cast In A Dream Role In ‘Batman: Arkham Shadow’ (The NoPro Review) * A Christmas Carol VR * GitHub - AgileLens/HalcyonVR * Alex Coulombe (@ibrews.bsky.social) — Bluesky * Alex Coulombe Presents Unreal Engine Training * The (Unofficial) Unreal Engine Podcast - YouTube * The Weeknd’s ‘Open Hearts’ Drops On Apple Vision Pro * The Next Stage Immersive Summit
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This week we have a doubleheader as first we are joined by Third Rail Project’s Co-Artistic Director Jennine Willlet and musician Coyle Girelli to talk about their new collaboration True Love Forever, which has just opened in NYC.
Then Immersive Experience Institute co-founder Kathryn Yu joins me as we break down just how next year’s Next Stage Immersive Summit — coming up Jan 17-19 in Pasadena, CA — is going to work as the event evolves some new forms and formats.
SHOW NOTES* True Love Forever * Third Rail Projects * Coyle Girelli * Love Kills * The Next Stage Immersive Summit * The Next Stage Immersive Summit F.A.Q.
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On this episode: a preview of our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide with Kathryn Yu, Kevin Gossett, Patrick McLean, and Noah Nelson. Find the perfect gift for the immersive fan in yourself (even if that's just you).
SHOW NOTESGIFT GUIDE LINKS* Box TWO by Neil Patrick Harris and Theory11 * Clue: Treachery at Tudor Mansion * The Morrison Game Factory * Star Trek: Resurgence * Alan Wake 2 * Star Wars: Outlaws * Life & Trust Gift Experience * McKittrick Snow Globe * Star Wars Etsy Universe * Meow Wolf Vista Boss * 2120
NOT GIFT GUIDE LINKS* Denver Immersive Invitational Accolades (Facebook Post) * The Next Stage Immersive Summit
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The last time British-Iranian theatre maker Javaad Alipoor joined us was way back in May of 2021 when we talked about Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran — which at the time we said was “an incredible multi-media theatre piece that links a constellation of Big Ideas into an incredibly human story.”
His most recent work Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World is just about to wrap up it's tour of the US and is the final part of a trilogy of plays – after The Believers Are But Brothers and Rich Kids – that interrogate how technology, global politics and fracturing identities are changing the world.
Exploring the themes of the trilogy is exactly what we do in this wide ranging conversation with one of our favorite artists to talk with.
Warning: there is a description of a fairly gruesome murder, but we do not dwell on it for long. We do dwell on geopolitics on this episode which was recorded before the election in the United States.
SHOW NOTES* Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World - Washington D.C. Dates * The Javaad Alipoor Company * The Denver Immersive Invitational * LA Fall Immersive Meetup * The Next Stage Immersive Summit
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After our annual break we are back this week on a double header.
First up, the one and only Nick Moran of Phantom Peak will be joining us to talk about the London favorite, which has conjured a Wild West town not far from the Canada Water station. What is in that Canada Water and why are there so many platypuses involved?
We WON’T learn the answers to those questions but we will learn all about Phantom Peak and why it’s taking so long for it to make it to the United States in this dynamic conversation with Nick.
THen we have a visit with Rita Orlov of PostCurious to get the details on the game at the center of their latest Kickstarter Campaign: Ministry of Lost Things: Lint Condition - A Puzzletale which has just 12 days left in its already successful campaign.
SHOW NOTES Phantom Peak * Ministry of Lost Things: Lint Condition - A Puzzletale* * The Denver Immersive Invitational Showcase * LA Immersive Meetup for Fall '24 * The Next Stage Immersive Summit
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This week on the show we gather the Review Crew to chat about our various Spooky Season and Autumnal Escapades. Nick Fortugno, Blake Weil, Katrina Lat, Laura Hess, and Patrick McLean join host Noah Nelson as we go coast to coast over to London, and into the wilds of VR in search of chills and thrills.
SHOW NOTES* The Next Stage Immersive Summit * Denver Immersive Invitational * Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: The Afterlife Experience * Jimmy Fallon's Tonightmares * House of Exquisite Corpse IV: Superstitions * Phantom Peak * Shadow Traffic (Lost Horizon Night Market) * You Can't Scare Me
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This week on the show we’re joined by Wesley James and Dallas Nichols of Phoenix based design + build firm LINE LAB for a conversation about building unique immersive environments for places like The Nemesis Club, and Platform 18 and the UnderTow Tiki Bar at Century Grand - all of which have received glowing reviews and accolades.
But before we do that we’ll we kick things off with Tia Shearer Bassett, organizer of The From Home Fest to tell us all about this immersive festival which you can experience from your own home starting on Oct. 26th.
SHOW NOTES* Line Lab * The Nemesis Club * Century Grand * The From Home Fest * The Next Stage Immersive Summit
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This week we’re joined by Carmel Clavin of Spectacle & Mirth, who just wrapped a tour of two immersive works — Journey to the Kingdom of Hypnos and City Liminal — to talk about the challenges and opportunities of touring immersive work around the globe through the network of Fringe Festivals and beyond.
And we break down the Badge Pricing and On-Sale dates for the 2025 Next Stage Immersive Summit.
SHOW NOTES* Spectacle & Mirth * Badge Pricing & On Sale Dates for the 2025 Next Stage Immersive Summit
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This week we’re climbingThe Ladder of success with Terry Pettigrew-Rolapp and Tommy Wallach of Hatch Escapes in Los Angeles as we talk about The Ladder, their long in development new game that turns escape game conventions on their ear and establishes itself as a new can’t miss immersive attraction.
SHOW NOTESThe Ladder
Hatch Escapes
The Immersive Industry Report Surveys
The Next Stage Summit Scholarships
GhostRave (Use code GRPG for 10% off)
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This week we heading to heaven and a galaxy far far away… sort of.
The Heaven is Cowboix Hevvven, currently being built inside Meow Wolf’s RADIO TAVE in Houston, and we’re talking to Cole Bee Wilson, the creator of this new space which is Meow Wolf’s first fully functioning dive bar inside one of their exhibitions.
We talk to Cole from just outside the worksite, in the middle of a busy build, and it’s a fantastic chat.
Then we connect with Mike and Emily Hyde of Hyperspace Props, the popular crafters of cosplay elements and replica card game decks from Star Wars.
We get into how this literal mom & pop operation got started, and how they've become a lynchpin for a fan community that has found their own way to immerse themselves into a galaxy of outlaws and scoundrels.
SHOW NOTES Meow Wolf's Radio Tave * Cowboix Hevvven* * Hyperspace Props * The Immersive Industry Report Surveys * The Next Stage 2025 Scholarships
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Another double header!
First up, today is iPhone pre-order day, and that makes it a great day to drop my interview from July with Adam Lisagor, the man behind Sandwich — the firm that got its start making ads for apps and companies big and small because of the the original iPhone and has gotten BACK into the app development game for the Vision Pro with the apps Television and Theatre — with the later being used to broadcast a live event captured in 3D and Spatial Audio at this June’s Apple World Wide Developer Conference.
This conversation with Adam, whose work I have long admired, is one of the most philosophical I’ve had all year, and hopefully will give you a nice think about media and the tools we use to make and consume it.
Then, NoPro’s roving correspondent Martin Gimenez brings us an on-site interview with On Site Opera’s General Director & CEO Piper Gunnarson as its next and Artistic Director Sarah Meyers recorded at this year’s World Opera Forum and annual North American Opera Conference hosted by the LA Opera this past June. They dig into the past, present, and near future of the company, including the recently announced World Premiere of Lucidity which runs November 14-16 at Abrons Arts Center in New York City.
SHOW NOTES* Sandwich * Television (Apple Vision Pro) * Theater (Apple Vision Pro) * Video: playing with dalle3 images, luma image-to-video, and suno music. (X) * How Sandwich streamed The Talk Show Live in 3D on Vision Pro (six colors) * On Site Opera * Lucidity * The Next Stage 2025 Scholarship Applications
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We kick off our Spooky Season 2024 coverage with an LA double header.
First up: Justin Fix, Stephanie Turek, and Daniel Montgomery of JFI Productions are here with us to talk about the return of CREEP — the show that started it all for JFI and which has been one of the foundational rocks of LA’s Spooky Season for nearly a decade now.
This year’s CREEP is a collaboration with the CBS series GHOSTS, and we’ll learn how that teamup is making a difference with the 2024 show.
Then Matt Dorado — known to many in the LA scene for the Drunken Devil series of parties and the Live and DIne In LA supper club, returns with an all new venture: Monster Party. A more intimate affair than the days of Drunken Devil, Monster Party is set during the McCarthy Era Lavender Scare, as Dorado and his team weave together a horror tale from America’s LGBTQ history.
SHOW NOTES* CREEP x GHOSTS * Monster Party
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This week a doubleheader:
Stephen Dobbie and Colin Nightingale of A Right/Left Project whose ORIGIN - A DEEP LISTENING EXPERIENCE is returning to London this September as part of London Design Week join us first. Stephen and Colin have been collaborators for two decades now, including their work with Punchdrunk stretching back to the early days of the storied companies. As a Right/Left Project they’re exploring new forms, iterating quickly, and have established their own signature style.
Then we check in with PostCurious’ Rita Orlov and writer Lauren Bello about how their collaborations are going, with Bello’s The Morrison Game Factory currently in print from PostCurious.
From high tech to the table top — we’ve got a wonderful spread this week for you on No Proscenium.
SHOW NOTES* A Right/Left Project * ORIGIN - A DEEP LISTENING EXPERIENCE * PostCurious * The Morrison Game Factory
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This week we’ve got a really unique edition of the podcast because a year ago I messed up!
Last August I interviewed Doug North Cook, the CEO & Creative Director at Creature a new VR video game studio & label that draws upon the team's deep roots in both video games and VR, and is using a model that means indie studios can get the benefits of working with a larger publisher without giving up control over their work.
And then I forgot to share the interview!
So we're making up for it by sharing that one and a new interview where we catch up with Doug now to talk the label's releases and the state of video games and VR gaming in what has become an inflection point of a year.
SHOW NOTES* Creature * Starship Home * Thrasher * SXSW Panel Picker: From Creator to Closer: Your Path to Greenlight
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We’re celebrating this milestone the best way we know how — by getting members of NoPro’s esteemed Review Crew together to wax philosophical about the state of things in the immersive cosmos.
This time out associate producer Parker Sela, New York City correspondent Nicholas Fortugno, and New England Curator Leah Davis join host Noah Nelson for a discussion that touches on the notions of “immersive before immersive” and “immersive after immersive” — and while we’re at it there are bits about Plastic Bag Store currently at MASS MOCA, Hatch Escape’s The Ladder, and Emursive’s Life and Trust.
SHOW NOTES* The Plastic Bag Store at MASS Moca * The Power of Plastic Parody (REVIEW) * Hatch Escape's The Ladder * Life And Trust * NoPro's August CALL SHEET
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This week: we’re back to the double header groove, first with a stop to chat with Aaron Blanton & Este Olivia, owners The Ghoulish Sanctuary, a Haunted Mansion inspired Airbnb in Kissimmee, Florida and then we look to the future with Corvas Brinkerhoff, one of the co-founders of Meow Wolf to talk about his new venture the in-development SUBMERSIVE, an immersive art spa that is planned to launch in Austin.
SHOW NOTES* The Ghoulish Sanctuary * Submersive
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Listen in on host Noah Nelson's first conversation ever with legendary ARG designer Adrian Hon as they talk about game design, escape games, defining immersive, training actors and more. It’s a winding conversation between two folks who love this stuff more than anyone reasonably should.
SHOW NOTES* Adrian Hon * Edinburgh Fringe Immersive Creators Meetup w/Adrian Hon * Zombies Run! * Perplex City
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This week on the show we have another double header, this time focused on escape game companies with a theatrical flair… or is that theatre companies who got the escape game itch?
First: Tina Keenan, Managing Director of Toronto’s Secret City lets us on on their secrets: from their days of working with SCRAP to bring the escape game pioneer’s work to Toronto all the way to THE PERFECT BITE, their collaboration with Netflix.
Then Jeffrey Carpenter & Tami Dixion of Pittsburgh theatre company Bricolage (OjO: The Next Generation of Travel) and Rod Schwartz, Owner of the escape game company ENTER THE IMAGINARIUM — tells us about how their partnership formed to create some of the most lauded escape experiences on the East Coast.
SHOW NOTES* Secret City * The Perfect Bite * The Wedding Party * Bricolage * Enter The Imaginarium * COMING SOON: Hiker Trash * COMING SOON: SEEK * That Everything Immersive Facebook post we need to you like/share/comment
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This week on the show: NoPro London Curator Shelley Snyder talks with Parabolic Theatre's Owen Kingston about the return of Bridge Command to London.
Plus: Majestic Repertory Theatre's Troy Heard, writer & director of the new immersive adaptation of Jane Austen's EMMA and actress Coco Lane Rigbye (Emma) join host Noah Nelson to dish on the new production that opens this week in Las Vegas.
SHOW NOTES* Bridge Command * Jane Austen's EMMA * NoPro's Front Page * Something Wicked Stirs In Kansas City (Field Report) * DIY Publicity 101 for Immersive Creators (July 30) * DIY Publicity 101 for Immersive Creators (Aug 6)
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This special edition of the podcast features NoPro's Nicholas Fortugno, Parker Sela, and Noah Nelson along with special guest Jeff Crocker (Mister & Mischief) as they trade notes on Julia Masli's ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, in full Spolier Cast mode.
SHOW NOTESha ha ha ha ha ha ha (Boston)
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (Washington D.C.)
Julia Masli
Escape From Godot
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Sometimes the timeline just makes you break format, which is what we're doing this week as an avalanche of projects have been unleashed. This week's episode sees us covering work in the fields of theatre, VR, escape games, and role playing games. Let's break it down:
- First up, Jef Aldrich & Jon Taylor, the creators of the Düngeonmeister series of books of unconventional tabletop roleplaying game supplements join me to talk about their latest, The Deck of Many Drinks, and nerd out about some of the truly obscure RPGs they cover in their own podcastSystems Mastery.
- Then David Spira & Peih-Gee Law of the Reality Escape Podcast join us to talk about the upcoming RECON: Reality Escape Convention - the escape game owner & enthusiast gathering that is coming to LA this August.
- Body of Mine creator Cameron Kostopoulos joins us to talk about the award winning VR project's leap to the Meta Quest store.
- And finally theatre makers Keight Leighn & Erik Blair drop by to talk about the upcoming D8 S(t)imul8 in LA.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
- NoPro’s 10 Most Anticipated New Immersive Works of 2024 (Part II)
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This week a double feature double dip with two segments on Neotropolis, the cyberpunk festival in California's Mojave Desert that invites revlers to shed their mundane lives and embrace a neon soaked, cybernetically enhanced alternate reality.
We kick things off with a panel featuring NoPro’s own Anthony Robinson, Reality Escape Pod co-host Peih-Gee Law, and Live Action Attraction’s Brett Jackson — who were part of the same camp at Neotropolis and in the case of Peih-Gee and Brett were part of this year’s story team for the event. They give us a player and makers eye view of the festival.
Then we dive even deeper with Jared Butler, founder of Wasteland World, and the creator of Neotropolis and Wasteland Weekend who brings us the origin story of these events and lets us in on how it all comes together.
SHOW NOTES* Neotropolis * Wasteland Weekend * People Make Games: We Roleplayed the End of the World with 4000 Other People * Reality Escape Pod * Recon: Reality Escape Convention * Live Action Attractions * Imagi-Ne'er-Do-Wells
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This week:
Chip Giller and Amy Seidenwurm of AGOG: The Immersive Media Institute a new organization whose mission is to helping creators and nonprofit leaders harness the power of extended reality (XR) to imagine a better future for all.
Then we pivot from XR to IRL as Adipat Virdi, the creator of I AM OTHER — which is headed to the Edinburgh Fringe this August and has a two night stand in Canterbury this month — June 20th & 21st at the Gulbenkian Arts Center — to talk about the piece: An immersive family drama, about an older relative’s act of aggression towards a biracial child, that actively investigates white privilege, judgement, identity and bias.
SHOW NOTES* AGOG: The Immersive Media Institute * Award Winning ‘Body of Mine’ Drops On Meta VR Platforms * I AM OTHER * I AM OTHER Canterbury * I AM OTHER Edinburgh
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Life & Trust – the upcoming show from Emursive, the NYC presenters of Sleep No More & proprietors of the McKittrick Hotel – is the subject of much rumor & speculation, something our Review Crew is not immune to!
Join NoPro's NYC curator Allie Marotta, East Coast Editor at Large Blake Weil, NYC correspondents Nicholas Fortugno and Penelope Ray along with host Noah Nelson as they dig into what's known, what's supposed, and what just might be about the highly anticipated show that opens later this month.
Then stick around as Larry Myers joins us to talk about his Hollywood Fringe show Did I Just Join A Cult? about his time with The Tension Experience.
SHOW NOTES
- Life & Trust
- Did I Just Join A Cult?
- Hollywood Fringe
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A double header!
First: What If...? — An Immersive Story Design Director Ian Bowie of ILM Immersive and Director & Executive Producer Dave Bushore of Marvel Studios join us to talk about the new release for the Apple Vision Pro.
Then: the first of our Hollywood Fringe 2024 shorts as Jacob Zorehkey & Ashley Busenlener of LAST CALL THEATRE pop in to tell us about Last Call’s upcoming Hollywood Fringe show REFORGED.
SHOW NOTES* What If...? — An Immersive Story * ILM Immersive * Marvel Studios * Last Call Theatre's REFORGED * Last Call Theatre * Hollywood Fringe
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This week we’re joined by Cesar Hawas, producer of Particle Ink: House of Shattered Prisms, the spectacular creation of the Light Poets that has moved into the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and is wowing audiences in this follow up run to Particle Ink’s fabled run in Vegas’ Arts District.
SHOW NOTES
- Particle Ink
- Particle Ink: House of Shattered Prisms
- The NoPro Review of the Original Run
- Review Rundown with the Shattered Prism review
- Reality Escape Pod: Noah Nelson
- RECON '24
- Immersive Experience Institute Newsletter
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This week we are joined by the dynamic Achinta S. McDaniel, Founding Artistic Director of Blue13 Dance Company whose all new work Soliloquy: Immersive Experience comes to LA's Heritage Square Museum May 31 - June 2. This marks Blue13's return to Heritage Square after the triumphant Shaadi in 2021, a highlight of that year.
We get into the themes of the new show, how working in immersive & site-specific compares to other mediums for dance, and if her students at the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at USC see the immersive world as part of their futures.
SHOW NOTESSoliloquy: Immersive Experience
Blue 13 Dance Company
Broken Bone Bathtub: The Documentary & LA Immersive Meetup
NoPro Patreon Backer Discount
The Next Stage Immersive Summit 2025
The Immersive Experience Institute Newsletter
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Michael Epstein, founder of Walking Cinema, joins us to talk about The Fillmore Eclipse.
While Walking Cinema is well known for their intricate audio based walking history experiences, this is their first fully staged immersive performance based experience… one that like all of their work taps into the local history of the setting.
SHOW NOTESThe Fillmore Eclipse
Walking Cinema
Life & Trust
Hollywood Fringe
Particle Ink
Broken Bone Bathtub: The Documentary & LA Immersive Meetup
NoPro Patreon Backer Discount
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This week on the show Rory Mitchell of The Mercantile is here to talk with us about his new Augmented Reality narrative experience The Tent, which made a splash at SXSW this year and is now on the festival circuit.
SHOW NOTESThe Tent
The Mercantile
Broken Bone Bathtub Documentary/LA Meetup
BBB Doc NoPro Patreon Backer Discount Info
Meow Wolf supercharged the way we experience art. Is L.A. ready for the wild ride? (LA Times)
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David Rosenberg & Glen Neath, Artistic Directors of DARKFIELD return to the podcast to talk about their latest work, the interactive audio experience ARCADE. A twist on the company's signature immersive audio storytelling formula, ARCADE features a branching narrative as you guide your avatar through a world ravaged by endless war.
SHOW NOTES* ARCADE * DARKFIELD * The Los Angeles Immersive Invitational * World Premiere Screening in LA: The Broken Bone Bathtub Documentary
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This week on the show NoPro’s Chicago curator Patrick McLean hops into the host chair for a conversation with Miguel Angel Rodriguez, Co-Executive Director of Chicago’s own Albany Park Theater Project and Jennine Willett, co-artistic director of the NYC based Third Rail Projects about the two company’s ongoing collaboration over the years and its current incarnation — the immersive theatre experience Port of Entry.
SHOW NOTES* Albany Park Theater Project * Third Rail Projects * Port of Entry * The Los Angeles Immersive Invitational
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We're joined this week by Robert Farid Karimi – whose work of late has included a series of interactive analog immersive game experiences involving topics such as community-police relations and the illegal detention of Central American immigrant youth – and who is the co-director of the Public Practice + Generative Play StudioLab and serves as Assistant Professor in the Music, Dance and Theater department at Arizona State University.
It's a fantastic discussion about meaning-making.
SHOW NOTES* Robert Farid Karimi * Worlds In Play: The Mint Experience! * LA Immersive Invitational
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This week it’s an AFTER DARK style episode featuring host Noah Nelson and NoPro Arts Editor Laura Hess as they have a conversation that covers the AI works in the LA Art show, the use of AI in Immersive, a bit on the Wonka debacle because we recorded this like three weeks ago, and the overall nature of immersive work particularly as it applies to the art world.
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This week on the show we’re joined by Ivan Carić and Emily Carding of The Key of Dreams, the follow up to the hit overnight immersive experience in the Welsh countryside which was reviewed for us last year by Ellery Weil, who also joins us on the pod for the first time.
The Key of Dreams draws on the literary tradition of weird fiction to create a strange and thrilling experience in Treowen Manor an early 17th-century manor house in Monmouthshire where guests stay overnight.
We dive in deep on what goes into delving into the realms of the uncanny in a historic locale in this week’s interview.
SHOW NOTES
The Key of Dreams
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This week on the show: we reveal the winner of the 2024 No Proscenium Audience & Editor Awards.
Check the site for the full list of Nominees & Winners.
SHOW NOTESThe 2024 No Proscenium Audience & Editor Awards
The 2024 Los Angeles Immersive Invitational
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This week on the show our dear friend Graham Wetterhahn is here with us to talk about the upcoming Los Angeles Immersive Invitational, which is produced by his company After Hours Theatre Company in collaboration with The Immersive Experience Institute… and we’re unveiling seven of the teams that will be participating in this year’s invitational — and it is QUITE the lineup.
The Invitational’s Sunday Showcase is coming up on April 21st at the Nocturne Theater in Glendale and the tickets are ON SALE NOW and you can find a link right here in the show notes.
SHOW NOTESThe 2024 Los Angeles Immersive Invitational (Tickets)
After Hours Theatre Company
The Immersive Experience Institute
The 2024 NoPro Audience Awards (Backers Only)
The 2024 NoPro Reader's Special Award
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This week on the show we’ve got a DOUBLE HEADER!
First up Amy Ashton & Mia Fiorella of La Jolla Playhouse’s WITHOUT WALLS FESTIVAL will be here to give us a preview of the fest that is headed back to the UC San Diego campus for the first time since 2015 this April 4th - 7th.
Then Samantha Gorman & Danny Cannizzaro of Tender Claws, the studio behind NoPro favorites like The Under Presents and Virtual Virtual Reality are here to talk about their latest release: STRANGER THINGS VR which launched on Meta’s QUEST platform last week.
SHOW NOTES* Without Walls Festival * Stranger Things VR * The 2024 No Proscenium Audience Awards Nominees * 2024 NoPro Audience Awards Ballot- (Backer Access Only) * 2024 NoPro Special Reader Award Ballot
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This week on the show artist Risa Puno joins us to talk about some of their latest work, including the upcoming Group Hug at the Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia and Unresolved Rage Game, developed with theatre artist Ran Xia which was recently at Worlds in Play at ASU’s MIX Center in Mesa Arizona.
We go deep into the motivation behind both pieces and how Puno explores emotions through game mechanics.
Content Advisory: there’s some frank talk about the wave of hate directed at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders that the pandemic unleashed and that includes some strong language including the identification of slurs that were directed at Puno themself. Telling you that upfront so that you’re not caught off guard.
SHOW NOTES* Risa Puno * Group Hug * Unresolved Rage Game at Worlds in Play * Los Angeles Immersive Invitational Sunday Showcase Backer Exclusive Pre-Sale
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Joining us on the show this week is designer Jaden Andrea, most recently the Art Director of Gather, the virtual gathering spot for remote teams that was home to more than a few interactive experiences during the height of the pandemic, and who has done installation work at Lightning in a Bottle, Neotropolis, and Burning Man.
SHOW NOTES
- Jaden Andrea (portfolio)
- Nostalgia Purgatory
- Gather
- Neotropolis
- Lightning in a Bottle
- CASTING
- NYC Immersive Weekend
- LA Immersive Invitational
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Joining us this week is Ben Enos, Senior Director of Product Design at The Escape Game to talk about his path from being an escape game super fan to heading up a team at one of the largest location based game companies in the U.S.
SHOW NOTES* The Escape Game * NYC Immersive Weekend * CASTING in NYC Pre-Sale
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Joining us this week is Gry Worre Hallberg the artistic director of Copenhagen based Sisters Hope a performance group and movement organized around the idea of a creating “an ecological awareness of connectivity” outlined in the book Sensuous Society – Carving The Path Towards A Sustainable Future.
Sisters Hope was the group behind the event Sensuous Governing, which took place at the Danish Consulate in Edinburgh as part of the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe, which is where our own Toronto correspondent Katrina Lat encountered the group’s work. Katrina will also be joining me today as co-host.
SHOW NOTES* Sisters Hope * Sensuous Governing * The Best Immersive at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023
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This week the co-creators of the hit show The Order of the Golden Scribe: Initiation Tea — writer/director Arlo Howard and producer & puzzle-master Shuai Chen — join us to talk about their show which not only made multiple members of our Review Crew’s Best of 2023 list but also got a coveted Golden Lock from Room Escape Artist — all ahead of a return engagement in New York City which kicks off on February 11th.
SHOW NOTESThe Order of the Golden Scribe: Initiation Tea
COMING SOON: The Order of the Golden Scribe
COMING SOON: The Tiger's Bride
NYC Meetup (Waiting List Active)
LA Meetup (Waiting List Active)
CALL SHEET
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This week Sean Cawelti and Chelsea Sutton of Rogue Artists Ensemble — the LA based company behind works like Kaidan Project: Walls Grow Thin, and Señor Plummer’s Final Fiesta — are here with us for a quite lovely conversation about their upcoming projects including the one-off Carousel of Fools taking place in Santa Monica this month and the full length immersive show Schlitzie: Alive and Inside the Decaying Sideshow which is slated for later in this year.
Show Notes* Carousel of Fools * Schlitzie: Alive and Inside the Decaying Sideshow * Kaidan Project: Walls Grow Thin * Señor Plummer’s Final Fiesta * Rogue Artists Ensemble * NoPro NYC Meetup (Jan 29th) * NoPro LA Meetup (Jan 29th)
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Joining us this week are Eric Garcia & Kat Cole co-directors of Detour, the San Francisco based performing arts company, whose website says everything you need at a glance in big bold letters: “DEVISED THEATRE. DANCE. DRAG. IMMERSIVE.”
In 2023 they brought us We Build Houses Here, and this March they will be workshopping a new production set in the same world as that show: The Twilight Aristocracy.
This month the company is offering a series of workshops on devised theatre and drag performance — we’re going to talk to them about all of it.
Hosted by Noah Nelson.
SHOW NOTES* DETOUR * Devising Immersive Theater: Craft, The Ensemble, & Audience Experience * NYC Meetup Jan 29th @ 7PM * LA Meetup Jan 29th @ 7PM
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This week we continue our annual end of year tradition of inviting our colleagues to a round table to look back at what was.
For 2023 we're joined by Sabina Graves of i09, Todd Martens of the LA Times, and Scott Stein of CNET to talk about they year we’ve had in immersive — both on the live and digital side — how folks in media outside our field see it, and where they hope this is all going in the near future.
SHOW NOTESSabina Graves at i09
Todd Martens at the LA Times
Scott Stein at CNET
Love a TV Show? Now You Can Live It. (Alexis Soloski for The New York Times)
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This week on the show we've got three segments with members of the NoPro Review Crew checking in from across North America to share parts of their "Best Of" lists for 2023.
Joining us are: Edward Mylechreest (NYC), Nicholas Fortugno (NYC), Blake Weil (Philly/East Coast At Large), Katrina Lat (Toronto), Laura Hess (Arts Editor), Patrick McLean (Chicago/Remote Editor), Martin Gimenez (At Large), Kevin Gossett (LA Reviews Editor), and Danielle Riha (Denver).
Hosted by Noah J. Nelson.
Show Notes* NoPro’s Best Immersive Moments of 2023 * NoPro's Best Immersive Shows & Experiences of 2023 (Coming Later Today)
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This week on the show we’re joined by Co-Founder and Senior Creative Director of Meow Wolf, Caity Kennedy; Sr. Art Director of Mighty Coconut Don Carson, and returning guest Lucas Martell, founder of Mighty Coconut and creator of Walkabout Mini Golf — aka NoPro’s favorite social VR game.
Why?
Because of the recently released Walkabout: Meow Wolf expansion, silly. It’s the Reese’s Peanut Butter cups of VR experiences that takes two great things — Walkabout Mini Golf and Meow Wolf’s Numina space from Convergence Station in Denver — and turns it into something wholly unique which brings out the best IN both team’s work.
SHOW NOTES
Walkabout Mini Golf
Meow Wolf
Worlds In Play (Jan 2024)
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This week: a special trip out to COSM's test center at the University of Utah campus for an EXCLUSIVE interview with Ricardo Romaneiro, the latest artist collaborator to be announced by the immersive media company. We also talk with COSM CEO Jeb Terry and the head of COSM's Studios & Labs Neil Carty about the content and strategy they've developed for the launch of the Hollywood Park experience center in LA in 2024.
All that plus host Noah Nelson's impressions of COSM's tech and the in progress preview of Romaneiro's LIQUIDVERSE: Microcosm & Macrocosm project which blends live musical and visual elements with pre-rendered material on the wrap-around LED screens in COSM's venue.
SHOW NOTES* Cosm * E&S * Cosm & Ricardo Romaneiro * Ricardo Romaneiro * Cosm & Nancy Baker Cahil * Cosm & UFC
(This episode was made possible thanks to travel & accommodations provided by COSM.)
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Long time listeners and readers know that we’re big fans of the dungeon crawling extravaganza Demeo and its follow up Demeo Battles, both of which are part of the Demeo Action Role Playing System, and which are available now on Steam (PC + VR), Meta Quest and Pico (VR).
Joining us on the pod today is Gustav Stenmark, producer of Demeo Battles for Resolution Games the Stockholm-based games studio.
Show Notes* Demeo * Demeo Battles * Resolution Games
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This week on the show: we tip toe through the our Holiday 2023 Gift Guide with esteemed members of the NoPro staff — Katrina Lat, Nicholas Fortugno, Laura Hess, and Patrick McLean — bringing a wide variety of options from the pretty affordable to the WAIT HOW MUCH?
SHOW NOTES* NoPro’s 2023 Gift Guide for Immersive Fans & Makers
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This week - NoPro arts editor Laura Hess hops into the host chair for a conversation with New England curator Leah Davis and London curator Shelley Snyder. The topic at hand?
A look at Installation art and how different environments impact audience engagement. For this time out the Crew will focus on Outernet’s NOW Building installations in London and works at MASS MOCA in Western Massachusetts.
And after our main segment, some thoughts on the big news of the week: the closure of Sleep No More in New York.
SHOW NOTES* Outernet * MASS MoCA * Are We Asking Too Much of Public Art? - Seph Rodney, Hyperallergic * LDI (Discount code: SPEAKER23) * Sleep No More To Close In January - Alexis Soloski, The New York Times * Le Roi Est Mort: Sleep No More Is Closing (Op-Ed)
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This episode was recorded LIVE at The Roguelike Tavern in Burbank.
Joining us were Matt Bamberg-Johnson and Chris Porter of LA’s The Speakeasy Society who came to share word about Winter Fest OC, coming up later this month in Costa Mesa and featuring all new immersive work from the beloved LA theatre collective.
Then we pull John McCormick, owner of The Roguelike Tavern, away from the bar to tell The Roguelike's origin story of the bar and spotlight the immersive & interactive attractions available on site.
Finally Scarlett Kim, producer of the upcoming Worlds in Play gathering at Arizona State University in Mesa this January, previews this upcoming event which will gather play practitioners from around the country and brings word of the Worlds for Change Challenge which is offering scholarships to ASU's XRts graduate degree program.
SHOW NOTES* Winter Fest OC * The Speakeasy Society * The Roguelike Tavern * Worlds in Play * Worlds for Change Challenge * The Immersive Immersive * LDI * XLIVEXLDI -The Immersive Experience Round Up
Use code SPEAKER23 to get 20% off VIP, Conference, and Expo Hall Pass for LDI.
Special thanks to Black Ax Media for capturing video of the recording. Keep your eyes peeled!
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This week on the show we’re taking a look at SPOOKY SEASON here in Los Angeles with members of the LA Review Crew — Kevin Gossett, our LA Reviews editor, No Pro Arts Editor and Squirrel Mode practitioner Laura Hess, and after years of being our roving correspondent Martin Gimenez joins the podcast for the first time.
On the docket: Reign of Terror, Haunted Hayride, Halloween Horror Nights, Knott's Scary Farm, The Willows, Fangs!, andAngel of Light.
SHOW NOTES* Review Rundown for 10.17.23 * Love & Board Games: ‘The Morrison Game Factory’ Posts A Curiously Sweet Puzzletale (The NoPro Review) * Particle Ink is Coming BACK to Vegas in a BIG way (NEWSWIRE) * Call Sheet for October 2023
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This week our guests are Barry Threw, the Executive and Artistic Director of Gray Area and Vanessa Chang, curator of the CripTech Metaverse Lab and director of programs at Leonardo. Both are here to talk about the upcoming GRAY AREA FESTIVAL coming up in San Francisco OCTOBER 19th — 22nd of which the Metaverse Lab is a part. It’s a great conversation about tech, art, access, and the changing cultural landscape of the SF Bay Area.
SHOW NOTES* Gray Area * Gray Area Festival * Leonardo * Recoding CripTech * The Whole of the Whole Earth Catalog Is Now Online (Wired) * Whole Earth Index * Immersive Review Rundown for 10.10.23 * ‘STAR CHOIR’s Message Is Lost in a Bottle of Space Dust (The NoPro Review) * COMING SOON: NIGHTCRAWLERS * LA Immersive Meetup & NoPro LIVE Taping
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I’ve gathered a special panel filled with members of our team and community from across the U.S. all to say farewell to Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, the AHEAD OF ITS TIME immersive experience created by Walt Disney Imagineering that the Disney company closed at the end of last month in Orlando after a year and a half of voyages.
Joining us this week are theme park and Infinite Rabbit Holes designer Dave Cobb, Emmy Award winning interactive storyteller Jay Bushman, magician & immersive experience producer James Lopez, NoPro’s own Leah Davis & Anthony Robinson, and returning guests from our NoPro Goes to the Galactic Starcruiser episode immersive creator Jessica Creane, director of gaming pathways at City College of New York Nicholas Fortugno, and former NoPro Executive Editor Kathryn Yu.
So, you know, just a few friends.
SHOW NOTESNoPro Goes to the Galactic Starcruiser
Batuu Pride
Together As One - by Dave Cobb
Full Agency Storytelling - Johanna Koljonen, CEO, Participation Design Agency (Talk at IDS 2019)
The Experience Design of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser — Immersive and Interactive, Personalized and Communal - Kathryn Yu
NoPro Call Sheet for October 2023
Immersive Review Rundown for 10.3.23
Philadelphia Fringe Diary 2023
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This week on the show, Jessica Kubzansky, the writer & director of Measure STILL for Measure, which is currently in its premiere run at Boston Court Pasadena joins us to talk about making a site-specific meta-theatrical play out of one of Shakespeare’s problem plays about a very problematic theatre production.
Yes, that’s right, it’s a theatre nerd episode and we really, really go there.
SHOW NOTES* Measure STILL For Measure * Carving Out a Slice of Theatre Life at ‘Measure STILL for Measure’ (The NoPro Review) * SoCal Spooky Season 2023 Review Rundown Special * Review Rundown: NYC Heats Up, Toronto Blasts Off, and ABBA Take London… wait ABBA? * NYC Immersive Meetup (Oct. 9th) * The Incomplete Collection * The Immersive Immersive in Denver (Nov 13-15)
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This week on the show we talk with NoPro's Toronto curator Katrina Lat about her coverage of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023, where she caught 57 of the 3553 shows that sprung up around the city this August. You can check out her written coverage in the show notes.
Plus: in the back matter host Noah J. Nelson goes long on LA's Angel of Light & Knott's Scary Farm's 50th Anniversary.
SHOW NOTES* Edinburgh Festival Fringe Diary 2023: Festival Overview * The Best Immersive at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023 * Review Rundown: Music Fairs and London Nights * Carving Out a Slice of Theatre Life at ‘Measure STILL for Measure’ (The NoPro Review) * NYC Immersive Meetup (Oct.) * Lucid Immersive Summit (Singapore) * Angel of Light (LA) * Knott's Scary Farm
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This week an old fashioned double header as we cover two very different events in the Southland.
First, Carey Lovelace, Founder of Visions 2030 will be on hand to talk about Vision 2030 Earth Edition Festival, which is unfolding on the campus of CalArts in Valencia.
Then Sarah Mann of Madmann’s Playground and performer & poet Katie Rediger join us to talk about Van Helsing’s Dracula, their upcoming collaboration which mixes circus arts and dining, and turns the Dracula story on it’s head.
SHOW NOTES
- Visions 2030: Earth Edition Festival
- Van Helsing's Dracula
- September Call Sheet
- Edinburgh Festival Fringe Diary 2023: Festival Overview
- Philadelphia Fringe Diary 2023
- The Immersive 5 with Katie Rediger, Co-Creator of ‘Van Helsing’s Dracula’
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This week on the show we’re joined by Terry Pettigrew-Rolapp & Tommy Wallach, the owners of Hatch Escapes and the creators of Lab Rat, here in Los Angeles, the boxed puzzle story experience Mother of Frankenstein, and the long anticipated The Ladder, also in LA and on the set of which we spoke with the pair.
SHOW NOTES
- Hatch Escapes (Lab Rat, The Nest, The Ladder)
- Mother of Frankenstein
- Everything Immersive This Week (LinkedIn)
- Call Sheet September 2023
- Everything Immersive (Website)
- Lucid Immersive Summit (Singapore)
- Visions 2030 Earth Edition Festival
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Venice Immersive, the biggest festival showcase of augmented & virtual reality projects in the world, has returned as part of the Venice International Film Festival and so too has our annual check-in with programmers Michel Reilhac and Liz Rosenthal to talk not only about the festival's line-up but the state of digital immersive as a whole.
Show Notes* Venice Immersive Lineup * Sen (Venice Immersive) * Complex 7 (Venice Immersive) * Fatboy Slim – Eat, Sleep, VR, Repeat (Venice Immersive) * Everything Immersive This Week (LinkedIn) * Everything Immersive This Week (Web) * Review Rundown for 8.29.23 * Innovating Immersive Theater In Japan (Feature - NoPro)
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Over the past year immersive creator Jessica Creane has become one of my favorite people to talk shop with. The creator of Chaos Theory and the co-creator, with Yannick Trapman-O’Brien, of Fair Trade, Creane’s new work – Tea Party at the End of the World — will debut in the Philadelphia Fringe next month.
In this episode of NoPro we talk about how that show is coming together, tackling themes like grief, and just what immersive experiences excel at on the interpersonal level.
SHOW NOTES* Tea Party at the End of the World * IKantKoan (Jessica Creane's site) * Review Rundown for 8.22.23 * Everything Immersive This Week (LinkedIn) * Everything Immersive This Week (Web) * NoPro Newsletter SignUp * Call Sheet
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This week Mike Michaels of Austin’s Eureka Room talks to us about making a room in his house as bright as the sun, roadside attractions, and Austin’s immersive scene. We have a lot of fun.
SHOW NOTES* The Eureka Room * IRL Experience Creators Society (Austin) * Huis Ten Bosch Theme Park * Mike's write up of Huis Ten Bosch * Everything Immersive This Week (LinkedIn Version) * Everything Immersive This Week (EI Version) * Review Rundown for 8.16.23 * The Immersive 5 w/Jennine Willett * Patrick's Port of Entry Review * August 2023 Call Sheet * Lucid Immersive Summit (Singapore)
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This week Mike Michaels of Austin’s Eureka Room talks to us about making a room in his house as bright as the sun, roadside attractions, and Austin’s immersive scene. We have a lot of fun.
SHOW NOTES* The Eureka Room * IRL Experience Creators Society (Austin) * Huis Ten Bosch Theme Park * Mike's write up of Huis Ten Bosch * Everything Immersive This Week (LinkedIn Version) * Everything Immersive This Week (EI Version) * Review Rundown for 8.16.23 * The Immersive 5 w/Jennine Willett * Patrick's Port of Entry Review * August 2023 Call Sheet * Lucid Immersive Summit (Singapore)
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This week Nick Fortugno, The Director of Gaming Pathways at City College of New York, slips into the host chair to interview an artist he’s collaborated with for years now: filmmaker and Director of Columbia University’s Digital Storytelling Lab Lance Weiler whose critically acclaimed immersive storytelling experience Where There’s Smoke is currently running at ARTYard in Frenchtown, New Jersey through Oct. 1st with an upcoming artist talk on September 30th.
Nick and Lance have been working together for a long time now, and we thought it would be a unique opportunity to play with the NoPro format and have artistic collaborators take a deep dive into a piece of work. We're pretty happy with how it turned out!
SHOW NOTES* Where There's Smoke at ARTYard * Where There's Smoke Artist Talk (Sep. 30) * Gaming Pathways at City College of New York * Review Rundown for 8.8.23 * American Dreams Are Just Out of Reach in Stunning ‘Port of Entry’ (The NoPro Review) * CALL SHEET AUGUST 2023
This week No Proscenium is brought to you by SEE TICKETS, which has proudly supported thousands of clients across the globe in areas as diverse as historic attractions like Stonehenge, immersive theater like The Burnt City, and important cultural touchstones like LA Pride.
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This week Curtis Hickman co-founder and chief creative officer of The VOID is here to talk about his new — and quite excellent book: Hyper Reality - The Art of Designing Impossible Experiences.
Join us for a quick, action-packed conversation that covers how magic and virtual reality interact, the differences between storytelling and storybuilding, and the role Dungeons & Dragons plays in the design philosophy behind impossible experiences involving Star Wars, Ghostbusters, and Jumanji.
Show Notes* Curtis Hickman * Hyper Reality - The Art of Designing Impossible Experiences * The VOID * Making Ghostbusters * Review Rundown for 8.2.22
Hey coffee lovers! Promo code NOPROYESPLZ gets you 25% off your first purchase of any bag of YES PLZ beans.
Thanks again to SEE TICKETS for sponsoring this year’s Next Stage Immersive Summit Making An Impact Pillar.
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This week Keram Malicki-Sanchez of VRTO and FIVARS is with us to talk about the recently wrapped VRTO — the Spatial Media World Conference in Toronto, and of course we get into live performance in VR, the cutting edge of haptics, and the true identity of Shakespeare.
Wait… what was that last one?
SHOW NOTES
- VRTO
- FIVARS
- Titan Haptics
- Games by Stitch
- Derek Jacobi and Mark Rylance: Reasonable Doubt about the Identity of William Shakespeare
This episode's recording session is brought to you by… the fact that I buy my coffee from YES PLZ.
Promo code NOPROYESPLZ gets you 25% off your first purchase of any bag of YES PLZ beans.
Not a paid ad, mind you, just an offer from a friend! Whose coffee I actually drink!
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Eight years. 400 Episodes.
This week we are marking the anniversary by having NoPro team members Allie Marotta ( our NYC Curator), Kevin Gossett (LA reviews editor), Patrick McLean (Chicago Curator), Leah Davis (New England curator), Laura Hess (Arts Editor) and Parker Sela, (associate producer of this very podcast) join us.
On this team episode we look back on the crew's "moment before" joining the NoPro team and take a snapshot of where everyone feels immersive is at the moment.
Plus: an old fashioned Noah Rant at the START of the show.
SHOW NOTES
Alien War (wikipedia)
The City, Burned: Immersive in a Era of Radical Change (Op-Ed)
“Transformational Experiences” Are The New Buzzword, But Are You Making Change Or Just Selling It?
Special for NoPro listeners & readers: Promo code NOPROYESPLZ gets you 25% off your first purchase of any bag of YES PLZ beans.
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This week a very special VERY LONG episode of the podcast featuring guest host Mikhael Tara Garver, the director of immersive experience for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser who is here to interview myself, Kathryn Yu, Graham Wetterhahn, Jessica Creane, and Nick Fortungo my shipmates for the absolutely incredible surprise trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando to head aboard the Galactic Starcruiser that Graham and Kathryn organized for us, and that a whole lot of people contributed to.
The conversation that follows dips between talking about our characters to inside baseball stuff about immersive and back again. It is deeply nerdy in every sense of the word. It’s also unlike anything we’ve done before.
SHOW NOTES
CALL SHEET JULY 2023
My Star Wars Saga
Waking Up With The Force
Regarding Rose
Our coverage of the Starcruiser is brought to you by Agile Lens, bringing XR and theatre together for over a decade, and After Hours Theatre Company, producers of the Los Angeles Immersive Invitational, with additional support from listeners like you.
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PostCurious founder and lead game designer Rita Orlov is joined by writer Lauren Bello (Apple TV's Foundation, Netflix's Sandman) who talk about their collaboration on Threads of Fate, the revised version of PostCurious' very first game The Tale of Ord. Chicago Curator & Remote Experiences Editor Patrick McLean guest hosts.
SHOW NOTES* PostCurious * Threads of Fate * The Morrison Game Factory * “Transformational Experiences” Are The New Buzzword, But Are You Making Change Or Just Selling It? * The City, Burned: Immersive in a Era of Radical Change (Op-Ed) * NoPro’s 10 Most Anticipated New Works of 2023 (Part II) * NoPro on THREADS
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Eric Garcia, creator of WE BUILD HOUSES HERE and co-director of San Francisco's Detour devised dance company is interviewed by Parker Sela about the immersive dance production that explores the idea of queer sanctuaries by combining shipwrecks and San Francisco's iconic OASIS drag nightclub.
Then stick around for the missing part of last week's show.
SHOW NOTES* DETOUR DANCE * WE BUILD HOUSES HERE * NoPro’s 10 Most Anticipated New Works of 2023 (Part II) * Stoking Vegas’ Immersive Flame: Lost Spirits Distillery (Review) * Denver Fringe 2023 Immersive Superlatives * Review Rundown: The One With Magic & Multiverses
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This week: a DOUBLE FEATURE.
First: our good friend Monica Miklas joins us to talk about a career arc that has taken her from indie work at the Hollywood Fringe Festival to being a senior manager of creative direction at RWS Entertainment, one of the biggest themed entertainment companies in the world, working on everything from haunts to cruise ships.
Then we take a leap over into the digital realm and talk with Clement Deneux and Michael Masukawa of Atlas V about MONSTRORAMA, a Tribeca Immersive selection that truly delighted me this month.
SHOW NOTES
- RWS Entertainment
- Capital W
- Atlas V
- MONSTRORAMA
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This week a true rarity — a SEQUEL. This week we’re following up last week’s minisode with a conversation with my former colleague — entrepreneur and technologist — Kurt Collins about just what Apple is really up to with the Vision Pro.
SHOW NOTES
- Kurt Collins on Bluesky
- No Proscenium on Bluesky
- Noah J. Nelson on Bluesky
- Meow Wolf's The Real Unreal (Grapevine, Texas)
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This week, as we catch our breath after The Next Stage, host Noah Nelson shares his impressions – and concerns – about the Apple Vision Pro announcement and then pivots to talk about two pieces in this year's Tribeca Immersive – The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend and MONSTRORAMA – both of which are being showcased this at the festival through June 17th.
SHOW NOTES
First Impressions of Vision Pro and VisionOS - Daring Fireball
Apple’s Messi Vision - 500ish
The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend - Tribeca Immersive
MONSTRORAMA - Tribeca Immersive
Tribeca Immersive
Why You Need to Get Yourself to the Nearest Meow Wolf Portal and Jump In - io9
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This week on the show Lucas Martell of Mighty Coconut, the creators of Walkabout Mini Golf, is with us to talk about the present and future of one of our absolute favorite things to do.
SHOW NOTES
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Joining us on the show this week is Erin Reilly Founding Director of The University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Immersive Institute at the Moody College of Communication. She's here to tell us about the program there and how the next generation of immersive creators is using emerging technology to create deeply human stories.
SHOW NOTES
- Texas Immersive Institute
- The Next Stage Immersive Summit
- The Review Rundown
- The Immersive 5 w/Terence Leclere of #metaforyou
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This week on the show we welcome Nataki Garrett and Scarlett Kim of Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Latoya Peterson of Glow Up Games to talk about Hella Iambic the collaboration between the famed theatre company and the game studio that has previously worked with the likes of HBO on creating original games based on existing works.
The existing work in this case is Shakespeare’s best known play Romeo & Juliet, and the Hella Iambic app is adding a whole new dimension later this month to OSF’s currently running production of the play.
SHOW NOTES
The Next Stage Immersive Summit
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This week on the show Evan Neiden, the founder of Candle House Collective — the makers of telephone-based experiences like the award-winning CLAWS and the serialized Lennox Mutual joins us.
Evan and host Noah Nelson go one-on-one in this episode, but keep your ears on the feed for some bonus material soon that features a deep dive with the Review Crew and the Candle House Collective on Lennox Mutual.
SHOW NOTES
- Candle House Collective
- CLAWS
- Lennox Mutual
- The Next Stage Immersive Summit
- Review Rundown: The One With Fair Trades, Mystery Boxes, and Drag Sanctuaries
- ‘Threads of Fate’ Captures Hearts, Challenges Minds (The NoPro Review)
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NoPro Arts Editor Laura Hess joins host Noah Nelson to trade notes on their experiences at the 2023 Without Walls Festival, a production of La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego. That includes stops at A Shared Space, Brassroots District, Fair Trade, Cleaning The Stables, and La Lucha.
Show Notes
A Saturday That Wow'd (A NoPro Diary)
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This week on the show we're joined by Terence Leclere & Dasha Kittredge, two thirds of the core team at #metaforyou, the actor led immersive services company whose work can be found in marketing & brand activations from coast to coast. LA immersive heads know Terence and Dasha as two of the powerhouse performers on the LA immersive scene, so it should come as no surprise that the conversation to follow goes long on talking about acting and the art of immersive often in the context of a brand activation aka the thing that pays so many performer’s bills.
In other words: It’s a cozy chat with some friends this week on the pod.
SHOW NOTES
- #metaforyou
- The Next Stage Immersive Summit
- The Long Road To Longmont: Paralysis’ ‘Omega’ Brings Immersive Horror To Colorado (FEATURE)
- Checking In On The Black Immersive Creators Grant As Deadline Looms
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Director Steven Calcote is a partner at Butcher Bird Studios and has created all kinds of projects for the likes of Legendary Entertainment, Sony Pictures, Disney, BBC America and more… but today we're going to talk about Making It VRy Big, BuzzFeed’s giant-sized food show which he shot in the 180 VR format and which you can find on Meta Quest TV. The topics at hand include how to make a 180 VR video feel connected to the audience, and just what happens to a film set when a 30 lbs cinnamon roll is introduced.
Show Notes
- Making It VRy Big (MetaQuest TV)
- Making It Big (Tasty's YouTube Channel)
- The Next Stage Immersive Summit
- Imagi-Ne’er-Do-Wells w/ Jenn Wong & Noah Nelson (April 23)
- Call Sheet April 2023
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Without Walls Festival Producer Amy Ashton and Director of Experiences and Activations Mia Fiorella join us to talk about this year's festival, as the La Jolla Playhouse produced event in San Diego moves to an annual schedule, goes free for all, and enjoys a partnership with the San Diego Symphony at the home at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. The festival runs April 27-30th.
Show Notes
- Without Walls Festival
- The Next Stage Immersive Summit
- REA Los Angeles Escape Room Meetup (April 17th)
- TEA x Immersive Institute Meetup in LA (April 20th)
- Imagi-Ne'er-Do-Wells w/ Jenn Wong & Noah Nelson (April 23)
- Call Sheet April 2023
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This week we're joined by Graham Wetterhahn, Sara Beil, and KJ Knies of After Hours Theatre Company to talk about The Tempest: An Immersive Experience, their current collaboration with the Shakespeare Center LA. The gang at After Hours Theatre Company are some of our favorite people to talk shop with.
Show Notes
- The Tempest: An Immersive Experience
- After Hours Theatre Company
- Shakespeare Center LA
- Next Stage: Spotlight Sessions & Deep Dives
- Imagi-Ne'er-Do-Wells w/ Jenn Wong & Noah Nelson - April 23, 2023
- Review Rundown for 4.4.23
- The Immersive 5 with Brett Jackson of Imagi-Ne’er-Do-Wells
- Desert X 2023 Begets Apathy and Heartbreaking Magic (Review)
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This week we head down to San Diego to talk with Optika Moderna's David Israel Reynoso about LA LUCHA, the company's latest immersive theatre piece that will preview during the Without Walls Festival (April 27-30) and then full open in May. Reynoso's previous shows Waking La Llorona and Las Quinceañeras stand tall in NoPro's immersive pantheon, and we expect LA LUCHA to to the same. Plus: a few more notes on WOW, and some updates on The Next Stage and our ongoing Patreon campaign.
SHOW NOTES
- Don’t Miss These Shows At Without Walls Festival 2023
- Immersive Review Rundown for 3.28.23
- Intercon U 2023 — A NoPro Diary
- NoPro Pod: Getting Down with the ‘Brassroots District’ and Planning Your Escape
- Call Sheet March 2023
- The Next Stage Scholarship & Subsidy Application
- The Next Stage Badges
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This week on the show: something monumental is coming to Las Vegas this April — it’s being billed as the largest touring immersive art experience — and its kicking off with a residency at Resorts World, the newest casino on the strip.
The show is Transfix, and will cover four acres, bringing over 50 large scale immersive art pieces to the very heart of Vegas.
We sat down this week with Heather Gallagher, Director of Tour Strategy at Transfix, who not that long ago was the long serving Head of Technology for Burning Man.
Show Notes
- Transfix
- Black Immersive Creators Grant
- Review Rundown for 3.21.23
- Call Sheet March 2023
- Next Stage Scholarship & Subsidized Badge Application
- Next Stage Pre-Sale Info
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Those of you who follow the world of experiential marketing have definitely heard of Giant Spoon, the full stack advertising agency that has put together some of the most talked about marketing activations of the era. Favorites of ours like SXSWestworld, The Last of Us premiere, or maybe our favorite thing ever: The Ink Hole puppet speakeasy for The HappyTime Murders.
We talk a lot about production here, but we wanted to understand more about how these activations come into being from the client/agency side of the equation, and no one is better for insight into that process than Giant Spoon co-founder Marc Simons. Fresh off being named the most innovative ad agency in the world by Fast Company, we sat down with Marc to get a handle on the view of the experiential marketing world from his point of view.
SHOW NOTES
- Giant Spoon
- Call Sheet March 2023
- Review Rundown for 3.14.23
- The Next Stage Summit 2023
- The Next Stage Pricing Info
- NoPro Patreon
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This week a special teamspeak episode of the podcast featuring the NoPro Staff including Leah Davis, Patrick McLean, Laura Hess, Blake Weil, and for the first time on the show Parker Sela, our associate producer.
We recorded this a couple of weeks ago, chatting about what we’ve been going to see and experience with a touch of what we’re looking forward to.
The conversation ranges WILDLY, but at around the 55 minute mark we get into a discussion and a description of artist Paul McCarthy’s White Snow for about 20 minutes. That involves discussion some pretty graphic imagery, and younger ears or those who just don’t want to get into sexualized material may want to hop ahead.
So yeah, that’s an EXPLICIT tag. We’re so 90's.
SHOW NOTES
- Doors Of Divergence
- Living Paintings
- POV: you are an ai achieving consciousness
- Paul McCarthy’s WS White Snow
- InterconU
- A Blistering Case of SXSW FOMO (A NoPro Guide)
- Review Rundown for 3.7.23
- CALL SHEET March 2023
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This week on the show our dear friend artist Nancy Baker Cahill is back for another enlightening conversation about digital art — both her work and the big currents that are shaping this constantly evolving world — from XR to working on massive public pieces that are immersive in a whole other dimensions, with stops along the way to talk about museum grade NFTs and incorporating generative AI into the work.
SHOW NOTES
- Nancy Baker Cahill
- NoPro Podcast Episode 177: Nancy Baker Cahill
- Quest’s Back Catalog Could Be A Knockout, But Meta Pulls Its Punches
- Immersive Review Rundown for 2.28.23
- Hunt A Killer Reviews Round Up
- SXSW: Sport And Immersive: The Past and Future of Fan Engagement
- SXSW: Is This Really Live? Performance in the Age of XR
- SXSW: This is Not a Person Part 2
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This week on the show NoPro’s London curator Shelley Snyder takes over the interview duties to talk with Immersive Everywhere’s Brian Hook about the company’s upcoming debut of The Great Gatsby in New York City after a long London run, along with a few updates about Gatsby’s future in the UK.
It's the first of what’s set to be some regular podcast dispatches coming out of London thanks to the continued support of our Patreon backers.
SHOW NOTES
- Immersive Everywhere
- The Great Gatsby
- Review Rundown for 2.22.23
- Call Sheet for Feb 2023
- Everything Immersive
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This week on the show YET ANOTHER doubleheader, only this time we’re staying on the VR side of things with a check in with ILMxLAB and then with the organizers of the XR Live Performance festival.
First — From ILMxLAB we talk with Director Jose Perez III and CG & Lighting Lead Ronman Ng about the PLAYSTATION VR2 launch title Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge: Enhanced Edition. This is what it says on the tin: an Enhanced Edition of the game we already love, and we get into just what is going into the new edition, what the PSVR2’s haptics are opening up for designers, and the state of VR on this eve of the launch of the highly anticipated peripheral for the wildly successful Playstation 5.
Then Braden Roy and Brian Tull of The Ferrymen Collective are here to talk about something at the other end of the VR spectrum: the XR Live Performance Exhibition now underway which is putting the spotlight on one of VR’s all too secret joys: live interactive theatrical performances staged inside virtual worlds.
SHOW NOTES
Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge: Enhanced Edition
Review Rundown: The One With Murder Mysteries, An Evil Ikea, and a Baby in a Well
‘NOWISWHEREWEARE’ Brings Us to ‘The Stars’ and Back (REVIEW)
NoPro's CALL SHEET, February 2023
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This week on the show another doubleheader, this time reaching into two different parts of the immersiverse.
First up we have a great talk with Nate Koch, the prolific producer who has been part of Sleep No More, Queen of the Night, and the epic opening of Hermès’ flagship store in New York City to talk about a career that balances creating art and working with some of the biggest companies in the world as clients for experiential marketing. It’s the first time Nate and I have talked, and we have a fantastic conversation.
Then Athena Demos and Doug Jacobson of Big Rock Creative are back on the show to chat about the surprise closing of AltSpaceVR, where they’ve been hosting the award winning virtual Burning Man celebration known as BRCvr, the future of that particular project and of Big Rock Creative as a whole… and we get into some broader thoughts about the state of VR at this particular moment in time.
SHOW NOTES
- Enveekay
- With a Musical Block Party Extravaganza, Hermès Feted its New (and Marvelous) Madison Avenue Home (Vogue)
- Big Rock Creative
- AltspaceVR is shutting down as Microsoft’s mixed reality division shrinks (The Verge)
- BRCvr
- CALL SHEET FEBRUARY 2023 (NoPro)
- NoPro’s 10 Most Anticipated New Works of 2023 (So Far)
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This week on the show a DOUBLEHEADER with a double dose of horror.
First, our good friend Bryan Bishop stops by wearing a brand new hat: he’s the Immersive Curator for this year’s Overlook Film Festival — the horror focused genre festival which is coming up in March in New Orleans, and he’s here to tell us all about what’s on tap for the festival.
Then Winston Fisher, Co-Founder and CEO of AREA 15 dials in to give us the lowdown on the recently announced next phase of the Area 15 District in Las Vegas, which will include the first YEAR ROUND Halloween Horror Nights attraction from Universal.
SHOW NOTES
- Overlook Film Festival
- Fangoria Article on Overlook's immersive offerings
- Area 15
- Universal Is Bringing A Year-Round Horror Attraction To Vegas' Area 15 (Las Vegas Weekly)
- NoPro’s 10 Most Anticipated New Works of 2023 (So Far)
- A Shift at ‘Saint Jude’ (Review, NoPro)
- The Immersive 5 with Patchwork Adventures (NoPro)
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This week a special episode of the pod as Leah Davis, our New England correspondent, takes over the host duties for a panel on LARP in 2023. They’re joined by Darker Larper aka Dann, a LARP creator and academic and Nicholas Fortugno, Director of Gaming Pathways at City College of NY and co-founder of the Come Out and Play festival. (Plus Noah is there in the background, engineering and chiming in a little.)
Show Notes
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In Sugar Land, Texas, just outside of Houston, a bold experiment that brings together performance, puppetry, creative technology, and interactive storytelling waits for the curious and adventurous. This is The Department of Wonder, and it looks to be bringing together all the elements we talk about on the podcast regularly all under one roof.
This week we talk with Brandon Oldenburg and Limbert Fabian Co-Heads of Creative at The Department of Wonder about what their team has built, how they got there, and their plans for the future of the project.
SHOW NOTES
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Last January we told you all about the Black Immersive Creators Grant, which gives direct support to a Black maker who is launching original immersive work with a grant fund target of $10,000.
This year the Grant is back and looking to do it all over again. Joining us on the pod this week is Maya Carter - Vice President of the Board of the Black Immersive Creators Grant — and Grant support team member Kendra Slack of Linked Dance Theatre.
Show Notes
Black Immersive Creators Grant
Universal Plans New Family Resort in Texas, Las Vegas Horror Attraction
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We kick off 2023 by talking with the creators responsible for one of our 2022 highlights: the NoPro Review Crew trip to The Ministry of Peculiarities: Hope End in Azuza, CA. This escape game is the talk of SoCal's immersive scene, as it blends the best of escape room sleuthing with dialed in performances and a game structure where story is the ultimate reward.
We sit down with Adam Moody and brothers Jonathan & Benjamin Berk, the creative team who are Overlook Film Festival bound this Spring.
SHOW NOTES
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This week on the show — you’ve got two MIGHTY SEGMENTS featuring members of the Senior Staff of NoPro — Arts Editor Laura Hess, Senior Editor Leah Davis, LA Reviews Editor Kevin Gossett, East Coast Curator at Large Blake Weil all join us in part one [6:37], and then London Curator Shelley Snyder and Chicago Curator Patrick McLean join us for part two [57:23].
SHOW NOTES
NoPro's Best Immersive Moments of 2022
NoPro's Best Immersive Experiences of 2022
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This week we sit down for one-on-one talks with members of our Review Crew to dive into their favorite moments & experiences of 2022. Each team member covers their favorite moment and one of their top shows of the year.
You can find an expanded written, but not identical, version of this at our website.
RUN ORDER
- Shelley Snyder, London Curator [6:42]
- Kevin Gossett, LA Reviews Editor [19:06]
- Katrina Lat, Toronto Correspondent [23:23]
- Nicholas Fortugno, New York Correspondent [36:25]
- Patrick McLean, Chicago Curator [51:42]
- Danielle Look, Denver Correspondent [59:56]
- Blake Weil, East Coast Curator at Large [1:10:25]
- Laura Hess, Arts Editor [1:20:49]
- Leah Davis, Senior Editor/New England Correspondent [1:28:28]
- Noah Nelson, Publisher and Host [1:43:25]
Show Notes
The Telelibrary Ticket Auction
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This week on the show — first we take a trip out to the South Coast Botanic Garden the site of Moment Factory’s ASTRA LUMINA, where with talk with Jonathan St-Onge and Thomas Pintal of Moment Factory and Isabel Solano Global Vice President of Live Experiences at Fever, who are co-presenting Astra Lumina in LA.
Then we chat with Andy Barnes of London's Immersive Experience Network about what this creative community centered group has on tap for 2023, including their current fundraiser for their Immersive Huddle series there in the global capital of immersive.
Show Notes
Backer Exclusive: The Telelibrary Auction
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This week on the show — we’re sharing with you the audio from the panel from the NYC Immersive Meetup hosted last month at Andrew Hoepfner’s GYMNOPEDIE that was moderated by NoPro’s New York Curator Allie Marotta.
The panel features:
- Alex Chmaj - co-owner of Future Proof
- Evan Neiden - Candle House Collective
- Andrew Hoepfner - Houseworld Immersive
- Jessica Creane - IKantKoan
- Risa Puno - Installation Artist, creator of The Privilege of Escape
This is a frank conversation about the impact of the pandemic on their work, where the field of immersive is going, and includes questions from the audience.
Note: the audio was recorded live, and we recommend NOT using headphones or earphones for this episode due to a few rare audio issues that are sprinkled through the recording.
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This week on the show — we’re taking a quick trip through the 2022 NoPro Gift Guide with No Pro East Coast Editor at large Blake Weil. Blake and I have pulled seven items from the Gift Guide to talk about including video games, boxed experiences, and live events you should definitely treat you and yours to.
Show Notes
- The 2022 NoPro Gift Guide
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First up, Scarlett Kim, Associate Artistic Director of Innovation and Strategy, of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival joins us to talk about the QUILLS FEST — where immersive tech and live performance come out to play — which is running now until the end of the month. We dive into why one of the United States' best known theatre companies is commissioning XR performance works. (5:45)
Then Greg Lombardo, Vice President and Head of Experiences at the one and only NETFLIX, stops by to talk about just why it is that Netflix has gotten into the immersive experience business and what Lombardo thinks is so special about the form. (34:40) Netflix, along with its partner Fever, is opening the Los Angeles tour stop of the Stranger Things Experience this weekend, and I have some quick thoughts on the show after the interview. (48:30)
SHOW NOTES
Quills Fest
Stranger Things Experience: Los Angeles
Stranger Things Experience: Atlanta
Stranger Things Experience: London
Stranger Things Review (Leah Davis for NoPro)
40 Watts From Nowhere Patreon Discount
Rumble in the Jungle Patreon Discount
The NoPro Discord
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This week on the show — Felix Barrett, the Artistic Director of Punchdrunk is here to talk about The Burnt City — currently playing in London — but that’s not all. We get into the state of the London immersive scene, LARPS, Punchdrunk’s own experiments with immersive gaming, that time they created a DOCTOR WHO event for school kids, video games, and the origins of Punchdrunk itself.
I tell you straight - I was nervous as heck going into this and I shouldn’t have been. Not only is this the biggest interview of the year for us, it’s also one of our best in ages.
Show Notes
- Punchdrunk
- The Burnt City
- Inscryption
- Immortality
- Quills Fest
- Rematch: Rumble in the Jungle
- NoPro Patreon
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Jeb Terry, the CEO of Cosm – a new company with surprisingly deep roots – joins host Noah Nelson to talk about their plans for bringing large scale immersive experiences, powered by dome projection tech, first to their flagship location being built in LA's Hollywood Park and then beyond. Thing is, the company has the tech stack to back it up, being the technology providers for some of the biggest planetariums in the world. And then there's the sports angle: with the company planning to leverage live sporting events as part of their programming. Something Terry knows more than a little about: he played in the NFL before going into business and leading initiatives at FOX Sports amongst others.
In other words: we're going long on the business of immersive this week.
SHOW NOTES
Cosm
Andrew Hoepfner's "How To Make Immersive Theater Your Full Time Job"
Bottom of the Ocean
Particle Ink: Speed of Dark
40 Watts From Nowhere Backer Discount
Immersive Experience Institute
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40 Watts From Nowhere, an experiential documentary from Mister & Mischief (Escape From Godot, The Builder & The Dove) was the absolute highlight of this year's Without Walls festival in San Diego for the NoPro team. Now creators Andy & Jeff Crocker are bringing the show, which puts audience members into the shoes of Sue Carpenter the real-life proprietor of pirate radio station KBLT in the Silver Lake neighborhood of LA, to the place where the story actually took place.
Strap yourselves in for a fun ride with Jeff, Andy, and host Noah Nelson as they cover the show, Andy's work on Tricks and Treats for Cedar Fair's theme parks, and how the lessons they learn on their home grown creative projects carry over to the work they do in themed entertainment.
SHOW NOTES
40 Watts From Nowhere
Mister & Mischief
Patreon Backer Discount Code
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This week on the show — we’ve gathered together a journalists roundtable to talk about this week’s Meta Connect event — and specifically the keynote address that introduced the Quest Pro headset. Joining are Scott Stein of CNET — who had some serious hands on time with the new device — Todd Martens of the LA Times, who covers games and themed entertainment for LA’s daily newspaper, and the one and only Kent Bye of the Voices of VR Podcast — making this episode a crossover pod!
Show Notes
Scott Stein at CNET
Scott's Quest Pro hands-on, and Reality Labs video
Todd Martens at the LA Times
Kent's Voices of VR Podcast
The Denver Immersive Gathering
What Are Immersive Experiences? (Immersive Experience Institute)
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This week on the show — it’s a two-hander as Los Angeles Reviews Editor and Review Crew captain Kevin Gossett and host Noah Nelson trade notes on LA’s Spooky Season so far — covering Universal Halloween Horror Nights, Knott’s Scary Farm, the Haunted Hayride and a few asides along with shop talk about what makes these things click for both aficionados and the more causal spooky season goers.
SHOW NOTES
Disney signs deal with Lighthouse Immersive (Toronto Star)
Denver Immersive Gathering
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This week on the show — we chat with members of the creative team of Nightfall at Old Tucson — Erik Blair and Michael Thomas-Visgar – about how they’re transforming the classic haunted amusement park attraction into an immersive playground this year.
Then Justin Fix of JFI Productions swings by to talk The Willows, which is returning to LA with its first Spooky Season edition, and we do what Justin and I always do: start talking the business of immersive.
Show Notes
NYC Immersive Meetup RSVP
Denver Immersive Gathering
Everything Immersive
CASTING
Boston Bar Bloodsuckers
The NoPro Discord Forums
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This week on the show — we chat with members of the creative team of Nightfall at Old Tucson — Erik Blair and Michael Thomas-Visgar – about how they’re transforming the classic haunted amusement park attraction into an immersive playground this year.
Then Justin Fix of JFI Productions swings by to talk The Willows, which is returning to LA with its first Spooky Season edition, and we do what Justin and I always do: start talking the business of immersive.
Show Notes
NYC Immersive Meetup RSVP
Denver Immersive Gathering
Everything Immersive
CASTING
Boston Bar Bloodsuckers
The NoPro Discord Forums
Get bonus content on Patreon
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week on the show — we chat with members of the creative team of Nightfall at Old Tucson — Erik Blair and Michael Thomas-Visgar – about how they’re transforming the classic haunted amusement park attraction into an immersive playground this year.
Then Justin Fix of JFI Productions swings by to talk The Willows, which is returning to LA with its first Spooky Season edition, and we do what Justin and I always do: start talking the business of immersive.
Show Notes
NYC Immersive Meetup RSVP
Denver Immersive Gathering
Everything Immersive
CASTING
Boston Bar Bloodsuckers
The NoPro Discord Forums
Get bonus content on Patreon
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This week on the show — Yannick Trapman-O’Brien, creator of the beloved TELELIBRARY is here to talk about the TWO shows he has in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival — Fair Trade, a collaboration with Jessica Creane, and Undersigned — which is also making its way to New York City soon. [8:25]
Then David Thomas will be here to help us take a deep dive into The DIG — The Denver Immersive Gathering — as we announce the full schedule for this next great gathering of the immersive creative community that’s coming up on Nov 4–6th. [45:14]
Plus Noah’s riff on this week’s big immersive business news. [1:23:00]
Show Notes* Fair Trade * Undersigned * The DIG * NYC Immersive Meetup * BOTO Fundraiser for NoPro * Today Tix Acquires Secret Cinema for 100 million plus | Variety
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This week on the show — Yannick Trapman-O’Brien, creator of the beloved TELELIBRARY is here to talk about the TWO shows he has in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival — Fair Trade, a collaboration with Jessica Creane, and Undersigned — which is also making its way to New York City soon. [8:25]
Then David Thomas will be here to help us take a deep dive into The DIG — The Denver Immersive Gathering — as we announce the full schedule for this next great gathering of the immersive creative community that’s coming up on Nov 4–6th. [45:14]
Plus Noah’s riff on this week’s big immersive business news. [1:23:00]
Show Notes* Fair Trade * Undersigned * The DIG * NYC Immersive Meetup * BOTO Fundraiser for NoPro * Today Tix Acquires Secret Cinema for 100 million plus | Variety
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This week on the show — Yannick Trapman-O’Brien, creator of the beloved TELELIBRARY is here to talk about the TWO shows he has in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival — Fair Trade, a collaboration with Jessica Creane, and Undersigned — which is also making its way to New York City soon. [8:25]
Then David Thomas will be here to help us take a deep dive into The DIG — The Denver Immersive Gathering — as we announce the full schedule for this next great gathering of the immersive creative community that’s coming up on Nov 4–6th. [45:14]
Plus Noah’s riff on this week’s big immersive business news. [1:23:00]
Show Notes* Fair Trade * Undersigned * The DIG * NYC Immersive Meetup * BOTO Fundraiser for NoPro * Today Tix Acquires Secret Cinema for 100 million plus | Variety
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This week on the show — choreographer and creator Koryn Wicks is here to talk about the upcoming run of her show CASTING, a surreal, satirical take on the casting process that is having its first public run this month at Thymele Arts in Los Angeles after emerging as the winner of the 2019 LA Immersive Invitational, and in classic NoPro form we get into some theory while we’re at it. [5:00]
Then Walter Magnuson, General Manager of Winchester Mystery House is here to tell us all about UNHINGED: NIGHTSHADE’S CURSE, the haunt experience that will take over 13 nights at the Bay Area landmark starting later this month. [28:10]
SHOW NOTES
- CASTING
- Unhinged: Nightshades’s Curse
- Backer Exclusive: BOTO & NYC Meetup Early Access
- Denver Immersive Gathering
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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This week on the show — choreographer and creator Koryn Wicks is here to talk about the upcoming run of her show CASTING, a surreal, satirical take on the casting process that is having its first public run this month at Thymele Arts in Los Angeles after emerging as the winner of the 2019 LA Immersive Invitational, and in classic NoPro form we get into some theory while we’re at it. [5:00]
Then Walter Magnuson, General Manager of Winchester Mystery House is here to tell us all about UNHINGED: NIGHTSHADE’S CURSE, the haunt experience that will take over 13 nights at the Bay Area landmark starting later this month. [28:10]
SHOW NOTES
- CASTING
- Unhinged: Nightshades’s Curse
- Backer Exclusive: BOTO & NYC Meetup Early Access
- Denver Immersive Gathering
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
Get bonus content on Patreon
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week on the show — choreographer and creator Koryn Wicks is here to talk about the upcoming run of her show CASTING, a surreal, satirical take on the casting process that is having its first public run this month at Thymele Arts in Los Angeles after emerging as the winner of the 2019 LA Immersive Invitational, and in classic NoPro form we get into some theory while we’re at it. [5:00]
Then Walter Magnuson, General Manager of Winchester Mystery House is here to tell us all about UNHINGED: NIGHTSHADE’S CURSE, the haunt experience that will take over 13 nights at the Bay Area landmark starting later this month. [28:10]
SHOW NOTES
- CASTING
- Unhinged: Nightshades’s Curse
- Backer Exclusive: BOTO & NYC Meetup Early Access
- Denver Immersive Gathering
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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This week on the show — Andrew Scoville, the director of THEATER OF THE MIND, from creators David Byrne & Mala Gaonkar, which opens next week in Denver under the auspices of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ Off-Center program is here to talk about the show, and our Venice Immersive coverage continues [27:20] with Céline Tricart, creator of the VR experience FIGHT BACK, which explores the issue of gender based violence and gives participants a taste of the self defense techniques they can use to, well, fight back.
SHOW NOTES
Denver Immersive Gathering
The Weeping Witch
Boston Bar Bloodsuckers
Casting
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This week on the show — Andrew Scoville, the director of THEATER OF THE MIND, from creators David Byrne & Mala Gaonkar, which opens next week in Denver under the auspices of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ Off-Center program is here to talk about the show, and our Venice Immersive coverage continues [27:20] with Céline Tricart, creator of the VR experience FIGHT BACK, which explores the issue of gender based violence and gives participants a taste of the self defense techniques they can use to, well, fight back.
SHOW NOTES
Denver Immersive Gathering
The Weeping Witch
Boston Bar Bloodsuckers
Casting
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This week on the show — Andrew Scoville, the director of THEATER OF THE MIND, from creators David Byrne & Mala Gaonkar, which opens next week in Denver under the auspices of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ Off-Center program is here to talk about the show, and our Venice Immersive coverage continues [27:20] with Céline Tricart, creator of the VR experience FIGHT BACK, which explores the issue of gender based violence and gives participants a taste of the self defense techniques they can use to, well, fight back.
SHOW NOTES
Denver Immersive Gathering
The Weeping Witch
Boston Bar Bloodsuckers
Casting
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We kick things off this week with the creative duo Lola Tango, that's Jessica Kantor & Eve Weston, whose latest work is the exhibit Be Water My Friend which explores the life and mind of martial arts superstar Bruce Lee, currently on display at Seattle's Wing Luke museum.
Then NoPro's Patrick McLean stops by for a long chat with host Noah Nelson about what they've been playing, together and separately, in VR of late. That would be Walkabout Mini Golf's Labyrinth expansion (based on the Jim Henson movie), Moss Book II, and the tabletop dungeon crawl simulator Demeo, which is the not-so-secret origin of this segment. [27:00]
Show Notes
- The Look Club
- Trailheads
- NoPro Recommends: Best of 2022 (So Far)
- Review Rundown
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Our annual check-in on the Venice Immersive part of the Venice International Film Festival means we get to talk with Liz Rosenthal and Michel Reilhac once more, and there's a LOT to unpack with 43 projects from 19 Countries and 32 VRChat worlds in the mix.
Then we settle in for a chat with Eric Kohn of Indiewire who had a banger of a column last week "Embrace the Metaverse! Only, Please, Ignore Mark Zuckerberg’s Version of It," where he laid out a case that the metaverse is going to be to the entertainment industry as a whole what the VCR was to the film biz.
Show Notes
Call Sheet 8.25.22
BFI London Film Festival Immersive lineup
The DIG
NoPro Discord
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This week: another double header — we start with Keith Tralins and Kyle Presetenback of Hunt A Killer who stop by to talk about the mystery company’s extensive line up of boxed experiences, and the live action origins — and future — of the company. [2:50]
Then returning to the pod is one of our favorite people to talk immersive with designer and director David Ruzicka, whose latest work was experienced by those lucky enough to attend HBO’s House of the Dragons activation produced by Giant Spoon at San Diego Comic Con. [27:25]
SHOW NOTES
Hunt A Killer
Tricks and Treats at CA's Great America
Tricks and Treats at Valleyfair
Review Rundown
Call Sheet
Immersive 5: Paul King of Party Geek
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This week we have a not-so-subtle theme: gaming outside the home.
When that's your theme there's no one better to kick things off with than Kevin Williams of Spider Entertainment and The Stinger Report, the Global Amusement & Attractions news service, who shares his insight into the state of VR in the location based entertainment sector as evidenced by the arrival of Sandbox VR in London.
Then we hop the Atlantic to talk with James Cobalt about the Malden Gaming District in Malden, MA, a unique neighborhood in the Boston suburb gathers gaming experiences of all stripes into the city's historic downtown core.
SHOW NOTES
- Sandbox VR - London
- The Immersive Game Theatre
- The Immersive 5: The Light Poets
- Review Crew: Ring Ring! Phone Shows Calling!
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They're Baaaack.
The Crew – Kevin Gossett (LA Reviews Editor), Laura Hess (Arts Editor), Leah Davis (New England Curator), and Blake Weil (East Coast Editor at Large) – answer the call of three phone based shows... but first Leah travels to LA and encounters The Nest before it ends it run (1:00).
Those Phone Shows:
- I Cut Myself Shaving and I Bled So Much 11:40
- Lennox Mutual 24:55
- Our Options Have Changed 49:11
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Two great interviews this week with two luminaries of immersive.
First: writer Margaret Kerrison, whose work includes Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, joins us to talk about her new book Immersive Storytelling For Real and Imagined Worlds: A Writer's Guide. This is a must-read for everyone who makes immersive work. Period, full stop.
Then Charlie Miller, Executive Director & Curator of the Denver Center for Performing Art’s Off-Center program, stops by to talk about Off-Center's new position in the DCPA and the work they have on tap for Denver in the Fall.
Show Notes
- Margaret Kerrison, In Conversation With Nancy Seruto at Vroman's
- Theatre of the Mind
- The DIG
- Review Rundown
- Call Sheet
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We settle in for a long chat about storytelling and the art of immersion with Frank Rose, the man who literally wrote the book on the subject. Frank's latest book, 'The Sea We Swim in: How Stories Work In A Data Driven World' takes center stage and we also touch on his work with Columbia University's Digital Storytelling Lab and their annual Digital Dozen list.
Show Notes
The Art of Immersion
The Sea We Swim In
Columbia University's Digital Storytelling Lab
2022 Digital Dozen
The Denver Immersive Gathering
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This week on the show: Chris Alderson of Polyarc Games joins us to talk about the MetaQuest release of Moss: Book II and what the studio learned about creating virtual characters you can’t help but form a bond with. [6:30]
And Félix Lajeunesse of Felix & Paul Studios is here to bring us up to speed on the latest with their collaboration with NASA — the final episode Space Explorers: The ISS Experience and the upcoming Artemis mission livestream. [30:50]
All that plus HEADLINES.
SHOW NOTES
- SDCC Activations @ Everything Immersive
- Tender Claws Human Union
- Meow Wolf Workers Collective
- Communication Workers of America
- Walkabout MiniGolf VR Tour SignUp
- The Metaverse And How it Will Revolutionize Everything
- The NoPro Discord
- The Denver Immersive Gathering
- Who’s The Bossk? The Force Awakens
- NoPro Patreon
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For our 350th episode we bring on members of the Senior Staff at NoPro: Leah Davis (New England), Patrick McLean (Chicago), Blake Weil (East Coast), and Kevin Gossett to talk about the state of immersive in their neck of the woods. It's a big sprawling convo that finds us diving deep on installation art, the mainstreaming of immersive experiences, LARPing, and XR. Hosted by Noah Nelson. Get bonus content on Patreon
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For years now, first in a backyard and then inside an early 20th century storage building, one of the most unique immersive creations in the world has been one of Los Angeles' treasures: Scout Expedition Co.'s The Nest.
Created by themed entertainment designers Jarrett Lantz and Jeff Leinenveber, The Nest has both delighted audiences and broken our hearts since it first turned up, almost like a rumor, years ago. A visit to a storage unit reveals the shape of a life, told through audio tapes (literal tapes), and interactive moments that unlock more and more of the story of a woman named Josie, whose legacy is now yours.
This special episode of the podcast, our 349th, brings Lantz and Leinenveber together with Mackenzie Firgens, the voice of Josie, and was recorded inside The Nest itself. The Thea Award-winning show will close this August. But there's still time to discover it, or revisit it, and the code NOPROPODCAST will unlock a discount for these last shows. Scout Expedition will also be offering up Behind The Scenes tours over the summer, so keep an eye out for that.
Show Notes
The Nest
Scout Expedition Co.
The DIG
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It's a big show this week.
First up: writer-director Ryan Griffen and executive producer Nathan Anderson are here to talk with us about Lustration, the narrative VR series available on Meta Quest that adapts Griffen's neo-noir afterlife tale from comics to virtual reality. With a little help from voice actors like Kevin Conroy and Dante Basco. [6:00]
Then David Markland of Midsummer Scream is here to tell us about this year's Halloween and Horror Convention, the first full Scream since 2019, which is returning to Long Beach July 29th - 31st. [35:10]
Finally, we settle in for a great conversation with Susanna Pollack, President of Games For Change — producers of On The Morning You Wake (To The End of the World) and of the upcoming Games For Change Festival in New York City and ONLINE in July 13-16th that brings game makers and XR creators together with a focus on creating social impact through their work. [51:05]
All that PLUS details on this November's Denver Immersive Gathering at the top of the show. Tickets on sale NOW.
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We wrap up our Tribeca Immersive 2022 coverage with this gathering of the Review Crew: NYC correspondent Edward Mylechreest is joined by special guest Nick Fortugno who makes his Review Crew debut both of whom were on-site at Tribeca this year. Hosted by NoPro Podcast host Noah Nelson, who held down the fort on the at-home portion of Tribeca.
In this episode:
This is Not A Ceremony [3:00]
Plasticsapiens [7:52]
Please Believe Me [10:35]
Intravene [16:25]
Iago [28:22]
Emerging Radiance [36:40]
Reach You [43:46]
Evolver [48:38]
Our Complete Tribeca Immersive Coverage:
- 2022 Festival Diary
- Podcast Interview: This Is Not A Ceremony
- Podcast Interview: Tribeca Immersive’s Ana Brzezinska
- Podcast Interviews: Intravene & Mescaform Hill
- Creator Spotlight: Q&A Interviews with Five Projects
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Our Tribeca Immersive coverage continues with interviews of the creative teams behind two of the most exciting projects at this year's festival.
First up: Glenn Neath of DARKFIELD and Garth Mullins of the Crackdown Podcast join us to talk about their collaboration with documentarian Brenda Longfellow called INTRAVENE, an immersive docudrama series about the overdose crisis in Vancouver. [3:35]
Then Edward Madojemu, the artist behind Mescaform Hill: The Missing Five talks with us about adapting the webcomic world he created with his brother Adam into the immersive animated short that is now available on Oculus TV, and about his multiple approaches to bringing comic book storytelling into the spatial medium. [27:00]
Plus an update from David Spira of Room Escape Artist on RECON: the Reality Escape Convention.
Show Notes
INTRAVENE
Tribeca Immersive Diary 2022
Tribeca Immersive Creator Spotlight
RECON
The Onward Odyssey of OddKnock Productions
Review Rundown: Plays Within Plays
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This week New England correspondent Leah Davis hops into the host seat and is joined by Arts Editor Laura Hess to talk Stranger Things.
No, not Season 4 and its upcoming finale, but to swap notes on the past two years of Stranger Things experiences. First Laura takes us back to 2020 and the Stranger Things Drive-Into Experience in LA to set the background.
Then Leah pivots to the NYC edition of Stranger Things: The Experience, which opened this season. (13:08) And for those wondering: YES, the San Francisco one is ALREADY OPEN.
--
Discover the latest immersive events, festivals, workshops, and more at our new site EVERYTHING IMMERSIVE, new home of NoPro’s show listings.
NoPro is a labor of love made possible by our generous Patreon backers. Join them today!
In addition to the No Proscenium website, our podcast, and our newsletters, you can find NoPro on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, in the Facebook community Everything Immersive, and on our Discord.
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Summer Festival season has started in earnest and this week's episode has us touching base with two very different events on the East and West Coast of the United States.
Ana Brzezinska curator of this year’s Tribeca Immersive at the Tribeca Festival which is taking place RIGHT NOW in New York City joins us to talk about this year’s selections and how it all comes together both in NYC and in the virtual galleries of the Museum of Other Realities.
Then we shift coasts and festivals for the Hollywood Fringe where Morgan Taylor, Mason Conrad, and Kristen Childers of Not Another Midsummerjoin us to talk about this rollicking new show that wraps the Bard’s classic with an immersive metastory about a theatre troop coming apart at the seams. [31:50 - Explicit Language]
SHOW NOTES
- Call Sheet for June 10, 2022
- NoPro Office Hours - June 13th at 4PM Pacific (Discord)
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This week Review Crew host Kevin Gossett is joined by NoPro publisher Noah Nelson to chat about two shows they've caught so far in this year's Hollywood Fringe Festival.
First up is Last Call Theatre'sSignals, which takes the online-MMO format and adapts it into a theatrical setting that uses the internet's own crowdsourced SCP Foundation as inspiration.
Then it's The Queen's Fools production of Not Another Midsummer, a fantastic riff on the Shakespearean classic that mixes immersive elements in a gloriously chaotic pre-show with a rock solid show with a show that has a show. (That itself has a show within a show.) [12:43]
Show Notes
NoPro Office Hours in the NoPro Discord -- Monday June 13 @ 4PM Pacific
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We kick off our Tribeca Immersive coverage this week with Ahnahktsipiitaa (Colin Van Loon) the director of This Is Not A Ceremony, a stunning piece of 360 cinema that calls on the viewer to bear witness to personal details of the injustices visited upon Indigenous men in Canada. It is a film that understands the power of its medium, and through the heaviness of its subject matter also demonstrates the strength of First Nations individuals and communities. The film plays both in-person and as part of the online portion of Tribeca Immersive (online tickets are just $5).
SHOW NOTES
Tribeca Immersive Panel: Extended Reality As A Modern Identity Toolkit
Nick Tierce's The BSO That Almost Was Twitter Thread
Particle Ink: Speed of Dark
Noah's Office Hours: June 13th at 4PM PDT
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Blake, Patrick, and Kevin dive into the last two Book Club selections: L.E. Hall's Planning Your Escape, which serves as both a history of play that led up to the creation of escape rooms and as a guide on how to approach escape games (with a good dose of immersive theatre history to boot); and Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, a fantastical novel set in the midst of a duel between two magicians at an otherworldly circus that just so happens to be inspired in part by the original production of Punchdrunk's Sleep No More.
Hosted by Kevin Gossett, with Blake Weil & Patrick McLean
Show Notes
Failbetter's promotional story game for The Night Circus
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Artist Adam Schwerner joins us to discuss Your (Un)natural Garden, currently delighting visitors to LA's Descanso Gardens. We talk about the interactive installations, botanical gardens as a canvas for art, and what he's learned about large-scale art as part of the executive team of the most iconic venue in themed entertainment.
Plus: The Pick of the Week
Headlines
Apple Mixed Reality Device Details Begin To Emerge (Daring Fireball highlights The Information)
Report: Apple Board Gets Mixed Reality Demo (Bloomberg)
Two Bit Circus Announces Merger, New Venture (Blooloop)
Hunt-A-Killer's New, More Mainstream Offerings (Press Release)
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No Proscenium
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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It's a whole hour focusing on the Meta Quest, from the recent showcase to what's worth playing right now. Kevin Gossett plays host as Kathryn Yu and Patrick McLean blast through:
Meta Quest Gaming Showcase
- Moss: Book II by Polyarc
- Ghostbusters VR by nDreams + Sony Pictures Virtual Reality
- Among Us VR - Innersloth, Schell Games, and Robot Teddy
- Red Matter 2 by Vertical Robot
A quick detour to talk about another upcoming game: The Last Clockwinder
Then it's on to what they've been playing:
- Area Man Lives by Numinous Games (also on Viveport & Steam)
- Lost Recipes by Schell Games (Quest exclusive)
- Unbinary by Ludact (also on Viveport & Steam)
Want more Quest Games to check out? Explore NoPro's MUST PLAY Guide to the Quest.
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Artist Glenn Kaino joins us to talk about his latest installation, 'A Forest For The Trees,' a stunning work in Los Angeles presented by The Atlantic and Superblue. This one's a can't-miss experience. [7:15]
We also talk with Erin Brindley and Terry Podgorski, co-executive artistic directors of Seattle's best kept secret Cafe Nordo, which returns to live work with 'Down The Rabbit Hole.' [30:20]
Plus: the Pick of the Week [27:20] and Headlines.
SHOW NOTES
- A Forest For The Trees
- Cafe Nordo
- The Los Angeles Immersive Invitational
- Meow Wolf in Texas
- Galactic Starcruiser Booked Out
- Facebook Shows Off Mixed Reality
- Everything Immersive: Trailheads
- Everything Immersive: Immersive Getaways
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NoPro London Curator Shelley Snyder is joined in person by New England Correspondent Leah Davis to trade notes on their experiences at Punchdrunk's latest production The Burnt City. Watch out for spoilers, as Shelley and Leah go through their multiple runs of the show and share some of the secrets they've uncovered in this highly anticipated, hugely ambitious work from the creators of Sleep No More.
For a spoiler-free review, check out Shelley's write-up at the site.
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Cesar Hawas, executive producer of Particle Ink: Speed of Dark, an incredible new show that seamlessly blends projection-mapped characters with live performers to create an immersive work like no other. It's playing now in Las Vegas and you really should go!
Plus: Landon Zakheim of the Overlook Film Festival drops in to talk about this year's immersive offerings at the New Orleans celebration of all things horror this June.
Show Notes
Particle Ink: Speed of Dark
Overlook Film Festival
The Los Angeles Immersive Invitational
The Denver Immersive Gathering
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This week, Graham Wetterhahn of After Hours Theatre Company joins host Noah Nelson to talk about the upcoming Los Angeles Immersive Invitational, a 48-hour pop-up festival that challenges immersive creators from across LA to make new work out of thin air and share it with the public just two nights later. After a successful 2019 event, this year's edition will be held at the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles. Listen to learn which companies and artists are joining the weekend's festivities.
Audience tickets for the Invitational go on sale this coming Monday.
Headlines
- VR Researchers Simulate Kissing (Gizmodo)
- Japanese Immersive Art Collective Sues California Company for Copyright Infringement (ARTNews)
- Tribeca Immersive Lineup
Show Notes
WOW Festival Diary
Review Crew Podcast: WOW Festival
Review Rundown
Call Sheet
Games For Change Festival Registration Opens
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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This week Kevin Gossett hosts as Laura Hess and Noah Nelson report back from the 2022 Without Walls Festival in San Diego. The now annual festival, produced by La Jolla Playhouse, returned to Arts District Liberty Station with a collection of plays, performances, and public art pieces. The Crew tackles just a slice of this jam-packed event.
- Monuments [6:51]
- TransMythical [11:42]
- Ants [14:06]
- Somnium [17:35]
- Black Séance [28:06]
- A Thousand Ways Part Three [44:07]
- 40 Watts From Nowhere [58:36]
Show Notes
- WOW 2022 Festival Diary
- Book Club: The Night Circus (May 17th @5pm PDT)
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This week we talk with Owen Kingston and Chris Styles of Parabolic Theatre in London about their current season of immersive works and the company's new home the CRYPT in the East End, which they've shared with a few productions rehomed from the canceled Vault festival.
Show Notes
- Parabolic Theatre
- The Los Angeles Immersive Invitational
- Review Crew on Big Beautiful BRANDS: Doctor Who, Bridgerton & More
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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This week Kevin Gossett hosts a conversation all about the kinds of big branded experiences that are many people’s first foray into immersive.
Shelley Snyder joins from London to talk Doctor Who: Time Fracture [spoiler warning at 12:00] while LA correspondent Briana Roecks and Arts Editor Laura Hess detail their time at Netflix’s Bridgerton ball in LA (which has popped up in Chicago and D.C., but is different from the Secret Cinema one in London. Got it?) [13:45]
Plus there’s talk about I Know What You Did Last Summer, which JFI put together for Amazon. [37:40] Plus you know we had to mention Arcane. (Another Netflix show. Huh, maybe they should do more of these. Ted. Call me. I have the solution to your stock problems.)
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It's a mega-episode this week starting with a panel of rebels & rogues who offer their travel tips for journeys on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. Journalists Brooke McDonald & Todd Martens and experience designer Nick Tierce, all of whom were amongst the first travelers on board the Halcyon, join us for a spoiler-free discussion that aims to help those who are traveling on board the ship make the most of their experience… with just a little dash of design theory sprinkled in for good measure. [7:50]
Plus we talk with performer/creator Stepy Kamei about her currently running one-on-one phone experience 'We Should Meet In Air', which brings audience members into contact with Sylvia Plath in the last year of her life. (CW: mention of suicide, discussion of mental health). [51:00]
All that and we announce the return of the Los Angeles Immersive Invitational and how YOU can be art of it [open segment], plus the Pick of the Week [47:00], and Headlines [5:40]!
Show Notes
- Brooke's Review of Starcruiser (Simplemost)
- Todd's Review of Starcruiser (LA Times)
- NoPro Review Rundown (f. 'We Should Meet In Air')
- Los Angeles Immersive Invitational
- Review Crew: Pick Up The Phone, Willya?
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No Proscenium
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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This week Patrick McLean takes on the host duties and chats with Leah Davis and Laura Hess about the often overlooked genre of telephone-based immersive shows.
The Crew dives into what makes the format tick, starting with a discussion of Leah's time with Sylvia Plath (in a sense) as part of 'We Should Meet In Air,' and carrying on with talk of Capital W's 'A Call From The Resistance,' the work of Candle House Collective, and the multiple manifestations of 'The Ministry of Mundane Mysteries.'
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Leanne Pedante (Head of Fitness) & Jonny Ahdout (Head of Product Marketing & Community) for the VR fitness app Supernatural join host Noah Nelson again on this the second anniversary of the launch of the best fitness app in VR and then some. Only this time we're in person and it's a blast. [8:25]
From NYC: correspondent Allie Marotta interviews Kendra Slack and Jordan Chlapecka of Linked Dance Theatre about the currently running The Incomplete Collection. [32:40]
Plus the Pick of the Week [28:12] and Headlines.
Show Notes
Lustration Q&A
NoPro Book Club: Planning Your Escape
Review Rundown for 4.5.22
Review Crew Book Club Special: Snow Crash
Guest Review: The Creator
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This time out Blake Weil, Patrick McLean, and Kevin Gossett report back from the NoPro Book Club and dive into Neal Stephenson's seminal Snow Crash, the 1992 book that brought us the term "metaverse" laid the groundwork for countless imitators and an industry.
Coming up next from the NoPro Book Club: Laura Hall's Planning Your Escape. The club meets for its discussion group next Tuesday, April 12th at 8pm EDT/5pm PDT.
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This week we talk with Amy Ashton, producer of La Jolla Playhouse’s Without Walls Festival which runs April 21st - 24th at San Diego’s Liberty Station — it’s the longest-running theatre festival of its kind here in the United States and this marks the beginning of an annual cycle for the festival. [4:36]
Then solo performer Siobhan O’ Loughlin will be here to chat about the upcoming remount of her piece Every Day I’ll Hope, which returns to LA this month. [37:00]
Plus Kathryn Yu has this week's immersive headlines and the Pick of the Week [32:49].
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No Proscenium
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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The Review Crew goes on another deep dive, single-topic discussion this week about Cadences: The Story of a Distance of its Pair. Leah Davis and Blake Weil recount in detail their experience play-at-home LARP from Soft Chaos. The conversation also goes into their LARPing experience and thoughts on storytelling, as Patrick McLean peppers the pair with questions. Note: while there are “spoilers” about gameplay functionality and the story Leah and Blake created, anyone else’s playthrough of Cadences would definitely be completely different.
A limited number of physical copies of Cadences are still available to order on Indiegogo along with a digital download available on itch.io.
Upcoming NoPro Events
March 31 @ 6pm PDT/9pm EDT - Community Forum: Expectations & Advisories
April 12th @ 5pm PDT/8pm EDT - Book Club: Planning Your Escape
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Some know Josh Randall as the co-creator of the seminal immersive horror production BLACKOUT, others as the director of large-scale promotional activations at Comic-Con and in Hollywood, and yet others as part of the team at Two Bit Circus in LA — some of us even know him as all three. This week he's here to talk about something radically different: his performance in a site-responsive production of Will Eno’s Thom Pain (based on nothing) that he’s staging in his own garage in Los Angeles.
Settle in for an incredibly personal interview with one of the most provocative minds I know.
Plus: Kathryn Yu is here with this week's headlines.
SHOW NOTES
Peabody Award Legacy Winners
PGA Innovation Award Winner
Review Rundown
Community Forum: Expectations & Advisories (Discord; March 31)
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In honor of this week's Game Developers Conference, we're dropping this NoPro Bonus Round segment, a sequel to episode 332 with Heavnue CEO Alex Coulombe. Our conversation picks up right after the end of that conversation with a dive into how the current state of cloud gaming architecture is setting the stage for the virtual, ah, stages of the tomorrow. Then we get even nerdier after that. Originally planned as a backer-exclusive, we're putting this one out there for everyone. If you haven't listened to episode 332 yet, start there! Host: Noah Nelson Get bonus content on Patreon
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Like it says on the tin: a special bonus episode all about the ARGs of The Batman and how they have, and haven't, woven themselves into the fabric of the movies they've promoted. Michael Andersen of ARGN.com joins host Noah Nelson to nerd out on the still ongoing ARG for The Batman (the main url for which is rataalada.com), the history of Batman movie ARGS -- why so serious? -- and Noah derails the conversation to just talk about Batman in general because its the one thing he's loved longer than Star Wars.
Check out Michael's detective work at this ARGN.com post.
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We're joined by Diana Williams, Kamal Sinclair, and Yasmin Elayat of the Peabody Award's new Digitial and Interactive jury to discuss the new category of the prestigious awards ahead of the reveal of the Legacy award winners at the Peabody ceremony on March 24th. This is a major milestone for a wide range of creative projects that until now have fallen outside the Awards mandate.
Plus: Headlines
Upcoming NoPro Events
DIY Publicity 101 (March 21- Zoom, Paid Ticket)
AMA: Tara O'Con (March 24 - Discord, Free)
Community Forum: Expectations & Advisories (March 31 - Discord, Free)
Walkabout Mini Golf VR Tour (April - Free, game/headset required)
Book Club: Planning Your Escape (April 12 - Discord Free)
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The Review Crew takes another trip—this time to Little Sodaburg. Fresh off a playthrough of The Traveler’s Guide to Little Sodaburg, Kevin Gossett, Allie Marotta, Blake Weil, and Patrick McLean discuss this delightful escape game. They chat about what makes it work so well, how it taps into the rare brand of comedy in immersive theatre, and more. Fair warning: The Crew talks generally about the show up to the twelve-minute mark and then its full spoilers through for the next twenty-plus minutes. Get bonus content on Patreon
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Like it says on the tin: NoPro's Executive Editor Kathryn Yu and Publisher Noah Nelson share their impressions of some of the offerings in this year's SXSW XR Experience field. Included in this episode:
Madam Pirate: Becoming A Legend
Surviving 9/11 - 27 Hours Under The Rubble
On The Morning You Wake (to the End of the World)
Gumball Dreams
Minimum Mass
& More
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This week's doubleheader goes deep into live immersive again with a talk with Josh Jacobs (CEO) & Jenny Weinbloom (Head of Studio) of Impact Museums, who are part of the partnership that has brought Immersive Van Gogh around the country and have plans that dive into everything from immersive theatre to STEM museum style experiences. [7:20]
Then we check in with Eric Shamlin, head of entertainment at Media Monks and chair of this year's Producers Guild of America Innovation Award committee. Eric is a long-time friend of the show, and we wax philosophical on the state of play in immersive. [41:55]
SHOW NOTES
NoPro Book Club (Discord RSVP)
Publicity 101 for Immersive Creators (Seminar)
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This time out we check in with two of New York City's most inventive immersive creators.
Cynthia von Buhler of Speakeasy Dollhouse has created a slew of intriguing immersive theatre pieces over the years, and none is more storied than The Illuminati Ball which returns this April in an intimate new edition. We settle in for a long talk with von Buhler – our first – about the upcoming revival of the Ball, her stunning graphic novels that interweave with her theatrical work, and about what fuels her prolific creative output. [8:00]
Then we check in with long-time friend of the site Andrew Hoepfner about the currently running Bottom of the Ocean and how his background as a church pianist formed his quest to bring ritual into immersive work. [43:54]
Upcoming NoPro Events
NoPro Book Club: Snow Crash (March 15th)
DIY Publicity 101 for Immersive Creators (March 21st)
AMA: Tara O'Con (March 24th)
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This week, the Crew — Kevin Gossett, Kathryn Yu, and Blake Weil — are ready to take you on a tour of Murderville. After checking out Netflix’s new “immersive adjacent” show, they discuss how immersive it is, what kind of immersive audience members the celebrities on the show might be, and whether it works. Then they try to figure out if future seasons could learning anything from immersive theatre and if immersive theatre could learn anything from the show. Plus, Kevin and Blake talk wistfully about the best reality show ever (The Mole), and Kathryn discovers a dark secret about NoPro. Get bonus content on Patreon
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This week, architect turned XRchitect Alex Coulombe swings through to talk about Heavenue, the new XR performance platform he's developing that made its debut with a Christmas Carol performance at the Actor's Theatre of Louisville this past year. Heavenue leverages the powerful tech that is making game streaming possible to bring audiences into more visually rich XR worlds without having to invest in expensive PCs to drive the experience. Plus: headlines.
Show Notes
Alex on Twitter
Upcoming GDC talk about Heavenue on the VR track on March 21
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No Proscenium
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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The best-laid plans can go right off the rails, and in this episode, the Crew - Kevin Gossett, Laura Hess, Patrick McLean, and Blake Weil - jump onto the tracks to detail some of their recent run-ins of when designs, expectations, and audiences straight up fail to click. Get bonus content on Patreon
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The 2022 NoPro Audience Awards are here! This week's show is a recording of the reveal of all the winners of this year's Immies, as voted on by our readers & listeners. For a complete list of nominees, check out the website. You can also find a collection of AMAs on our Discord featuring award nominees and winners.
Speaking of the Discord, we're launching a Book Club in its hallowed halls. The first book up for discussion is Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, and the meetup will take place on March 15th.
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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This time out: Kevin Gossett and Noah Nelson jump online for the immersive game En Route, while Edward Mylechreest and Leah Davis return to the McKittrick Hotel to haunt Sleep No More [20:37], which has returned to New York City, retooled for the New Normal. Get bonus content on Patreon
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NoPro's Executive Editor Kathryn Yu is joined by Danny Cannizzaro and Samantha Gorman of Tender Claws to discuss the recently released Virtual Virtual Reality 2, the sequel to their cult hit VVR. [6:28] The game dropped this week on the Meta Quest and Rift, and is scheduled to arrive on Steam VR later this month.
Then Robert Motum, creator of the Site-Specific Theatre Bot on Twitter, drops in for a quick chat with host Noah Nelson.
Plus: an update on the RALLY in our Patreon campaign in this make-or-break month of February, and a reminder that VOTING ENDS TONIGHT for the 2022 NoPro Audience Awards.
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No Proscenium
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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This week starts off with Allie Marotta & Kathryn Yu comparing notes on their experiences with Bottom of the Ocean, diving deep into explaining the secrets they were asked to tell sea shells (trying saying THAT five times fast!)
Then Blake Weil & Patrick McLean do an even deeper dive into the book Turn Your Life Into Art: Lessons in Psychomagic from the San Francisco Underground [19:00], opening up a conversation on the importance of safety over danger in designed experiences.
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This week we catch up with Jen Davis-Wilson, aka Fionna on VRChat, and her efforts as part of the VRC Prefabs World Builder Community to curate some of the most interesting worlds out of the thousands upon thousands created for the social VR platform. The ongoing product of which you can find at NoPro's sister site Everything Immersive. Plus: headlines from a busy news week and a heartfelt thank you and a BIG UPDATE on our Patreon campaign as NoPro enters a make-or-break month.
Don't forget: the voting period for the 2022 NoPro Audience Awards is still open, and we've started a round of AMAs with some of the nominees in our Discord.
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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The Crew is back!
This week Kevin Gossett & Patrick McLean tackle Blaseball's latest experiments as Kevin attempts to make a fan out of Patrick. Then Laura Hall, Leah Davis, and Blake Weil lead the discussion [12:00] about Finding Satoshi (no, not that Satoshi), an NHK documentary about the last loose end of the legendary Perplex City ARG which took over a decade to solve. Note: spoiler warning for some of the surprises in Finding Satoshi.
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This week on the show a trio of interviews with the people behind some amazing projects.
First up, Erfan Saadati, co-creator of Child of Empire, joins us to talk about this stunning VR piece showing at Sundance's New Frontier that explores the human cost of the Partition of India: one of the largest forced migrations in human history. [6:00]
Then Doug Jacobson, Athena Demos, and Andrew Barrett from Big Rock Creative drop by to talk about the upcoming BRCvr Film Festival which takes place next weekend. [25:00]
Rounding out the program is Steve Jamison co-creator of On The Morning You Wake (To the End of the World), an incredible piece of VR documentary making that is also at the New Frontier at Sundance this year. [40:00]
Plus Headlines and voting for the NoPro Audience Awards is now open, a link to the ballot and the full list of nominees can be found here.
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No Proscenium
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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This week director Joe Hunting talks with us about his new documentary, We Met In Virtual Reality, which is premiering at the Sundance Film Festival [1:29]; we learn about the Black Immersive Creators Grant from two of its board members, Dana McGarr and Risa Puno [16:00]; and NoPro's own Kathryn Yu drops in for a podcast version of our Sundance Diaries feature [42:55].
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No Proscenium
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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This week on the show we talk with Shari Frilot, Chief Curator of the New Frontier at the Sundance Film Festival about this year's line-up and return to the virtual Spaceship. [3:20]
Then friend of the show Kent Bye drops in to chat with us about the goings on at his podcast the Voices of VR, including a special series about the IDFA Doc Lab, and his interview with philosopher David Chalmers. [38:00]
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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It's the end of a year that wasn't all it could be, but still: we gather members of the Review Crew to have a rambly chat about a very weird year.
With NoPro Arts Editor Laura Hess, LA Reviews Editor Kevin Gossett, and East Coast Editor-At-Large Blake Weil. Hosted by Noah Nelson.
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It's that time of year when critics search their souls and do the impossible: make lists of what they liked the most.
We make the Review Crew do that too, with a top-three Shows & Experiences (which we mercifully leave unranked) and a Best Moment, which expands the possibilities to work that wasn't released in the year that was. Okay, come on, you know the drill.
This year we have three segments:
Segment I: Kathryn Yu, Blake Weil, Edward Mylechreest [2:12]
Segment II: Kevin Gossett, Laura Hess, Leah Davis, Patrick McLean [45:19]
Segment III: Noah Nelson [1:26:30]
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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As we head towards the end of the year we mix the format up a bit. Okay, a LOT.
This is basically two episodes in one, first with our annual tradition of a journalist's roundtable with Todd Martens of The LA Times and Scott Stein of CNET joining host Noah Nelson of, ah, us, for an hour-long talk. Sorrynotsorry. [9:20] Then our very first guest EVER, Annie Saunders, drops in for a long-overdue chat. [1:14:32]
Plus the Headlines and yes, some updates on The Next Stage which is happening Jan 7-9 in Pasadena. Which is basically right around the corner.
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Two meaty interviews on this episode.
First, we talk with Vallejo Gantner currently with ONX Studio an XR accelerator in New York City powered by Onassis Foundation USA (for whom he previously served as Artistic and Executive Director) and New INC. We get into the state of performing arts in XR with Gantner, who was the Artistic Director of NYC’s Performance Space 122 for 12 years. (Check out Tree currently at ONX Studio in NYC.)
Then we settle in for a chat with Scott Cramton of American Immersion Theater, talking about his twenty-year career in making participatory events for clients around the country, and take an unexpected detour into what he's put together over the course of the pandemic: Camp D&D Online. [39:00]
Plus Kathryn with this week's Headlines and the latest on The Next Stage Immersive Summit & Mini-Festival.
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No Proscenium
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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This week our best-laid plans go sideways, so its a very good thing that Kevin Gossett & Laura Hess just happened to go to Arcane – the Secret Cinema show in LA based on the Riot Games animated series of the same name that's based on their own video game... wait wait... need to catch my breath... okay... video game League of Legends that is one of the top Netflix series of the year worldwide. World. Wide.
Can you feel the rush now?
Hosted by Kevin Gossett.
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This week, X Reality Safety Initiative (XRSI) founder Kavya Pearlman joins us to talk about next week's XR Safety Week – a series of curated and community-powered events diving into issues of privacy and safety in the emerging metaverse. Then the Co-CEO's of Meow Wolf, Ali Rubinstein and Carl Christensen, talk to us about the immersive entertainment company's big year.
Plus: the Pick of the Week, Headlines, and some breaking GOOD news about The Next Stage Summit & Mini-Festival.
Open & Next Stage Update
Headlines [4:00]
XR Safety Week [7:12]
Pick of the Week [26:50]
Meow Wolf [32:20]
Close
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No Proscenium
Producer and Host: Noah Nelson
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This week Leah, Laura, and Patrick pull back the curtain on Savage Hall, a murder-mystery that folds in larp, meticulously crafted audio, and the power of Zoom to send its players back to WWII-era London.
Then Noah and special guest, actress Jenapher Zheng, compare notes on their wildly different experiences at Secret Cinema Presents Arcane (based on the Riot Games series airing on Netflix). [23:15]
And don't miss next week's episode for even more on Arcane when Kevin and Laura compare notes on their upcoming adventures.
With Leah Davis, Laura Hess, Patrick McLean, special guest Jenapher Zheng, and hosted by Noah Nelson.
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On this very special episode Review Crew members Kevin Gossett, Blake Weil, and Patrick McLean join host Noah Nelson for a dive into NoPro's 2021Holiday Gift Guide for Immersive Fans & Creators and Noah takes us all on a visit to LA's Cantrip Candles for a chat with owner and co-creator of Tales By Candlelight Christoff Visscher [31:50].
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter of the Speakeasy Society
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No Pro
Produced and Hosted by: Noah Nelson
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This week:
Dani Parr and Michelle Feuerlicht of Lost Origin — currently pushing the boundaries of immersive performance in London, join us to talk about their incredible experimental project. [8:30]
We've got a fresh Pick of the Week from (redacted). [32:45]
David Oppenheim of the National Film Board of Canada stops by to talk about Draw Me Close, which is playing at the Soulpepper Theatre in Toronto after years of development on the festival circuit. [39:42]
Plus updates from THE NEXT STAGE which is coming up in January. Gah! It's almost here!!!
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter of the Speakeasy Society
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No Pro
Produced and Hosted by: Noah Nelson
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This week: Anthony Robinson drops in to tell us about The Boundless Library: A Feather in the Dust; Laura Hess takes a trip to Wisdome LA in Downtown Los Angeles (20:00); Patrick McLean gets virtual with the detective duo Sam & Max in Sam & Max: This Time It's Virtual (45:20). Hosted by Noah Nelson. Get bonus content on Patreon
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There's a theme to this one, if you look hard enough.
XR Artist and Immersive Media Director Brenda Chen (The Wave) is on hand to talk about her work bringing virtual concerts to life.
Jenny Koons and Sam Pinkleton — co-directors and choreographers of the production of Head Over Heels currently playing at the Pasadena Playhouse join us to talk about the all-new experientially staged vision of the GO-GO’s jukebox musical.
And Ian Hamilton of Upload VR drops in and we get philosophical about what all the buzz about the metaverse means for shaping how we all see the world.
Plus: a Next Stage Update, The Pick of the Week, and Headlines
RUNDOWN
- Open and Next Stage [0:00]
- Headlines [3:45]
- Brenda Chen [6:50]
- Jenny Koons & Sam Pinkleton [26:45]
- Pick of the Week [40:35]
- Ian Hamilton [45:00]
- Close [1:08:30]
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter of the Speakeasy Society
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No Proscenium
Host & Producer: Noah Nelson, Publisher of No Proscenium
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Another slightly unconventional episode starts with a double-header from Noah on the VR experience The MetaMovie: Alien Rescue and the Stranger Things Official Store [29:05], which turns the Selfie Palace concept upside down. (WHAT? Like you didn't see that coming.) Patrick comes back from vacation with tales of reading Choose Your Own Adventure books [37:51], and Kevin lets us choose his segment and we pick his first steps into the narrative-heavy roleplaying game Disco Elysium [52:00].
Hosted by Kevin Gossett with Patrick McLean and Noah Nelson.
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After a week away we are BACK with a FIVE STAR RUNTIME episode. Every segment a main event in and of itself.
We kick things off with Ahmed Best, director of The Echo Theatre Company's Ascension here in Los Angeles. Best draws upon his long history with and love of theatre – he was a cast member of STOMP for years – for this production which was developed for Zoom but brought to life on stage instead.
Then we check in with our friend Scott Stein of CNET to discuss all the Meta and Metaverse news of late.
Finally, we settle in for a deep dive with investor Tipatat Chennavasin General Partner & Co-founder of The Venture Reality Fund to talk about his outlook on XR from the heart of Silicon Valley.
Plus: all-new announcements from The Next Stage Summit & Mini-Festival and a double dose of your immersive headlines.
Assoicate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter of The Speakeasy Society
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No Proscenium
Host & Producer: Noah Nelson, Founder & Publisher of No Proscenium
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This week a breather of sorts as Noah and Blake wax poetic on Inscryption, a video game that takes cues from both escape games and ARGS, Kevin brings us up to speed on the latest jumping-off point for Blaseball, and Blake tells us all about the incredible sounding The Great Escape, a Korean reality show that puts B-list celebrities into elaborate escape game scenarios.
Next week: back to business!
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This time out the crew – in the form of Laura, Blake, Leah, and our host Kevin – take a look at what was Spooky Season 2021. Get bonus content on Patreon
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Before a short break a BIG SHOW:
Jonny Grant of Department Studios comes to talk to us about Arkham Asylum, which opens in London next Fall, with tickets going on sale next week. Artist Johann Diedrick joins us to talk about his web and VR project Dark Matters which explores how voice assistants like Alexa are being trained in ways that leave them incapable of hearing Black voices. 8 Players creator Ross Tipograph drops in to share details on Sleepy Hollow, now open in Chicago and soon to be in Washington D.C., and Abby Sun of Immerse shares details of the publication's 5th Anniversary. Plus the Pick of the Week and Headlines.
RUNDOWN
- Johann Deidrick - Dark Matters [5:40]
- Jonny Grant - Arkham Asylum [21:20]
- Pick of the Week [36:20]
- Abby Sun of Immerse [39:40]
- Ross Tipograph - Sleepy Hollow [58:20]
- Closing/Next Stage Update [1:07:40]
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter of the Speakeasy Society
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of NoPro
Host & Producer: Noah Nelson, Publisher of NoPro
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We pack a lot into the hour and a quarter runtime this week: online escape games, an incredible story box, immersive theatre in LA, opera, virtual reality. Racing through as fast as we can and having a blast (and some technical glitches) while we do it!
Laura: The Keeper and the Fungus Among Us -- Headlock Escape Rooms [2:00]
Noah FIVARS -- Festival of International VR & AR Stories [13:56]
Patrick: The Light in the Mist - PostCurious 27:03
Noah: LA Immersive Beat: IKWDYLS Pop-UP and Hollywood & Vamp 37:42
Laura - Sun & Sea -- Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė, Vaiva Grainytė, and Lina Lapelytė [58:33]
Catch even more on this week's REVIEW RUNDOWN.
Featuring Patrick B. McLean & Laura Hess. Hosted by Noah Nelson
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A big show this week with guests from around the globe.
Joep van Gorp of Doloris Meta Maze in the Netherlands joins us to talk about their immersive art experience, Evan Neiden of Candle House Collective on their current epic festival run, and LA Times Game Critic Todd Martens chats with host Noah Nelson about LA haunts, Avengers Campus, and the VIVE Flow which he spent time with ahead of its reveal this week. Plus BIG HEADLINES and the PICK OF THE WEEK.
RUNDOWN
Doloris Meta Maze [5:30]
Todd Martens [19:45]
Pick of the Week [45:00]
Candle House Collective [49:00]
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter of the Speakeasy Society
Host & Producer: Noah Nelson
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This episode splits into two big chunks – first up the Crew talks about the two big show reveals this week: Arkham Asylum in London and the Secret Cinema produced League of Legends: Arcane based on the Netflix series in Los Angeles. We go NERDY.
Then its a kinda normal Review Crew with:
Laura on Wayfinding by Chloë Bass [41:30]
Noah on Ascension from The Echo Theatre Company [53:35]
Patrick on Dr. Crumb’s School for Disobedient Pets from Adventure Lab [1:09:00]
Kevin on Disneyland's Halloween [1:21:30]
WIth Blake Weil, Laura Hess, Patrick McLean, Noah Nelson and hosted by Kevin Gossett.
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This week on the show we talk with Keram Malicki-Sánchez, the founder of FIVARS –Festival of International Virtual and Augmented Reality Stories – about the festival's transplantation from Toronto to West Hollywood for 2021. FIVARS opens in WeHo on Oct. 15 and is accessible online soon after.
Then David Bassuk, professor of Theatre Arts at Purchase College SUNY joins us to kick off a new segment we're calling THE BIG IDEA – where we talk with educators in the immersive & experiential field about one BIG IDEA they like to impress upon their students.
Plus Headlines, the Pick of the Week and programing updates about The Next Stage (Jan 7-9, 2022; Pasadena Playhouse) that you'll want to stick around for.
SHOW FLOW
Headlines - [1:30]
FIVARS - [4:30]
Pick of the Week - [17:40]
The Big Idea w/ David Bassuk - [22:30]
Next Stage Updates [33:40]
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter of the Speakeasy Society
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of NoPro
Producer & Host — Noah Nelson, Publisher of NoPro
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This time around it's a Halloweenapalooza as Blake and Kevin dive into haunted attractions and cult cases, while Patrick adds some song with the online musical The LEA Project.
SHOW RUNDOWN
Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary - Blake [1:00]
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood - Kevin [12:52]
Unravel - Blake [26:10]
The LEA Project - Patrick [36:27]
Featuring: Blake Weil, Patrick McLean. Hosted by: Kevin Gossett
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This week on the show: Clem Garritty of Swamp Motel dials in from London to talk about the origins of the company, their work on the Isklander Trilogy, and just how the pandemic pivot opened up incredible new doors for the Swamp Motel team. Then Julie Tremblay of PHI Studio taps in to share with us the installation side of The Infinite, their collaboration with Felix & Paul Studios that is currently in Montreal and headed to Space City in Houston in December, and how PHI Studio approaches making VR installations that define the way large scale VR installations are presented. Plus a Pick of the Week that's double the fun.
SHOW FLOW
Headlines [1:26]
Festival Dates [4:05]
Clem Garritty of Swamp Motel [7:08]
Pick of the Week [24:58]
Julie Tremblay of PHI Studio [32:21]
Close & Next Stage Updates [47:46]
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music For No Proscenium is by Chris Porter of the Speakeasy Society
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of NoPro
Producer & Host: Noah Nelson, Founder of NoPro
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This week it's four members of the crew with five shows broken into two blocks.
First up is a podplay triptych in the form of the Tender Absence festival, then its a double dose of LA Spooky Season as both Creep & Delusion held their press nights this past weekend.
The Rundown
Part I: Tender Absence
The City at Your Feet w/Leah [0:57]
A Walk in the Park w/Patrick [7:00]
Run Club w/Kevin [9:20]
Part II: LA Spooky Season [35:33]
Delusion: Reaper's Remorse w/Noah [36:25]
Creep w/ Kevin [46:00]
Featuring: Leah Davis, Patrick McLean, and Noah Nelson
Hosted by: Kevin Gossett
For even more check out this week's Review Rundown and stay tuned to the feed for the Pick of the Week on this week's Friday show.
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This week on the show we go bicoastal, with Illumination NYC, a Festival of Lights that's warming up Brooklyn this October and The Last Syllable, the online exploration of the Scottish Play from LA's Independent Shakespeare Company, known for Free Shakespeare in the Park in Griffith Park. Plus: the first series of Immersive 101 wraps up with a long look at larp or LARP if you're old school.
Show Flow
Headlines [1:00]
Ron Fisher of Illumination NYC [3:12]
Pick of the Week [15:14]
Immersive 101: larp [21:46]
Melissa Chalsma of Independent Shakespeare Company on The Last Syllable [31:12]
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter
Headlines & Immersive 101: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No Proscenium
Producer, Mixer, Host: Noah Nelson, Publisher of No Proscenium
Partnerships Director for The Next Stage: Jacob Patterson (jacob@hijinxarts.com)
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Hey there, True Believers! Before you jump in know this: there's a-cursing ahead. Just a little around the 29:00 mark and then a whole $@%^#!! lot of it in the last segment. Context at the top of the show, but consider yourself warned.
The Rundown
Kathryn - Venice VR [3:42]
Blake - Artifacts of No Consequence [17:20]
Laura - Pipilotti Rist: Big Heartedness, Be My Neighbor [28.30]
Noah - Knott’s Scary Farm and the trouble with Orange County in 2021 [44.05]
With Kathryn Yu, Blake Weil, Laura Hess, and hosted by Noah J. Nelson
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This week: Felix Lajeunesse of the Emmy Award-winning Felix and Paul Studios is with us to talk about The Infinite their collaboration with PHI which brings their work with NASA on the International Space Station down to Earth and gives it a whole new dimension. Prof. Julia Ritter joins us to talk about her new book Tandem Dances, which explores immersive work their the lens of choreography and opens up some fascinating dimensions of discussion. And Matthew Stein of the Room Escape Artist Hive Mind shares what's hot in the realm of immersive escape games.
Plus the Pick of the Week.
The Rundown:
- The Infinite [4:20]
- Matthew Stein [27:13]
- Pick of the Week [40:45]
- Tandem Dances [46:38]
All brought to you by our incredible Patreon Backers.
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter of the Speakeasy Society
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of NoPro
Hosted & Produced by: Noah Nelson, Publisher of NoPro
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This week Kevin hosts, Patrick basically triple dips, and Noah is loopy from a flu shot and talks Star Wars. Of course, he's supposed to talk Star Wars, so at least he's not totally gone.
Kevin & Patrick tackle Deadbolt Mystery Society — Conspiracy [1:45]
Patrick reports back on Welcome to Retropolis [14:42] and I Expect You To Die 2 [23:09]
Noah & Patrick on Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge — Last Call [35:22]
Hosted by Kevin Gossett w/Patrick McLean & Noah Nelson
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A special bonus episode focusing on the release of Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge -- Last Call.
We interview ILMxLAB's Jose Perez III, Ian Bowie, and Ronman Ng about the Last Call expansion that brings the Tales duology to a satisfying conclusion. Get ready to nerd out with NoPro's Star Wars Geek in Chief, because it's lightspeed to Batuu.
For more with Jose Perez III and ILMxLAB's Alyssa Finley check out episode 273 of the show.
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This week on the show: new work from some of Third Rail Project's long time collaborators, a look at how neuroscientists measure immersion, a peek inside the VR Chat Prefabs community and more more more!
The Rundown:
Zach Morris and Tara OCon on Return The Moon [4:00]
Immersive 101 [28:23]
Fionna of Studio CyFi [32:22]
Pick of the Week [43:00]
Paul J. Zak of Immersion Neuroscience [46:09]
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter of the Speakeasy Society
Headlines: Kathryn Yu, Executive Editor of No Proscenium
Podcast written, edited, hosted, produced and mixed by Noah Nelson
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This week we break format a bit as the Crew talks about the earthshaking news of the new Punchdrunk show -- The Burnt City -- coming to London next year.
Then we get into a bit of Venice VR Expanded [27:00] and the Vellum LA/Standard Vision collab in LA [40:00].
It's a weird one but a fun one! With Kathryn Yu, Kevin Gossett, Laura Hess, Blake Weil, and Noah Nelson in the host chair.
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This week it's the kickoff for SPOOKY SEASON here in our home territory of Southern California so we're going all out with:
A visit to CREEP LA's brand new venue THE GHOST LIGHT [4:00]
A talk with Jon Braver, creator of Delusion [19:00]
And we round up our Haunt Club with writers Juliet Bennett Rylah (The Hustle), Jeff Heimbuch (HorrorBuzz), and NoPro New England's own Leah Davis. [35:00]
Plus headlines from Kathryn and the Review Crew's Pick of the Week [15:00].
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Music: Chris Porter of the Speakeasy Society
Kathryn Yu is the Executive Editor of No Proscenium
The NoPro Podcast is written, edited, hosted, produced and mixed by Noah Nelson
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This week:
Anthony Robinson on The Vandermist Dossier
Kevin Gossett on Planning Your Escape [16:30]
Patrick McClean on BRCvr [29:23]
Blake Weil on I'm So Hot [42:21]
Hosted by Kevin Gossett
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This week we've got some BIG NEWS about our upcoming events as we evolve into our next form (I'm hoping for Charizard) as a non-profit organization.
We've also got a regular episode for you with a fantastic lineup from Venice VR Expanded, Superblue, and more.
Venice VR Expanded w/ curators Liz Rosenthal and Michel Reilhac [5:33]
Immersive 101 [26:13]
Superblue's Kathleen Forde and Margot Mottaz interviewed by Ricky Brigante (Pseudonym Productions) [31:00]
Pick of the Week [43:35]
Jesse Damiani (Forbes) breaks down NFTs [47:58]
A look at The Next Stage 2022 Summit and The Immersive Experience Institute & Credits [1:01:00]
Associate Producer is Parker Sela
Headlines & Immersive 101: Kathryn Yu
Music: Chris Porter
Superblue Segment: Ricky Brigante
Produced, Mixed & Hosted: Noah Nelson
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This time out, technical difficulties leaves the crew down a member, but that doesn't stop us.
Patrick McLean on RECON, the Reality Escape Convention [1:56]
Blake Weil on Alterra's Gala [20:40]
Noah Nelson on Gatsby: An Immersive Illumination [33:55]
Hosted by Noah Nelson
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This week on the show:
- We walk the digital playa of BRCvr and reflect on Burning Man 2020 with an eye towards the 2021 Virtual Burn. [4:30]
- Odyssey Works' Abraham Burickson & Ayden LeRoux tell us about their new Experience Design Certificate Program. [18:00]
- Emma Buttin, New Media officer of the French Embassy in the United States tells us about the upcoming Digital Playgrounds program, which seeks to bring French and American XR creators together in New York this Fall. [37:10]
Plus Headlines [1:14], Immersive 101 [12:45]; The Pick of the Week [32:12].
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This time out, three reviews and a long look at pricing models for online work.
Patrick McLean: Once in a Blue Moon (Mobile Escapes, Online) [0:50] (This rolls into the pricing model convo.)
Noah Nelson: Optika Piñata (Optika Moderna/La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego, [29:23]
Kathryn Yu: Field Guide to Memory (Jeeyon Shim and Shing Yin Khor, printed materials) ( [50:30]
Hosted by: Kevin Gossett
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This week on the show we will take you from the virtual Burning Man playa of BRCvr to a chat with the author of Tamara the original hit immersive play which is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a new printing of the text that dropped just this month. That plus we check in with Scott Stein of CNET, bring you an all-new Immersive 101, and the Pick of the Week.
Show Clock
- Headlines [1:10]
- Doug Jacobson of BRCvr [4:27]
- Immersive 101 [18:47]
- Scott Stein of CNET [24:43]
- Pick of the Week [41:12]
- John Krizanc, author of Tamara [44:04]
Check the website for links.
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This week:
Laura on Divine Immersion: The Experiential Art of Nick Dong[2:12]
Patrick on Trover Saves The Universe - Squanch Games [14:36]
Kathryn on The Walks - Rimini Protokoll [25:00]
Hosted by Noah Nelson
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Another packed week!
- We visit the Emmy nominated Little Cinema Digital in their new digs in Vernon, CA. Wait. That Vernon? (4:22)
- Kathryn drops in for some Immersive 101 (13:47)
- NoPro's Arts Editor Laura Hess shares thoughts on her latest adventures (18:36)
- David Hutchinson of Gamepath Experience shares how they're bringing Monopoly Lifesized to London (31:06)
- Patrick McLean has the Pick of the Week (44:29)
- Lois Neville of Hollywood Fringe Festival talks with us about this year's Festival which is stirring to life in Hollywood and online (48:55)
Plus headlines at the top of the show!
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Headlines by Kathryn Yu
Music by Chris Porter
Produced, hosted, and edited by Noah Nelson
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This week we start off with something a little different, as the Crew reacts to the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser news, specifically the PRICE and what we think the longevity of this premium experience will be.
Then it is on to the reviews:
- Patrick tackles Wraith: The Oblivion - Afterlife for VR (17:50)
- Laura discusses the digital art installation DATA | ergo sum | RELOADED by Spanish multidisciplinary artist Ana Marcos that appeared this weekend at the LA Art Show (29:47)
- And Kevin takes another swing at Blaseball (40:46)
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A jam-packed show this week kicks off with a burst of headlines. Then:
- Ricky Brigante brings us a special report on Immersive Art Experiences featuring voices from Superblue, Meow Wolf, Wonderspaces, and Lighthouse Immersive the producers of the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibits that are popping up across the United States and Canada. [5:25]
- The latest Immersive 101 segment takes on one of Kathryn's favorite concepts. [17:56]
- Creative Producer for XR and NoPro Contributor Michaela Ternasky-Holland joins Noah to talk about the 2021 Festival circuit. [21:27]
- Lyndsie Scoggin and Screaming Color from the team behind the Venice Film Festival bound Welcome To Respite join Kathryn to talk about the immersive theatre in VR Chat experience. [37:12]
- Blake Weil has the Pick of the Week. [50:20]
- David Markland of Midsummer Scream: Awaken The Spirits joins Noah to talk about the pop-up headed to Pasadena Aug. 14 & 15. [54:05]
Music by Chris Porter
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Hosted by Noah Nelson and Kathryn Yu
Produced by Noah Nelson
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This week on the NoPro Review Crew show:
Blake makes the case for Spectacle and Mirth's Journey to the Kingdom of Hypnos as pick of the week [1:30]
Laura explores Cluster at Museum Fiasco inside Las Vegas' Area 15 [9:50]
Kevin takes us back to the Blaseball diamond, okay, the interdimensional void but... look it's a whole thing [19:35]
Noah swings back to Vegas, virtually, with the Viva Las Vengence VR pop-up in Century City that gets a lot about the Netflix movie Army of the Dead very, very right and one thing very, very wrong [30:25]
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This week on the show:
- Michael Andersen of ARGN.com talks lets us know what's hot in the world of ARGs [4:58]
- Edward Mylechreest has the Pick of the Week [15:54]
- Allie Marotta speaks with Regan Linton and Maggie Whittum two theatre artists and disability activists from Denver, Colorado to mark Disability Pride Month [21:23]
- Kathryn Yu is here with another Immersive 101 lesson [35:19]
- Amy Ashton of the La Jolla Playhouse talks with us about the upcoming Without Walls pop-up, at San Diego's Liberty Station Aug 14 & 15 [39:16]
Plus: Headlines
Music: Chris Porter
Associate Producer: Parker Sela
Executive Editor of NoPro: Kathryn Yu
Host, Executive Producer and all the hats: Noah J. Nelson
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This week the Review Crew gathers under Kevin Gossett's watchful eye to discuss:
An update from Patrick on his story from last week [00:50]
Madrid Noir (VR, Oculus Platforms) - Patrick [11:20]
Endure: Run Woman Show (NYC, Melanie Jones) - Edward [21:40]
Every Day I'll Hope (LA, Siobhán O’Loughlin) - Juliet [33:53
For even more from the Crew this week check out the Review Rundown on No Proscenium.
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Writer Daysha Veronica raises the stakes writing the book for the new immersive musical Brassroots District Live in the Lot '73. In this interview, recorded as part of the production of the lead story on this week's podcast, we get the full lowdown on how she joined the show and what she brought into the mix.
Catch the original story in this week's podcast, and catch Brassroots District, now playing in DTLA's Arts District. Or learn more, 1970's style, by dialing (323) 596-1973.
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This week on the show:
- We get down with Brassroots District: Live in the Lot '73 [5:05]
- Check-in with Kent Bye of the Voices of VR Podcast [14:57]
- Uncover the Review Crew's Pick of the Week [27:30]
- Chat with designer and author Laura E. Hall about her new book Planning Your Escape [31:50]
- Drop another edition of Immersive 101 [43:25]
- Learn all about Iron Game Designer and The Maze on Planet 7 with Indiecade's Sam Roberts [46:33]
- And a few closing thoughts plus a tease of our panel at the North Bend Film Fest this weekend [57:26]
For more check out all we do at No Proscenium.
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This week the Review Crew tackles:
Candle House Collective - Lovers Anonymous (Online), reviewed by Kathryn Yu
Shadow of the Run presents Dreamwalkers(Cleveland, Ohio), reviewed by Patrick McLean
Brassroots District (Los Angeles), reviewed by Kevin Gossett
Brian Sander's JUNK presents Dragonbutter (Philidelphia), reviewed by Blake Weil
Hosted by Noah Nelson
For more from the crew check out this week's Immersive Review Rundown which features nine reviews from across the United States.
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The first of our "Overtime" series of podcasts, this is the second half of our interview with Gayatri Parameswaran & Felix Gaedtke of NowHere Media -- the creators of Kusunda, which won the Storyscapes Grand Jury Prize for best Virtual Reality Storytelling at Tribeca Immersive in June.
For the first part of the interview, check of episode 301 of the podcast.
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Now available for all!
The NoPro Review Crew meets every week to swap stories about the immersive art & entertainment they've been exploring.
These discussions, hosted by a rotating crew led by NoPro LA Reviews Editor Kevin Gossett, are recorded each week in the NoPro Discord and can be attended LIVE. Previously a Patreon Backer exclusive, the NEW ERA of the NoPro Podcast means that the Crew will be here in the main feed each week.
This week on the Crew:
Edward Mylechreest on Know Thyself (Jessica Creane/I KantKoan, New York City) [1:37]
Laura Hess on The Plastic Bag Store (Robin Frohardt, currently in Los Angeles) [14:36]
Allie Marotta on The Watering Hole (Lynn Nottage & Miranda Haymon/Signature Theatre Company, NYC) [36:31]
Hosted by Kevin.
For more reviews check out this week's Immersive Review Rundown at NoPro.
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The first episode of the new era. NoPro is now in magazine show format!
In this edition we:
- Take a trip to Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart (00:01:52)
- Check-in with our friends at Room Escape Artist (00:12:43)
- Meet Gayatri Parameswaran & Felix Gaedtke, the creators of the award-winning VR documentary Kusunda (00: 22:12)
- Get the NoPro Review Crew’s Pick Of The Week (00:34:01)
- Immersive 101: (00:36:33)
- Authors Austin Grossman, Sean Stewart, and Neal Stephenson, creators of the Audible Audio Drama New Found Land: The Long Haul based on their original ARG (00:41:05)
- Closing Segment - with LEIA, HERE Summit & Fest, Illuminarium and North Bend Film Fest: (1:00:00)
(Remastered 7/10/21)
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The new era of the NoPro Podcast begins on July 9th, and this week we're going to give you a taste.
Check out all we do at No Proscenium and Everything Immersive.
Brought to you by our generous Patreon backers.
This minisode features music by Chris Porter, and sound effects courtesy of freesound.org, including tracks by users supadoh, Racche, and kyles.
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300
Three Hundred
It's difficult to fathom. So to help we brought along Kathryn, Anthony, Kevin, Leah, Laura, Blake, Michaela, Juliet, and Patrick to reminisce about how they got started in immersive, and with us. About where things are going as we dust ourselves off and ready for a new era... and about just what the podcast is going to become.
The End Of An Era.
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This week Siobhán O'Loughlin, creator of Broken Bone Bathtub and the Please Don't Touch The Artist online series joins host Noah Nelson to talk about PDT and her upcoming new in-person show in Los Angeles called Every Day I'll Hope.
Special guest appuurance by Detective Munch, the cat. (Listen close!)
Show Notes
- Siobhán O'Loughlin - Events
- Tribeca Diary
- Tribeca Coverage Kickoff
- Review Rundown
- Call Sheet
- LEIA LA Meetup
- NoPro Patreon
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This week we talk with creators from two incredible projects in Tribeca Immersive -- Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster, and Yasmin Elayat join us from the VR narrative series 'The Changing Same,' which views the long history of racial injustice in America through the lens of magical realism, while Lady PheOnix and Sutu talk with us about celebrating the life of Breonna Taylor by planting 'Breonna's Garden' in augmented reality.
It's a double feature from the Tribeca Film Fest!
Show Notes
- The Changing Same: Episode One
- Breonna's Garden (iOS) (Google Play)
- Tribeca Immersive Kicks Off With An Abundance
- NoPro's Tribeca Immersive Diary
- NoPro Patreon
- The NoPro Discord
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Innerspace VR co-founder Balthazar Auxietre and writer Rob Morgan join us to talk about Maskmaker, the new game from Innerspace published by MWM Interactive that puts players into the role of an apprentice mask maker who must unravel the mystery that haunts a magical island ruled by the master mask maker Prospero.
Show Notes
- Maskmaker
- Innerspace VR
- Brassroots DIstrict: The Opening Act For LA's Immersive Summer (Q&A)
- The (Two Bit) Circus Is Back In Town (Q&A)
- Pop-Up Magazine Hits The Streets With the 'Sidewalk Issue (Q&A)
- LEIA
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2020 was a long year for everyone, and especially so for Paige Solomon CEO & Creative Director of DTLA's Elsewhere at the Madcap Motel. The attraction's opening night was planned for the very night that everything shut down in California, and the project remained in limbo until opening last month. We talk with Solomon and with the Motel's Director of Theatrical Experience, Claire Chapelli, from INSIDE the Motel -- our first in-person interview in over a year -- about the long(er than expected) road to Elsewhere.
Show Notes
- Elsewhere at the Madcap Motel
- Head Down to DTLA to Go Elsewhen and ‘Elsewhere at the Madcap Motel’ (Review)
- Bonus Podcast: Crafting Immersive w/Koryn Wicks & Willing Kompany
- The Rundown: The One That’s A Little Spicy (Reviews!)
- Kink Curiosity Is Rewarded At LA’s ‘Fétische’ (Review)
- Short Doc Recalls ‘Everyone Agrees It’s About to Explode’ (NEWSWIRE)
- Call Sheet (5/28/21)
- Review Crew: Ultra Guest Edition (Backer Only till 5/29)
- NoPro Patreon
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This week choreographer and creator Koryn Wicks (I Love You Much, SQUEEZE ME TO DEATH; Casting) and her collaborators from Willing Kompany participated in an online Forum centering on the ideas discussed in her recent three-part Crafting Immersive series on No Pro.
This recording effectively becomes the fourth part of the series, and features both the company member's thoughts and questions from other Forum attendees.
Show Notes
- Willing Kompany
- Crafting Immersive Pt. 1: Making It Physical
- Crafting Immersive Pt. 2: Onboarding the Audience
- Crafting Immersive Pt. 3: Make It Accessible
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These days Leila Amirsadeghi is with a Senior Program Manager with the Mixed Reality Team at Microsoft for AltSpaceVR, which she joined after being part of the team for the PGA Award-winning BRCvr that brought Burning Man into AltSpace. She's also one of the creators of The Unreal Garden, a mixed reality experience that made its debut at OneDome in San Francisco during the Before Times, and that will be returning in a new form this year.
We crack into all of that and more in this episode. SHOW NOTES
- AltSpaceVR
- Mesh Connects - Leila Amirsadeghi
- Crafting Immersive - Series
- Crafting Immersive - Forum Tickets
- The Rundown
- Call Sheet 5/21/21
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A little over a year ago novelist Matt Ruff (Lovecraft Country) and journalist Blake Collier reached out to us. They were doing a podcast to promote Matt's new novel, 88 Names, which is set in a world where virtual reality is a lot further along than our own. They wanted to talk about the creative side of it all with us.
It was a grand time.
Now, after a most unexpected year and two seasons of the podcast, Blake and Matt have wrapped up their show and we asked them to come on our show and talk about their journey through the immersive world -- not just the art & entertainment side, but forays into medicine and philosophy as well.
Show Notes
- The 88 Names Podcast
- 88 Names (novel)
- Serial Killer Speed Dating Bonus Episode
- The Rundown
- Crafting Immersive Part 1: Make It Physical
- The NoPro Patreon
- The NoPro Discord
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LA's Serial Killer Speed Dating, which put a little immersive horror twist on the speed dating format, has created not one but TWO online versions over the course of the pandemic.
The first was the Zoom series, which adapted the live show to everyone's favorite video chat platform and the latest is a Clubhouse-based game show, which is now part of the Clubhouse CREATOR FIRST pilot program which will see some lucky producers get their shows picked up for development by the social audio app.
Will our guests Abel Horwitz and Jacob Patterson be amongst those lucky producers? Check out their show this Saturday, May 15th at 3 pm PT / 6 pm ET on the Clubhouse Main Stage. CH is NOW ON ANDROID and not just iOS.
And don't forget to tap back into the podcast this week with our next regular episode which features author Matt Ruff (Lovecraft Country) and journalist Blake Collier of the 88 Names Podcast as we talk about their year of diving into the immersive world.
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Javaad Alipoor is the co-director, writer, and one of the performers of Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran, an incredible multi-media theatre piece that links a constellation of Big Ideas into an incredibly human story. The docudrama starts with the real-life story of a doomed love affair between two of Iran's young rich elite, and then invites the audience to peel back the layers of the story to see the massive historical underpinnings that led to a devastating accident.
Alipoor specializes in political theatre with an emotional core, and in our interview, we dive deep into the current political and cultural moment in a wide-ranging and electric conversation.
Content Advisory: adult language
Show Notes
- Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran
- The Javaad Alipoor Company
- The Colour of Our Politics (podcast)
- Call Sheet (Job listings)
- The Rundown (Weekly Reviews)
- The NoPro Patreon
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Sherwood & Nottingham co-creator/director Nick Rheinwald-Jones and Supervising Creative Producer Shoshanna Green join host Noah Nelson to talk about the upcoming second season of the Robin Hood-themed alternate reality roleplaying experience.
Show Notes
- SpyBrunch
- The Rundown
- The NoPro Discord
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For the last session of this March's Spring Fling, we asked a few folks we knew had projects coming up to come give us a sneak peek, Comic-Con Hall H style.
Here's the line-up:
- Paige Solomon of LA's Madcap Motel
- Actor & Creative Director Dasha Kittredge on OnBoard and more
- Stephen Butchko, Braden Roy and Danielle Levesque on Welcome To Respite VR
- Designer & Producer David Ruzicka of Hidden Worlds Entertainment
It's an exciting cross-section of IRL and URL projects that show the breadth of immersive in 2021. Oh, and if you need a shortcut to getting on the newsletter so you can catch the Eschaton preview, sign up here.
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Stand With Asians is a community call to action that kicked off with a day of protest and programming on March 26, 2021 as a direct response to the mass shooting in Atlanta on March 16th, which came after a year of rising violence and discrimination targeting the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities here in the United States.
Carl Choi of GreatCo. reached out to us about putting together a community event as part of the SWA programming that day which would speak to the immersive creative community. In response, we pulled in Michaela Ternasky-Holland, a VR producer and part of NoPro's extended team who in turn helped us reach out Joanna Popper of the Extending Reality (AR/VR) Club in Clubhouse, the largest immersive creative community on the popular app. This event was recorded on Clubhouse, in the Extending Reality club on March 26th, 2021 by Jacob Patterson, and features Carl, Michaela, Joanna, NoPro's Kathryn Yu, and Voices of VR's Kent Bye as moderators of the discussion which looks to get the immersive creative community exploring what they can do to address the systemic issues facing the AAPI members of our community, and the larger issues facing America as a whole.
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It's been a minute! Noah and Kathryn are joined by Patrick McLean (NoPro Chicago) and first time on the podcast Leah Davis (NoPro New England) to talk about what's been giving us hope of late.
Show Notes The Window (Review) Into The Mist SXSW 2021 Diary Under The Freeways of Los Angeles The NoPro Discord
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This week: just a quick touch-base about the media created for the Spring Fling, our Discord, and all the various community projects that are ongoing including the work of Stand With Asians, LEIA, and Artizen's Black Realities Grant. Get bonus content on Patreon
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Artizen is a community-powered grant platform that began as a project of Kaleidoscope, the immersive production studio that has navigated countless projects through the stormy seas of VR. René Pinnell, founder and designer of Artizen, talks with us about the new platform's plans – including becoming community-governed – and we get into some of the cutting-edge issues of creative technology to boot! SHOW NOTES Artizen Kaleidoscope #StandWithAsians (Clubhouse Event March 26th) The NoPro Discord SPRING FLING Saturday Day Saturday Night Sunday Day
Spring Fling AR Program (powered by EyeJack)
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Courtney Nichols & Blakeshine are the co-founders of Of The Night, a new experiential party-in-a-box company that evolved out of Nichols' work in LA – the beloved Disco Dining Club – and Blakeshine's work on the music festival circuit creating large scale experiences. Now they're taking a pandemic era project which delivered parties for two in LA and turning it into a nationwide service via the crowdfunding platform iFundWomen. We get into the background and the pivots on this week's show. Show Notes
- iFundWomen Crowdfunding for Of The Night (running now though April 15th)
- Of The Night
- Instagram: @ofthenight
- The Everything Immersive Spring Fling
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Working out of England, Lou Doye is an executive producer in the immersive field whose projects often mix immersive theatre and immersive tech. Projects where XR meets the boards. She's also one of my favorite people to talk to, having met while working on the board for the Artizen Transformations Grant.
On this episode of the show, Lou and I talk the business of immersive and as always it's an education for me. Plus a little bit about what The RSC's Dream was before the pandemic pivot. Show Notes
- Lou Doye
- Artizen Grants
- The E.I. Spring Fling
- Fifth Wall Forum
- Everything Immersive Radio
- The NoPro Discord
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Violeta Ayala's Prison X — Chapter 1: The Devil and The Sun, stunned us at Sundance this year. The Quechua film and theatre-maker blended lessons learned from those disciplines to put the audience inside a Neo-Andean myth via VR. (Check out our enthusiastic review.)
This week's episode is a wide-ranging discussion with the creator about how she brought the work to life, and the powerful themes that flow through this mix of myth, theatre, and technology.
Show Notes
- Prison X
- Violeta Ayala on Twitter
- The Everything Immersive Spring Fling
- Kent Bye's Everything Immersive Radio thread
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Marlee Delia and Anna Mavromati are the co-founders of Shine On Collective, the LA immersive theatre company that made its name creating intimate horror experiences with a strong audio signature. Like so many others in the pandemic, Shine On had to pivot if they wanted to keep producing, and what that landed on came as a surprise.
Their first quarantine experience was Welcome Home, a boxed mystery that came with a delivery/take-out meal in LA and is now shipping as a mystery in a box with a dessert nationwide. They followed it up with The Rouguelike Presents: The Spirits of Tillinghast, the inaugural offering from Burbank's The Roguelike Tavern, a bar owned and operated by LA immersive theatre veteran John McCormick.
We talk with Delia and Mavromati about finding new ways to tell immersive stories in the real world after all the rules changed.
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This week we talk with VRChat worldbuilders CyanLaser and Fionna, who are both part of the team that created the award-winning The Devouring VRChat experience and are admins of the VRC Prefabs Community: a collective of creators doing innovative work in the user-generated virtual worlds of VRChat. This episode also marks the opening up to listings of Virtual Worlds on the Everything Immersive site. If you've made a persistent Virtual World you'd like share with the wider immersive community we want to know about it!
Show Notes
- VRC Prefabs
- Callsheet 2/17/21
- How mutual aid groups are helping Texas (Vox)
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Sarah Ellis, Director of Digital Development for The Royal Shakespeare Company joins us to talk about 'Dream' the upcoming experimental live-streamed performance that merges live actors, the Unreal Engine, and an audience feedback loop to create a first-of-its-kind interactive performance delivered to desktops and mobile devices.
Show Notes
The RSC's 'Dream' 'Dream' Press Release at NoPro Unreal Engine's Metahuman Creator Call Sheet for 2/10/21
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Glen Neath and David Rosenberg, the co-directors of Darkfield Radio join us for an in-depth discussion of the art of spatial audio and audience-centered design. Darkfield creates some of the most amazing immersive work, and the delivery method is a pair of headphones. This is a can't-miss episode of the podcast.
Plus: Noah's notes on the Sundance New Frontier and the Apple VR headset rumors.
Show Notes
- Darkfield Radio
- Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran (Review)
- Prison X: The Devil and the Sun (Review)
- No Proscenium's Review Page
- Everything Immersive (Beta Site)
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Continuing our three-part series focusing on the emerging art form of VR Theatre.
Three panels of VR Theatre all-stars join us to talk about acting in, directing, designing, and producing live theatrical production in virtual reality. No Proscenium hosts Noah Nelson & Kathryn Yu are joined by special guest host Stephanie Riggs, with each running one of the panels as they tackle the core questions.
This week's edition looks at the special magic of LIVE.
Segment One
Hosted by Noah Nelson (@noahjnelson)
- Dasha Kittredge (@DashaKittredge)
- Brandon Powers (@bpowtweets)
- Espii Proctor (@espiistudios)
Segment Two
Hosted by Stephanie Riggs (@immersiveriggs)
- Brendan A. Bradley (@brendanAbradley)
- Tim Kashani (@TimKashani)
- Deirdre Lyons (@deirdrelyons)
Segment Three
Hosted by Kathryn Yu (@kathrynyu)
- Marinda Botha (@MarindaBotha6)
- Beth Kates (@the_play_ground)
- Riel Tarr (@raktorxr)
Show Notes
- Episode 279: XR Live — Theatre & VR Part One
- Episode 280: XR Live – Theatre & VR Part Two
- The End of Storytelling: The Future of Narrative in the Storyplex
- The NoPro Newsletter
- Call Sheet (1/28/21)
This episode is brought to you by our Patreon backers, and well-caffeinated by our friends at Yes Plz coffee.
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Continuing our three-part series focusing on the emerging art form of VR Theatre.
Three panels of VR Theatre all-stars join us to talk about acting in, directing, designing, and producing live theatrical production in virtual reality. No Proscenium hosts Noah Nelson & Kathryn Yu are joined by special guest host Stephanie Riggs, with each running one of the panels as they tackle the core questions.
This week's edition kicks off with the question: what skills transfer over from traditional theatre into the realm of VR?
Segment One
Hosted by Kathryn Yu (@kathrynyu)
- Marinda Botha (@MarindaBotha6)
- Beth Kates (@the_play_ground)
- Riel Tarr (@raktorxr)
Segment Two Hosted by Noah Nelson (@noahjnelson)
- Dasha Kittredge (@DashaKittredge)
- Brandon Powers (@bpowtweets)
- Espii Proctor (@espiistudios)
Segment Three
Hosted by Stephanie Riggs (@immersiveriggs)
- Brendan A. Bradley (@brendanAbradley)
- Tim Kashani (@TimKashani)
- Deirdre Lyons (@deirdrelyons)
Show Notes
- Episode 279: XR Live — Theatre & VR Part One
- The End of Storytelling: The Future of Narrative in the Storyplex
- The NoPro Newsletter
- Call Sheet (1/20/21)
- Yes Plz Release 113: Night Shift (Playlist)
This episode is brought to you by our Patreon backers, and well-caffeinated by our friends (no, really, we have friends!) at Yes Plz coffee.
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This week we kick off a three-part series focusing on the emerging art form of VR Theatre.
Three panels of VR Theatre all-stars join us to talk about acting in, directing, designing, and producing live theatrical production in virtual reality. No Proscenium hosts Noah Nelson & Kathryn Yu are joined by special guest host Stephanie Riggs, with each running one of the panels as they tackle the core questions.
This week's edition starts off with the most basic of questions: how do these productions get off the ground?
Segment One
Hosted by Stephanie Riggs (@immersiveriggs)
- Brendan A. Bradley (@brendanAbradley)
- Tim Kashani (@TimKashani)
- Deirdre Lyons (@deirdrelyons)
Segment Two
Hosted by Kathryn Yu (@kathrynyu)
- Marinda Botha (@MarindaBotha6)
- Beth Kates (@the_play_ground)
- Riel Tarr (@raktorxr)
Segment Three Hosted by Noah Nelson (@noahjnelson)
- Dasha Kittredge (@DashaKittredge)
- Brandon Powers (@bpowtweets)
- Espii Proctor (@espiistudios)
Show Notes
- Episode 274 - 5th Wall Forum
- Episode 278 - Sundance New Frontier 2021
- 5th Wall Forum
- The End of Storytelling: The Future of Narrative in the Storyplex
- The NoPro Newsletter
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It's 2021 and the Sundance Film Festival is going where it hasn't gone before: ONLINE.
Helping them get there is the collective wisdom of the New Frontier branch of the Festival, led by Senior Programmer Shari Frilot, which helped launch the VR Renaissance back in 2012 and now is helping shape the online social spaces that will bring festival goers from around the world together on a platform built by Active Theory.
Both Frilot and Active Theory co-founder Michael Anthony join us to talk about this bold new venture for the legendary film festival, as well as this year's exciting line up of work in the New Frontier -- which will inevitably shape the conversation in XR for the year to come.
Tickets go on sale TODAY at NOON Mountain Time.
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Welcome to "The Immies."
The first-ever No Proscenium awards for Outstanding Achievements in Immersive & Experiential Production are hereby unleashed upon the world.
This episode features both our juried awards and the Audience Choice Awards, as presented by members of the NoPro editorial board and staff: Kevin Gossett, Laura Hess, Patrick McLean, Blake Weil, Executive Editor Kathryn Yu, and Publisher Noah Nelson.
The various categories were limited to work that was accessible online, by telephone or post so as to create a somewhat level pool of candidates. Location-based experiences were excluded this year, as they require a regional approach. This is the third and final part of NoPro's Year in Review coverage. For more of the highlights of 2020, including location-based work, and immersive adjacent projects see:
- Unforgettable: Moments That Defined Immersive in 2020
- NoPro Critic’s Picks for 2020
Correction: In the podcast, Taylor Feld, recipient of the award for Outstanding Achievement in Individual Performance 2020, was verbally misgendered. Feld uses they/them pronouns. We regret the error.
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This week Noah and Kathryn are joined by: Kent Bye of the Voices of VR Podcast; Todd Martens of The Los Angeles Times; Alexis Soloski, contributor to The New York Times; and Scott Stein, Editor-At-Large of CNET to talk about their encounters in the immersive world in 2020.
SHOW NOTES
- Todd's Games of the Year list for 2020
- The NoPro Audience Awards Nominees & Ballot
- LEIA's Draft Bylaws
- LEIA Office Hours
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This week we're honored to have Pete Billington, writer & director of Wolves in the Walls, the VR adaptation of Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean's beloved story as our guest. Pete is one of the co-founders of Fable, which not only created Wolves, but are now pioneering in the realm of virtual beings.
We'll get into how immersive theatre helped him break a creative stalemate, and the exciting experiments in the creative use of artificial intelligence to create virtual characters that can evolve over time.
Show Notes
- Wolves in the Walls for the Oculus Quest
- Fable
- Meet Lucy
- LEIA Office Hours: Bylaws & More
- The NoPro 2020 Audience Awards NominationsWriters
- Roundtable: Immersive, Online and Distantly (December 2020)
- NoPro Patreon
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Creative technologist and author Stephanie Riggs (“The End of Storytelling: The Future of Narrative in the Storyplex”) joins hosts Noah Nelson and Kathryn Yu to talk about the upcoming 5th Wall Forum, which will bring immersive technologists and theatre-makers together on December 4th & 5th.
Learn more in this week's episode, or cut to the chase and get your application in for the Forum's free Masterclass or Connector before the November 30th deadline.
SHOW NOTES
- NoPro's Holiday Gift Guide (2020 Edition)
- Room Escape Lover’s Holiday Gift Guide – 2020
- All Arts Organizations Are Media Companies Now’: How the Pandemic Is Transforming Theater (Variety)
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Jose Perez III and Alyssa Finley of ILMxLAB join us to talk about Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge, the latest release from Lucasfilm's pioneering immersive entertainment studio. The virtual reality experience dropped on the Oculus Quest platform this week, and we take a dive into what the studio has learned about storytelling in the new medium.
Show Notes
- Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge at the Oculus Store
- Living on the Edge, the ‘Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge,’ That Is (The NoPro Review)
- 5th Wall Forum
- Meet Lucy, An AI Generated Character, Who Wants To Meet You
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Long time friend of the show, and veteran installation designer Lonnie Hanzon, joins us to talk about the 2020 edition of Camp Christmas.
What began as a major holiday installation in Denver has turned into a hybrid digital/at-home activity experience because of our pandemic year.
Nerd out on design challenges, logistics, VR, and the world to come in this very No Proscenium episode of No Proscenium.
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Host Noah Nelson and NoPro's Executive Editor Kathryn Yu talk magic, Live VR Theatre, and Gather.Town in this chat recorded on Nov. 5th, 2020. Get bonus content on Patreon
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After ten years in DTLA, and after becoming one of the primary hubs of immersive and experiential work in Los Angeles, Think Tank Gallery is leaving DTLA. You know why: COVID-19. But not before one last banger: join us as we talk with Think Tank's Jacob Patterson about the past, present, and future of the gallery... and as we get a special visit from the creator of the last show at Think Tank -- RIP White Jesus -- comedian and filmmaker Hisham Fageeh. Visit http://thinktank.gallery and scroll to the bottom to follow the newsletter for an invite to RIP White Jesus Virtual Eviction Party
Visit http://serialkillerspeed.dating for their Halloween show for singles (currently M/F and M/M)
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It's here!
We've come to the end of our Ducktales 2017 Season One journey.
We're mostly shocked at HOW MANY OF YOU joined us. Seriously. This was a fan favorite?
We're going to do more like this, reality pending. But before all that can begin, we have to finish what we've started.
EPISODES DISCUSSED The Secret(s) of Castle McDuck! The Last Crash of the Sunchaser!
The Shadow War! (Parts I & II)
Your assignment for next time:
Get some rest!
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It's the penultimate episode of our deep dive into the 2017 Ducktales reboot. This time out we get ever closer to the final mysteries of season one, and learn more than we ever expected to learn about Mrs. Beakley.
EPISODES DISCUSSED
From the Casefiles of Agent 22
Who is Gizmoduck?
The Other Bin of Scrooge McDuck
Sky Pirates... in the Sky!
Your assignment for next time:
Finish Season One
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Dragon Productions Theatre Company's Max Koknar, Ariel Aronica, and Jacob Vorperian join us to talk about All We Have To Fear: Party at the End of the World, their new theatre/game hybrid that uses Gather to recreate the experience of an immersive theatre space like the former Speakeasy in San Francisco, along with some tweaks to the system created by the Dragon to add a game layer to the proceedings.
We dive in on the eve of the show's opening. For the curious amongst you: there's a handful of free tickets using the code NOPROFREE that are usable through the end of the month, and a $10 discount NOPRO once those free tickets are gone.
PLUS: early impressions of the Oculus Quest 2. (Check out our unboxing and first impression videos.)
(And yes, this is episode 269, I think I say 268 at the top because I was using the wrong document for the intro!)
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Mikhael Tara Garver of 13EXP is back, and she's bringing along some friends who are all working on the upcoming RIO REVEALS series, created in collaboration with RIVER LA the new series will extend to both digital and physical experiences about and around the LA River.
Along with Mikhael, we are joined by experiential producer Daniel Penilla, and composers Jonathan Sanford and Amanda Yamate, to talk about the unique project about this most unique of rivers.
Show Notes
- RIO REVEALS
- The Everything Immersive FB Group Code of Conduct
- The NoPro Slack
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Climate change was once a hidden crisis, but here in California it has taken the already dangerous time of year known as "fire season" and accelerated it to something apocalyptic in nature.
Writer-performer Monica Miklas and her director-producer Lauren Ludwig – the co-founders of LA's Capital W – join us to talk about Fire Season. This new socially-distanced production projects a collection of Miklas' essays on the nature of change itself via FM radio onto the landscape of the Santa Monica Mountains, which have themselves been touched by flames.
Show Notes
The Everything Immersive Facebook Group
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Tara O'Con is an experiential artist and transformation coach whose work you may be familiar with as a performer in Third Rail Projects' Then She Fell and The Grand Paradise. Tara's performance in Then She Fell is a key part of our host Noah Nelson's own immersive origin story.
In this After Dark episode, Noah catches up with Tara after her first day on the load out of Then She Fell to talk about the impact of that production on her professional and personal journey.
Note:
Tara is also offering NoPro Listeners a free transformation coaching session where you can talk about navigating big changes, finding clarity and perspective around a particular life challenge, getting unstuck (creatively or otherwise), goal setting, or simply a place for reflection to process the moment. Get bonus content on Patreon
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Kathryn Yu, Patrick McLean, and Will Cherry of the NoPro team join host Noah Nelson to talk the news of the week including:
Venice VR Expanded More VR Festivals Pandemic Era Programming
and, burying the lede:
The Oculus Quest 2.
Here. We. Go.
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We've been looking forward to this one for a minute: Coach Leanne Pedante and Within's Jonny Ahdout join host Noah Nelson to talk about Supernatural, the VR fitness service that has been keeping us on our toes all summer.
Show Notes
- Supernatural Facebook Group
- Kathryn's interview with the Knight Foundation
- Everything Immersive
- The NoPro Slack
- The NoPro Patreon
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The highly anticipated AREA 15 will open its doors in Las Vegas on September 17th, kicking off a rollout of the immersive entertainment hub that will last into next year and the debut of Meow Wolf Las Vegas aka Omega Mart.
This week, Area 15 CEO Winston Fisher and Chief Creative Officer Michael Beneville join host Noah Nelson to talk about the road that led here and what to expect from Area 15's rollout.
Show Notes
- Venice VR Expanded
- Burning Man Multiverse
- Freeform's Holiday Road
- Everything Immersive
- The NoPro Slack
- The NoPro Patreon
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Liz Rosenthal, co-curator of Venice VR at the Venice International Film Festival with Michel Reilhac, joins host Noah Nelson to talk about the 2020 edition. This year's event is Venice VR Expanded, a hybrid digital/physical exposition of over 40 works in VR -- from 360 film to live theatrical performances -- across a host of venues virtual and physical.
And the best news: if you own a VR headset of just about any stripe, you can experience some of the programming at home as the festival unfolds.
On top of all that: this is just a great conversation.
Venice VR Expanded runs Wed, Sep 2, 2020 — Sat, Sep 12, 2020. Get bonus content on Patreon
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David & Lisa Spira of Room Escape Artist join us to talk about THIS WEEKEND'S RECON: Reality Escape Convention.
Original planned out as an in-person event in Boston, they've put in a whole lot of work to raise the bar on the online replacement.
And they're giving it away for FREE.
Aug. 23 & 24. Ten hours a day of programming across the escape game universe.
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On Monday of this week NYC's Third Rail Projects announced the end of Then She Fell, the seminal immersive production which inspired countless fans and creators, after seven and a half years and 4,444 performances due to the ongoing pandemic.
That night we asked our team to gather in our Discord, along with some friends, to share memories and talk about what the show meant to them.
You can also find our tribute post on the website.
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So our already planned bye week nearly got a bit more "bye" to it. The plan was to drop the next installment of Webbed Toes... but when I opened up the files this morning it turns out that Craig, our Discord recording tool, had basically eaten Zay's track up and turned him into a squirrel. Luckily I had been paranoid about Craig that week, and used Audio Hijack to record the session as a backup. Even better: I REMEMBERED that I did that about halfway through writing this post and telling you all we'd have no episode. This time out: our favorite episode of the series so far, some Robotech talk, and the subtle art of subverting musical homages to avoid lawsuits. EPISODES DISCUSSED JAW$ The Golden Lagoon of White Agony Plains Day of the Only Child Your assignment for next time: From the Casefiles of Agent 22 Who is Gizmoduck? The Other Bin of Scrooge McDuck Sky Pirates... in the Sky! Get bonus content on Patreon
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Sean Stewart has been a lot of things in his storied career in telling stories. Novelist, LARPwright, actor, theatre tech, and most famously of all: one of the creators of the modern Alternate Reality Game.
Now add "internationally produced playwright" to the list.
Sean and Noah talk about his upcoming interactive play Roundabout, which will be performed by students of Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art via Twitch, and the evolving nature of theatre (yes with the "re") in the Pandemic Age.
Show Notes
Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art production of Roundabout
Swings And Roundabouts: Theater Strikes Back - Sean Stewart
NoPro Episode 156 - Sean Stewart & The Birth of the ARG
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It's an all NoPro team episode. Executive editor Kathryn Yu, NYC curator Blake Weil, and LA correspondent Laura Hess join host Noah Nelson to talk about their latest immersive adventures, and what separates theatre from TV in the Pandemic Age. Get bonus content on Patreon
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Jay Rinsky, the founder, CEO, and creative director of the NYC based Little Cinema is back on the show to talk about the arrival of Little Cinema Digital. This new venture from the production company has seen the theatre professionals pivot into creating a video platform of their own.
They've been using it to host premiere parties for television shows, complete with online versions of the elaborate, immersive afterparties Little Cinema is known for. This weekend the public will get a taste with Who Killed Alejandro Valdez? - a free fan event that celebrates the launch of the second season of TNT's The Alienist with a murder mystery party that shows off Little Cinema's fantastic new platform.
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This week Tender Claws co-founder Samantha Gorman returns to talk about the latest evolution of The Under Presents: an expansion that takes the form of a live-actor driven participatory production of Shakespeare's Tempest.
Along for the ride are producer and assistant director Eli Bork, and actor Kelley Pierre - who some members of our LA audience may recognize from her live-action immersive work.
Show Notes Distant Shores, Locally Sourced. At Home With ‘The Under Presents: Tempest’ (First Impressions)
I Scream. You Scream. The Meltdown At The Museum Of Ice Cream
We See You White American Theatre (Demands)
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Our side-track podcast covering the 2017 DuckTales reboot returns with Zay and Noah.
This time out: The Living Mummies of Toth-RA The Impossible Summit of Mount Neverest & The Spear of Selene
Content Advisory: starting at around 53 minutes we discuss the evidence of mental abuse and sexual coercion perpetrated by comic book writer Warren Ellis. It had bubbled up on social media the day that we’re recording. It makes sense in context, and I’d even argue that to not bring it up would have been more inappropriate given the context. However, I know that it’s not a topic you’d expect in a conversation about what is, ostensibly, a kids' TV show. The discussion lasts until around 1hour and 12 minutes.
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Virtual spaces can exist without VR headsets, and they can truly be wonders. This is an episode about one such space.
Yannick Trapman-O'Brien, creator of The Telelibrary joins us to talk about how getting stuck traveling in the pandemic and a whole lot of phone calls contributed to the development of his unique creation.
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Linked Dance Theatre's Kendra Slack and Jordan Chlapecka join us to talk about Like Real People Do: Long Distance Relationships Division, the online edition of their dance-theatre series that explores relationships and memories. Blending character-based interactions, filmmaking, and site-responsive dance, this latest entry in the series overcomes the limits of online video to create a world that's equal parts whimsical and bittersweet. Get bonus content on Patreon
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Brittany Blum and Taylor Myers, two of the creators of Saturday night's hottest ticket -- Eschaton -- join us to share how the project came to be and what they've learned about translating an immersive nightclub into a mysterious web-based phenomenon. Get bonus content on Patreon
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Ricky Brigante and Sarah A.S. Elger, authors of the 2020 Immersive Entertainment Industry Annual Report, join us to talk about some of the big takeaways from this year's edition -- which is four times the size of the 2019 Report.
Show Notes
The 2020 Immersive Entertainment Industry Annual Report
Pseudonym Productions (Brigante and Elger's production company)
Everything Immersive - our new, searchable event website, now in PUBLIC BETA
Identifying airborne transmission as the dominant route for the spread of COVID-19 (Research Article - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America)
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A few weeks back David Liu -- Creative Director at AFVR.co, a virtual reality consulting firm, and formerly the Creative Director of Viacom Next and recently with the volumetric capture company The Lightframe Co. in NYC -- who tweets under the handle TheDak posted an interesting thread-- which David now refers to as “that thread” about the state of hiring practices in XR.
David and I are Twitter friends. I like the cut of his jib. He’s got a ton of experience, and he champions the multi-disciplinary approach to team building in XR, the most tech-heavy part of the overall immersive entertainment industry.
We start out on the thread, but this is No Proscenium, so we go all over the place. Especially because David and I have never really chatted before. I love it when these kidneys of episodes work out. I do, however, talk too much. Shock.
Plus: a few words about the current cultural moment(s) we find ourselves in at the top of the show from yours truly. -Noah J. Nelson
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This time out Zay and Noah discuss three episodes of the 2017 DuckTales reboot. TERROR OF THE TERRA FIRMIANS, HOUSE OF THE LUCKY GANDER, and THE INFERNAL INTERNSHIP OF MARK BEAKS are all covered along with the show's views on billionaires and a side trip into Jerry Garcia's favorite movie.
It's the show about DuckTales, that's not really a show about DuckTales.
Except when it is.
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Continuing our miniseries where Zay Amsbury and Noah Nelson talk about the 2017 DuckTales, this edition covers the episodes "The Great Dime Chase" and "The Beagle Birthday Massacre," the movie Ben-Hur, Hollywood writers' obsession with subverting expectations vs. classical storytelling, and beer.
Get yourself comfy, we’re gonna be here a while…
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Welcome to a special miniseries from the creators of No Proscenium.
This is Webbed Toes: The DuckTales Footnotes, a show that is, ostensibly, about the 2017 DuckTales reboot. Only it's really about storytelling, character, and the grand sweep of pop culture.
Annnnd racecars, lasers, areoplanes.
This episode of the miniseries covers the pilot "Woo-oo!" (which for some reason is episodes 4 & 5 on Disney+, if you're watching along) and "Daytrip of Doom!"
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250 Episodes.
Five years.
Our biggest show ever.
Come celebrate with us with returning guests Anthony Robinson, Bryan Bishop, David & Lisa Spira, Juliet Bennett Rylah, Kathryn Yu, Kevin Gossett, Ricky Brigante, and Zay Amsbury across three segments. Plus: some announcements about the next evolution of No Proscenium and Everything Immersive.
Segment One (The Now) --- 6:34 -- 1:19:04
- Kathryn Yu
- Juliet Bennet Rylah
- Ricky Brigante
Segment Two (The Future) --- 1:23:23 -- 2:15:51
- Kathryn Yu
- Kevin Gossett
- David & Lisa Spira
Segment Three (After Dark) --- 2:21:52 -- 3:47:40
- Anthony Robinson
- Zay Amsbury
- Bryan Bishop
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Writer Betsy Isaacson and performer/sound designer Jennifer Suter of Sinking Ship Creations join us to discuss the LARP focused company's foray into phone-based interactive adventures. Get bonus content on Patreon
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Producer Mali Elfman and puzzle/path designer Tommy Honton join us to talk about Arcana, the new ARG from the creators of All of Them Witches, the 2019 Overlook Film Festival Game.
There's an all-star LA immersive team behind these projects, and we get into how they came together, and why they're working on a new piece in the middle of this pandemic.
Show Notes
All of Them Witches’ (A NoPro Adventure)
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This week, we're joined by Jackson Teeley, Sarah Galante, and Dan Barron, the creative team behind the upcoming musical Within Earshot: Anthems For The In-Between, which is set in a New York City coffee house on "Single's Awareness Day" aka Feb. 15th. Plotted out as an immersive piece, the creative team finds themselves tackling unexpected challenges in the wake of the pandemic. This conversation begins our look at the evolution of the project.
Show Notes
Within Earshot: Anthems For The In-Between
Concept Album (Spotify)
Concept Album (Apple Music) The Supernatural Diaries Week One
The Newman Design Process Squiggle ★ Get bonus content on Patreon
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The last time we spoke with Adventure Lab CEO Maxwell Planck it was about Siggraph 2019. Now he's back to discuss his own work, the upcoming -- and totally awesome -- Dr. Crumb's School for Disobedient Pets.
We get into that and the odd place that VR finds itself in at this moment: ready for all kinds of new experiences.
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I've been tracking Robin Arnott's SoundSelf for forever. Now, after taking a variety of forms, the experience -- which Arnott calls a technodelic -- is coming home in both VR and PCs.
We catch up with Arnott, who formed the company Andromeda Entertainment to explore transformational experiences, and Andromeda's Chief Strategy Officer Lyle Maxson to talk about the upcoming release of SoundSelf, technodelics, adventures in mind expansion in the Oregon forest, and the strange landscape experiential work finds itself in now. Show Notes Robin Arnott's The Technodelic Manifesto
The Coronation - Charles Eisenstein Immersive for 'Indoor Kids' Vol 5.: Where The Audience Is
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Originally scheduled as the Horizon keynote speaker for the second day of the HERE Summit, Mikhael Tara Garver is the Head of Experiential Entertainment for Category 41, a "global experience company that creates, incubates and syndicates location-based experiences."
She's also a long time friend of the show and one of the few people whose careers in immersive & experiential has stretched long and wide enough to gain true perspective on this always-changing domain.
In lieu of the speech, we took to the HERE Discord on March 28th and opened the floor up for an Ask Me Anything session. This is the result.
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Sarah Ellis, Director of Digital Development for the Royal Shakespeare Company, was originally scheduled as one of our featured speakers at the HERE Summit.
Since we're all on lockdown, Sarah joined us on the HERE Discord to talk about the innovative immersive work that the RSC has been exploring of late, and discusses how the current crisis is shaping some of the thinking the RSC has around digital and physical immersive projects.
Plus: thanks to the show being recorded via Discord, we take questions from the audience live on air. You can get in on that action in the future by becoming a backer of the NoPro Patreon.
Looking for immersive to explore from home? Check out Now Playing: Immersive for 'Indoor Kids' and Indoor Kids Vol. 3: Games Galore, both mentioned today on the 'cast.
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Story Engineer Shawn Taylor, a founding author of www.thenerdsofcolor.org, and a founding organizer of the Black Comix Arts Festival, first hit my radar at the 2019 IDS thanks to Mikhael Tara Garver. Shawn brought a perspective that was rooted in pluralism and the power of story to move people to action... and at that moment I knew I had to get him on the show/get him back on our stage. Well, 2020 is being all 2020, so the chance to get him on the stage was taken from us for now, but we still find a way via the newly minted HERE Discord. Post Show Notes: Recommended Reading/Viewing from Shawn Books Hero With An African Face - Clyde W. Ford Rabbit in the Face of the Moon - Alfredo Lopez Austine Oven Ready Chaos - Phil Hine Film The Last Angel of History - John Akomfrah Get bonus content on Patreon
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It's an all-Everything Immersive episode with two segments.
Noah and Kathryn are in both, and for round one are joined by Ricky Brigante (Pseudonym Productions), David Spira (Room Escape Artist), and No Pro's VR correspondent Will Cherry.
For round two we change teams and No Pro team members Cara Mandel and Anthony Robinson join us.
It's kinda like an After Dark episode, but not. Everything is on the table this time out. Recorded in front of a "live" Discord audience.
Content Advisory: cursing, and a discussion of different content delivery platforms that, indeed, mentions porn. Hey: it's the Internet. Show Notes: Now Playing: Immersive For 'Indoor Kids' Cara Mandel’s Indoor Kids Activity Guide The NoPro Slack (gateway to the HERE Discord) LEIA Relief Fund for Artists
The NoPro Patreon
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A special, host only, edition of the podcast that addresses both the postponement of the HERE Summit & Festival and our craft's ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Show notes: COVID-19 & Freelance Artists (h/t to Michael Jung for sharing on FB.)
Sorry for the rambling nature, it's been a WEEK, y'all.
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We talk with actor Katie Peabody and actor/Ceaseless Fun company member Scott Monahan about the upcoming Everyone Agrees It's About To Explode, the new immersive show from Ceaseless Fun (Agnosia, Why I Want To Fuck Ronald Regan) set inside a cell of revolutionary activists. The show opens March 12th in LA. Get bonus content on Patreon
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Film fans know the Alamo Drafthouse, the Austin theater chain which has set the bar for transforming the experience of going to the movies.
For years Los Angeles anticipated the arrival of the Drafthouse, and it seems to have been well worth the wait. From rowdy screenings of CATS which have since swept the nation to full-on ARGs there's something special happening at the DTLA Drafthouse. Host Noah Nelson talks with Ash Minnick, who handles the programming inside the Video Vortex, which we've come to think of as "LA's neighborhood movie bar" on the eve of their immersive EMMA. tea party.
Plus: you can check out the HERE Programming Guide.
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NoPro's Executive Editor Kathryn Yu speaks to multi-hyphenate artist Jessica Creane of IKantKoan Games, the creator of immersive shows such as Chaos Theory and Know Thyself. They discuss the collision of theatre and games, audience agency, designing for meaningful choice, what keeps her going as an artist, creating safe spaces using immersive theatre, how her work bleeds into everyday life, as well as (spoiler) the time she cut off all her hair in front of a live audience. Catch Jessica as Dr. Genevieve Saoch in Chaos Theory at Caveat in New York City on March 5, April 2, and May 7. Get bonus content on Patreon
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NoPro's own Anthony Robinson (Survivor: Fiji) is joined by Peih-Gee Law (Survivor: China and Survivor: Cambodia) and Room Escape Artist's David Spira to talk about the 20th anniversary of the reality show, escape games, and more.
Show Notes:
The 2020 Immersive Design Industry Survey
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Last week we were fortunate enough to have two of our staff at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, exploring all the XR goodies at the New Frontier.
XR correspondent Will Cherry and our host Noah Nelson trade notes on a very exciting class of 2020. The verdict: VR storytelling is maturing rapidly alongside the tech, thanks to pieces like The Book of Distance, Scarecrow, Atomu, and All Kinds of Limbo.
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This week Yuval Sharon, Artistic Director of The Industry and co-director of that company's upcoming opera Sweet Land, joins host Noah Nelson to talk about his approach to making opera. Yuval has created the seminal works Invisible Cities and Hopscotch here in Los Angeles, propelling the conversation about how audiences engage with opera forward and raising the bar for immersive creators of every stripe. Get bonus content on Patreon
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We first met Jeff and Andy Crocker at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2018, where their piece Escape From Godot turned the festival on its ear for a whole day, only to fade into the night. Since then Escape... has popped up at Indiecade, the Denver Film Fest, and will soon be a featured selection of the HERE Summit & Festival in Pasadena this March.
Host Noah Nelson talks with Jeff & Andy, aka Mister and Mischief, and Escape... and their new work The Builder and the Dove.
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Luke and Madison Rhodes of Cross Roads Escape Games join us to talk about how these horror-loving theatre kids wound up running one of the most innovative and immersive escape game companies in Southern California. Join host Noah Nelson as we talk about their smash debut hit The Hex Room, the game-changing The Psych Ward, and the 2019's pop-up theatre piece The Seance.
Plus: some updates on the HERE Summit & Festival.
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The second half of our end of the year/beginning of the year roundtable with Anthony, Kathryn, Kevin, beer, and Noah.
Plus: the latest programming announcement from the HERE Summit & Festival, taking place March 27-29 in Pasadena, CA.
Beer Notes:
Enegren Belgian Dark Strong Ale 5th Anniversary edition. (Moorpark, CA)
Bruery Terreux's Tart of Darkness (2016, Placentia, CA -- we get this one wrong!)
Brewery Ommegang Valar Morghulis Dubble Ale (Cooperstown, NY)
WARNING: there is cursing because there is drinking.
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This week the team gets together for the first time in a long while, and then we add beer and whiskey to the mix and…
Anyway, join Noah, Anthony, Kathryn, and Kevin for the first of four parts. Then Blake gets added to the mix.
We’ll be dropping parts III & IV next week on the main feed, and a special Rise of Skywalker bonus episode with Zay and Noah into the Patreon feed (but open to all) over the weekend.
Take a break from the chaos of the world and return to earlier in the week, when life was simple!
ADVISORY: swears, probably. We were drinking.
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This week we've got a special episode as Michaela Holland (NoPro NYC social correspondent) guest hosts a conversation with Abraham Burickson of Odyssey Works.
Michaela has attended the company's Master Classes in the past, and she and Abraham talk about that and dive into the ideas that drive the company, which has been making cutting edge work since 2001.
Speaking of: the deadline for the call participants for the next Odyssey is Jan. 5th, 2020.
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Get ready to get weird as we touch base with the team behind 'The Under Presents,' the groundbreaking virtual reality experience that takes immersive theatre techniques and applies them to VR storytelling... and then layers in an experience with live actors dropping into the virtual world on top of that.
Samantha Gorman and Tanya Leal Soto of Tender Claws join us, along with actor James Cowan, one of the performers currently appearing inside The Under.
Plus: a little talk about California's AB5.
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This month I had the pleasure of checking out American Contemporary Ballet's take on The Nutcracker Suite -- the perennial holiday favorite -- which they frame with an immersive twist.
Interested in what I saw, and in the company's approach to using immersive techniques for a more traditionally tuned audience, I caught up with ACB's Artistic Director and Choreographer Lincoln Jones.
Plus: word on your chance to check out ILMxLAB's Lightsaber Dojo without needing an Oculus Quest of your own.
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Director Lola Kelly joins us to talk about her new work with The Unmarked Door -- 'Crimson Cabaret' -- which invites guests into a den of spies at the height of the cold war. With original songs by The Unmarked Door founder Rolfe Kent, and puzzles woven into the show by MOON/SHINE Experiential, the cabaret is an unexpected holiday treat for Los Angeles.
Join us for a talk about the show and the art of acting and directing for immersive.
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We've wanted to get Curtis Hickman, co-founder and chief creative officer of The VOID, on the podcast forever. This time out we finally get him, and we get Jake Zim -- Senior Vice President, Virtual Reality at Sony Pictures -- as part of a twofer. We talk about Sony and The Void's longstanding collaboration, the latest example of which is 'Jumanji: Reverse The Curse,' which is the most fun I've had at The VOID yet.
Plus: we tease ticket info for the HERE Summit, but you can just click here to read it. And while you're at it: check out our 'Jumanji' review and the NoPro Holiday Gift Guide.
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How did we get so lucky? Last week we sat down with Ben Snow (director of 'Vader Immortal'), Alyssa Finley (producer Ep. II and III), and John Nguyen (design director, Ep. III) of the ILMxLAB and Colum Slevin head of media in the AR/VR experiences team at Oculus to talk about Vader Immortal Episode III, the final chapter of the series.
We dig into what the team has learned across the arc of three episodes, and so much more.
Plus: two Noah rants. Woof.
Show Notes
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My review of Vader Immortal Episode III
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Will Cherry's review of The Under Presents
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Our bonus episode with Edward Saatchi of Fable Studio on Virtual Beings
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And Ari Herstand's article about how California's new freelance laws are going to hurt independent musicians.
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This week on the show we travel up to CalArts and talk with Sam Dubois, the creator of Albany CA's The Avenue Adventure. Sam, now a sophomore at the University, got his start by creating the Albany Haunt when he was 12-years-old. He then ran it for five years.
The Avenue Adventure was Sam's first crack at an Alternate Reality Game, and he managed to get the local Chamber of Commerce signed on. Look, what I'm saying to you is this: the next generation of immersive creators are here and they are going to run laps around everybody. Let's gooooo.
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Nick Rheinwald-Jones & Katelyn Schiller are the co-writers of 'Safehouse '82,' a spy thriller that follows up on Rheinwald-Jones' 'Safehouse '77' which featured the two as actors.
Since that show Schiller has become co-artistic director of the company Rheinwald-Jones founded, with the pair collaborating on this summer's 'The Pod' at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
We talked with the co-writers on the eve of the opening of the new show, at the safehouse itself in an undisclosed location in the shadow of Griffith Park.
Note: there be cursing ahead.
Plus: a note about how tickets to next year's HERE Summit are going to work.
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Bernie Su is the multiple Emmy winning showrunner, co-creator, and executive producer of 'Artificial,' the first scripted narrative series on Twitch which also won Twitch its first Emmy.
Bernie's been at this for a while, with 'The Lizzie Bennet Diaries' being one of the seminal works of the transmedia age.
As live immersive and interactive creators look to expanding their work across mediums -- just check out our last podcast episode for an example -- we thought it would be a good time to check in on how the parallel track of online interactive storytelling has matured in the last half-decade.
Plus: updates on our Patreon campaign and on the HERE Summit in 2020.
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As individual performers keight leighn (bedrumplai, snow fridge) and Elisabeth Stranathan (blackout, bedrumplaii)have an otherworldly intensity to them, as if they existed both in our reality and in a metareality just two steps to the left of our own.
Together they form the G8B4 -- which so far specializes in one on one experiences for audiences in person and online.
, their current offering, puts the audience into the role of a cheating spouse whose fling comes back for revenge. The whole thing plays out via email and Instagram's video messaging, creating a campy emotional thrill ride that can be experienced wherever you are.
Show Notes: The rules for our Dismember The Alamo contest.
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Actor Alex Demers (The Johnny Cycle: The Living, The Blue Blade) joins us to talk about the craft of acting in immersive and his own journey into the immersive field.
Plus: a big update on the 2020 Summit, as in DATES, LOCATION, and NAME and some notes on a new musical in LA -- CAGES.
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Dave Bushore of Marvel Studios and Ian Bowie & Michael Koperwas of ILMxLAB join us to talk about 'Avengers: Damage Control' the all-new collaboration between their companies and The VOID.
The VR adventure is the biggest yet to hit The VOID's hyper-reality centers, and it puts you in the role of new recruits who must take the latest Wakandan/Stark tech and use it to help the post-Endgame Avengers defeat a resurgent evil.
Read our review.
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Julia Henning, founder of The Halogen Company, is a familiar presence on the LA immersive scene. As an actor, she's performed with Just Fix It Productions (Haus of Creep), The Speakeasy Society (Johnny III), and in Darren Lynn Bousman's Lust Experience and Theatre Macabre.
As Creative Director of Halogen, she's taken the company into both traditional and immersive endeavors, with One Exit, and the planned Sea of Odds.
Show Notes: Inside Immersive: Haus of Creep (video)
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Last week, at VIFF Immersed, Ricky Brigante of Pseudonym Productions gave the opening keynote and our own Noah Nelson moderated the closing panel with the competition judges.
So naturally, the night before, Ricky and Noah stayed up drinking and talking, and recorded it all for you. This after the back and forth of first Noah’s and then Ricky’s column on growing the audience for immersive.
Recorded live in an awesome hotel room that the Vancouver Film Festival was kind enough to provide us with. East Coast meets West Coast all the way up in British Columbia!
Plus: an update on Pseudonym's Dark Passage, a quick check-in on 2020 Summit plans, head's up on our Delusion Talk Back, and a brief shout out to the brilliant folks at Cross Roads Escape Games. All this brought to you by our Patreon backers.
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Eric Gradman, CTO and Mad Inventor at LA's Two Bit Circus meets up with Noah at their DTLA headquarters to talk about the technical side of immersive and their all-new story room Dr. Botcher's Minute Medical School.
Head's up: there's cursing.
Show Notes:
This week's Picks of the Week
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Survivor: China and Survivor: Cambodia — Second Chance player Peih-Gee Law joins NoPro's Anthony Robinson (Survivor: Fiji) and Room Escape Artist's David Spira for a talk about how Survivor is the ultimate immersive experience for its players, and their shared love of escape games and puzzles.
All to celebrate the premiere of Survivor: Island of the Idols.
Originally scheduled as part of our Everything Else livestream series, this bonus episode heralds the beginning of new podcast programming initiatives.
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John Henningsen, Artistic Director of LA's Thymele Arts sits down to talk with Noah about just what the performing arts incubator in East Hollywood is, its role in the immersive world, and the future of immersive in LA.
Note: John very graciously gives us a desk in the co-working space free of charge, but that's not why we're talking to him. We're talking to him because he and Thymele are an integral part of LA's immersive scene.
SHOW NOTES
Those Who Play: Notes on Building An Immersive Audience
Those Who Watch: Rediscovering the Alternate Reality Game Show
Delusion: Alt-Delete - Preview Discount Codes & Talk Back
VIFF Immersed
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Choreographer Koryn Ann Wicks stops by the studio to talk about her work exploring immersive in dance. Her I Love You So Much, SQUEEZE ME TO DEATH is getting a remount at the Bootleg Theater this October in LA, and her and her team recently took home the grand prize of the LA Immersive Invitational for their work CASTING.
We dive in on the language of dance and immersive in this one.
Show NotesOur review of I Love You So Much, SQUEEZE ME TO DEATHI Love You So Much, SQUEEZE ME TO DEATH fundraiser Daqri shutting downVenice VR: These Sleepless NightsKoryn's Instagram#bedrUmplaII(2) — [[bedroom play 2]]
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Graham Wetterhahn, Founder of After Hours Theatre Company (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, The Last Five Years: A Multisensory Experience) joins host Noah Nelson to talk about the founding of the company, their immersive-adjacent work, and the first LA Immersive Invitational -- which was a total blast.
Show Notes: The 2019 Immersive Design Summit videos are here! Denver Immersive Retrospectacle highlights! Talking Spies with Nick Rheinwald-Jones. E.I. livestream on pop-ups. And bookmark next week's livestream on the stories of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge with Jeff Heimbuch (Horrorbuzz), Emmett Fuery (D&D, Ingress), and Anthony and Noah of NoPro.
And as always: help us by reviewing the podcast, sharing the work, and pledging on Patreon (if you can).
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The co-creator of Blackout Haunted House, Josh Randall, joins host Noah Nelson to talk about the storied show -- which has inspired many others in the horror genre -- and his storied career.
"Each and every conversation I've ever had with Josh has challenged how I see our field, and this is no exception. I look forward to years more of them." -Noah
Check out Blackout's Kickstarter.
Show Notes: VIFF: These Sleepless Nights, NYFF: Convergence, Delusion: Alt-Delete, Haus of Creep, Without Walls Festival
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This week Jonathan Pedigo and Alex Leff, the co-creators of Bar of Dreams Los Angeles, join host Noah Nelson to talk about pranks, comedy, and creating interactive experiences. It's a fun conversation that goes in directions you don't quite expect.
Plus: we check in with Scout Expedition Company about The Nest, the tickets for which went ON SALE today! And there are LIMITED DATES available already.
Note: while the interview with Jeff & Jarret of Scout is squeaky clean, there's some explicit language in the Bar of Dreams interview, which starts about 19 minutes in.
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Jacob Patterson of Think Tank Gallery and Bobby of the Pizzaboyzzz join us as we visit the Tank at the edge of the Arts District in DTLA.
The current show is Nothing Cheezy, a pizza-themed collaborative art show that acts as both a parody of the ubiquitous "selfie palaces" and, well, it's also a selfie palace. The show has been extended through mid-September and features special events pretty much every night for the price of admission.
Get ready for a freewheeling discussion about street art, selfie palaces, and the often complicated relationship between the two.
Plus: we announce a special auction of a pair of invitations to The College of Extraordinary Experiences, that has a shot at powering us through the end of the year.
Content Advisory: strong language and sensitive subject matter. Listener discretion is advised.
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Three interviews from the floor of the world's biggest computer graphics conference that explore the state of the art of immersive tech: From Magic Leap Studios, Dan Lehrich VP of Production; the CEO of Glassbox Technologies, Norman Wang; and the Chief Creative and GM of Intel Studios, Diego Prilusky.
Augmented reality, virtual production, and volumetric filmmaking are our topics of the day, so get ready to go into the future on this episode of the NoPro Podcast.
Want to keep the show going? Join our Patreon.
Show Notes: the interview with Meow Wolf's Caity Kennedy that I mentioned.
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Jackalope Live Action Studio's Matthew Webb rejoins us to talk about their latest forays into making blockbuster LARPs. We talk Night City, their Cyberpunk 2020/2077 game (check out some awesome photos of the event along with us at the top of the show), and the revamp of The Night In Question, the Studio's successful Vampire: The Masquerade game which has led to their announcement at GenCon this week of The Elysium Chronicles, a serialized immersive LARP launching in 2020.
For more from Matthew, including an in-depth discussion on blockbuster LARP and the state of the art, check out Episode 149 of the podcast.
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Kathryn Yu sits down with Jordan Chlapecka and Kendra Slack of Linked Dance Theatre to talk about Remembrance, their 11th site-specific, immersive show coming soon to a historic house on Governors Island in NYC. In Remembrance, audiences will have the ability to explore the fading memories of a woman with Alzheimer's Disease as they enter her home as guests during her 65th birthday party.
The three discuss the company's approach to blending movement, text, and live music; what they’ve learned throughout their journey; the illusion of audience agency versus actual agency; their approach to narrative, on-boarding, and casting the audience; what it's like to make their first sandbox show; the power of immersive theatre to connect; using immersive to explore social issues; and their Kickstarter campaign for Remembrance.
Plus: a bonus lightning round where Kathryn forces Jordan and Kendra to choose their favorite children.
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Join host Noah Nelson and guest Dan Rutstein, president of immersive technology company Laduma, as they talk about the current frontier of immersive tech. Get bonus content on Patreon
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Kathryn Yu sits down without Ricky Brigante and Sarah Elger of Pseudonym Productions who have recently moved their immersive theatre company from Orlando to Philadelphia. The three of them have a wide-ranging conversation about Sarah's background in architecture and theme park design and Ricky's background in theme park journalism, the forming of their immersive theatre company, creating their first show, running an immersive theatre business in a place like Orlando, their recent experience going through the Creative Startups accelerator program, the future and impact of immersive design as a field, as well as their thoughts on Disney’s influence on immersive, including the brand new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Read Interactive, Intimate, Experimental: The Impact of Immersive Design 2019 by Ricky Brigante [PDF]. Get bonus content on Patreon
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Managing Editor Kathryn Yu is joined by members of the NYC team --Allie Marotta, Asya Gorovits, Blake Weil, and Cheyenne Ligon -- to talk about what they've been seeing and what's on their minds: including the Great Gotham Challenge, which had some issues.
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Continuing our 2019 Overlook Film Festival coverage, we sit down with two of the creators of the fest's immersive offerings. First up is Ava Lee Scott, the veteran immersive performer, who crafted Home of Enchantments -- a piece that blew everyone who saw it away.
Then we check in with Andrew Preble of Delaport Ventures, the creator of Saintsbone, and the internationally known 'Escape My Room' in New Orleans.
That's right: it's a double feature show.
Advisory: some explicit language.
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I first met Robin Arnott, CEO of Andromeda Entertainment, at E3 many moons ago when he was showing an audio-based thriller game Deep Sea at the Indiecade booth. It was a true oddity -- a video game without video -- an immersive experience before we were throwing that term around as we now do. In the years since Robin and I have crossed paths on his home turf of Austin -- when I was working a story on indie games for NPR -- at GDC, and Indiecade. In my mind he's always been one of the "weird art kids" making games in the space beyond the horizon.
So it was a shock when I was at an event months ago and learned that he had become the CEO of a start-up that was looking to redefine just what games could be. Robin? A CEO?
Get ready for an adventure as we catch up, road trip style, from the heart of DTLA to the Hollywood Hills -- and from Austin's indie game scene to the philosophical frontier.
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Join NoPro's Senior AV Content Producer/Festival Correspondent Cara Mandel and Founder Noah Nelson as they trade notes on the 2019 Overlook Film Festival Game All of Them Witches, plus some notes on the festival's other immersive offerings. Get bonus content on Patreon
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Two. Hundred. Episodes.
Two hundred.
So how do we celebrate? By getting the gang together -- that being the senior editors -- Kathryn Yu, Anthony Robinson, Jessica Lachenal, and Kevin Gossett together to just chat.
Here's to 200 more.
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Spoiler Warning: elements of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge discussed in the open and close.
Host Noah Nelson talks with Victoria Rege conference chair for AR/MR/VR and Maxwell Planck, VR Theatre Director for Siggraph 2019 about upcoming immersive elements at the world's premier entertainment technology conference, which returns to LA July 28 - August 1.
Show notes: Otherworld interview, The Why interview. The NoPro Patreon.
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NoPro managing editor Kathryn Yu sits down with Evan Neiden, the creator behind Candle House Collective. The group has been creating ephemeral immersive experiences -- usually for an audience of one -- both in-person and remotely.
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We visit Facebook's LA campus to talk with the team behind Vader Immortal, the launch title for the Oculus Quest that finds you captured by the Dark Lord of the Sith and set on a task only you can accomplish. Director Ben Snow, narrative designer Mohen Leo ILMxLAB and Oculus' Colum Slevin (Head of Media, AR/VR Experiences at Facebook) join us to talk about the brand new adventure which debuts this month.
Plus: host Noah Nelson's hands-on impressions of Vader Immortal and the Oculus Quest.
Read our review of Vader Immortal on the NoPro site.
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NoPro Executive Editor Kathryn Yu speaks to creators at the Tribeca Film Festival, exploring three different pieces currently showcasing at the Virtual Arcade through May 4.
She sits down with Kevin Cornish of Moth + Flame to talk about 2nd Civil War, where participants have the power to change the narrative of the VR film using a voice interface; they also go through an immersive theatre one-on-one with a performer before and after the VR experience. (Note: this interview took place in a busy cafe area.)
She also talks to Brandon Padveen, Associate Producer at MWM Immersive, about War Remains on the rooftop of Spring Studios; he discusses working with Dan Carlin of Hardcore History to create this “immersive memory” and designing the free-roaming VR experience, which includes a large set, realistic props, wind effects, rumbling floors, and more. (Read her War Remains review.)
Then she chats with immersive creator and director of the Columbia University Digital Storytelling Lab Lance Weiler to talk about his latest project, Where There’s Smoke. The work is an immersive experience for four people exploring Lance’s relationship with his father (a former volunteer firefighter and hobbyist fire photographer), his father’s battle with cancer, and two mysterious fires that happened during Lance’s childhood. He describes the project as a non-linear documentary, an immersive theatre piece without performers, and an escape room without any escape. (Read her Where There’s Smoke review.)
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Friend of the show Landon Zakheim and host Noah Nelson head to a park on a sunny Easter Sunday to talk about horror... um, kinda?
We dive into the immersive lineup at the 2019 Overlook Film Festival, which is full of fun surprises this May 30th - June 2nd in New Orleans.
Plus: Noah has some personal news.
Also: check out the LEIA Immersive Intensive, and a Behind The Scenes essay from Peter Billington of Fable on working with Third Rail Projects on 'Wolves in the Walls,' currently at Tribeca!
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Writer/Director David Ruzicka (Creep: Lore, The Willows) and creative producer Eric Vosmeier join host Noah Nelson to talk about their dark fantasy confection, I want to live in your mouth, that has transmogrified North Hollywood's Zombie Joe's Underground Theater into the stuff of childhood fever dreams.
It's a conversation where we dig in deep into the various flavors of horror in immersive, and lessons learned over years of producing.
You can also read our own Kevin Gossett's review of the show.
Head's up: there's some cursing at the start (my bad) but most of the episode is clean.
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The Nest -- which blended elements of escape rooms and podcast dramas -- was one of our favorite shows of 2017. The show's two LA-based creators Jeff Leinenveber and Jarrett Lantz, aka Scout Expedition Co., are bringing the piece back in an extended format this year.
This week they launched a Kickstarter campaign that will help with that effort, and they're on the show to tell us about what they have up their sleeve.
Show Notes:
LA Times Festival of Books: Noah's talk. The Scout Expedition talk. The Unsent Podcast. Dr. Alex Avila's Love University show.
The LEIA Immersive Intensive - April 27th in LA
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Co-creators Christoff Visscher (Cantrip Candles) and Spencer Williams (Walk The Night) join host Noah Nelson to talk about their new collaboration Tales By Candlelight. This scent guided storytelling experience mixes the best of tabletop roleplaying with an olfactory journey to create an artifact of a place that never was. A place drawn from your imagination.
Join us on the trip.
Also: if you're in LA this month don't miss our talk at the LA Times Festival of Books or LEIA's Immersive Intensive.
(Plus Noah rambles on about whatever at the end of the show.)
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On this very special episode, No Proscenium accepts an invitation into the home of a 'The Willows.'
Special thanks to Melinda DeKay, Misha Reeves, and Daniel Montgomery of Just Fix It Productions for helping us unravel the threads.
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Managing Editor Kathryn Yu goes on the road to Baltimore for a conversation with four of the folks at Submersive Productions: co-artistic directors Glenn Ricci and Ursula Marcum, as well as artistic associates Susan Stroupe and Lisi Stoessel. Join us as we dig into topics like their devising process, making open world shows, the care and feeding of the audience, telling history “at a slant,” getting the audience to feel complicit during a piece, focusing on diversity and inclusion while making immersive work, and making their productions more accessible. We discuss their past shows such as The Mesmeric Revelations of Edgar Allan Poe; H.T. Darling’s Incredible Musaeum Presents: The Treasures of New Galapagos, Astonishing Acquisitions from the Perisphere; their episodic series The Institute of Visionary History which included an eight-hour durational performance called A Horse By the Tail in the Night; plus their upcoming movement-based large-scale participatory piece MASS/RABBLE which is coming April 3—14 to the Baltimore War Memorial. Get bonus content on Patreon
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What happens when two Shakespeare nerds decide to ditch the proscenium and start incorporating their love of Dungeons and Dragons, board games, and video games into interactive and improvisational theatre projects?
That's the story of Ian McNeely and Austen Anderson of Broken Ghost Immersives who are the co-creators of experiences like The Wake, The Bunker, and Rogues' Gallery. NoPro's Managing Editor and NYC Curator Kathryn chats with Ian and Austen about procedural narrative, putting the audiences into the heart of a story, what happens when you give participants a lot of agency, controlling multiple characters remotely, how Henry V relates to The Bunker, writing your own comic book origin stories, and more.
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From the halls of the Immersive Design Summit to your ears!
Guest hosts KJ Knies and Michaela Holland tag in to interview Fri Forjindam of Mycotoo, and we follow that up with an interview of Jenni Cook of Dreamscape Immersive by KJ.
It's the first in what will be a handful of episodes emerging from the 2019 IDS.
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NYC Curator and NoPro Managing Editor Kathryn Yu tracks down the always busy Kellian Adams Pletcher and Brian Pletcher of Green Door Labs for a wide-ranging conversation about the collision of immersive theatre and game design. They discuss Kellian and Brian's work on shows like Club Drosselmeyer and Save the Munbax and how their approach to audience agency and interactive storytelling has changed over the years, as well as touching on topics such as designing diegetic puzzles, allowing the audience to choose their level of engagement, incorporating different types of game mechanics, designing experiences for both the general public and "super-puzzlers," writing bad endings on purpose, and much, much more.
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Seasons change, time passes, friends move away... or up the street.
Think Tank Gallery is moving from its home at 939 Maple, the site of many a memory for immersive LA, to a new space at the edge of the Arts District and Little Tokyo. We get together with Jacob Patterson of Think Tank in the podcast studio at the Old Tank one last time to reminisce, talk about ongoing relations with the city of LA, and what's next for Think Tank.
Content Advisory: we curse. As we often do.
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Managing Editor and NYC Curator Kathryn Yu catches up with Tom Pearson, one of the Artistic Directors of Third Rail Projects (Then She Fell, The Grand Paradise, Ghost Light, Behind the City) in New York City as the company prepares to launch a new show in DC, Confection.
They discuss the creation of Then She Fell, its influence on immersive creators, as well as Tom’s work as an immersive educator, as a poet with The Sandpiper’s Spell, as a documentary film producer on Between Yourself and Me, and also with TRP’s Global Performance Studio in Russia and China.
(Tom also hints at an upcoming Third Rail Projects’ show that is currently in development and planned to premiere in late 2019.)
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Little Cinema is a fixture in New York City's art scene, bringing films to life at the House of Yes and the Brooklyn Museum. They've also spread their wings to Bonnaroo, and have crafted a number of immersive premieres for television series from TNT. The latest of these for the series I Am The Night, which debuted this week on the network.
We talk with founder Jay Rinsky about the company's arc, the striking work at the heart of the I Am The Night premiere, and forging a path between art and commerce.
Also: creators should take note of the industry survey the Immersive Design Summit is conducting for an industry report to be released -- for free -- during the summit to the public.
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A somber lead topic this week, as we talk about the escape room fire in Poland that left five teenage girls dead earlier this month with our collegues from Room Escape Artist: David & Lisa Spira.
That plus notes on their upcoming tours, the immersive Industry Survey we're compiling for an upcoming Industry Report to be released for free during the Immersive Design Summit, and a bit about a special moment at a recent event in LA.
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Kathryn gathers up part of the New York City team -- Leah Ableson, Edward Mylechreest, and Michaela Holland -- for one of our patented After Dark episodes. Come along as we meet the team!
Then, in LA, Noah finally gets down to an old fashioned rant about price/value.
Welcome back!
NoPro is a labor of love supported by our amazing Patreon backers, with office facilities provided by Thymele Arts in Los Angeles.
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For our fifth anniversary, we wanted to do something special, and we maybe went a little over the top.
We hit up Two Bit Circus, where Josh Randall (Blackout) co-ordinates immersive experiences and got ahold of Club 01... and kicked the tires on a "late night" format.
Brent Bushnell and Eric Gradman - the founders of Two Bit Circus are our first guests. Followed by Lauren Ludwig and Monica Miklas of Capital W, birthday boy Josh Randall (no, really, it was his BIRTHDAY and he did this for us), Stashhouse LA's Tommy Honton, and Steve Boyle of Epic Immersive who came down from SF.
Anthony Robinson announces. Chris Porter does the music live. Ian Momii jumped in to run the soundboard at the last minute, and Noah Nelson is your host.
Recorded live (so expect bumps) and listener discretion is advised.
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Carl Choi is the founder and CEO of The Great Company, an experiential studio which in the past few years has emerged as a leader in producing and creating space for immersive work in LA. GreatCo teamed up with Jon Braver to produce Delusion and recently played host to Chained: A Victorian Nightmare. Like us, GreatCo is all in on immersive -- keeping the engines running by whatever means necessary while getting great projects out the door.
We've been meaning to get Carl on the show for a while now, and sat down for a good long chat before the holidays.
This episode is brought to you by listeners like you and Thymele Arts in LA, which provides office facilities for NoPro.
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Hosts Noah Nelson (LA) and Kathryn Yu (NYC) are joined by NoPro's Anthony Robinson (new title: Features Editor) to close out 2018 on this hella long After Dark episode.
What? It's a WHOLE YEAR.
Warning: Noah curses. We digress. A lot. There's talk of Star Wars land and video games. By EVERYBODY.
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Samantha Gorman is the co-founder -- along with Danny Cannizzaro -- of Tender Claws, a groundbreaking digital studio that mixes tech, art, and a wry sense of humor to create virtual and augmented reality works that push the narrative boundaries of the medium while maintaining a real heart. No small feat, that.
We talk with Samantha about what goes into making their work, focusing on their latest Tendar, and AR app currently available on the Google Play store.
Brought to you by listeners like you!
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Multidisciplinary artist Nancy Baker Cahill invites us to her LA studio to check out her VR artwork and talk about how the world of fine art is meshing with the immersive and site-specific movements. Buckle up for one of our patented philosophical conversations!
Want to check out Nancy's work for yourself? Check out the 4th Wall AR app.
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Hey!
Just a few quick notes about events and the IDS application process this week. Back to a full episode next week as we round out the year.
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Jesse Damiani, longtime friend of the show, drops by to talk about his continuing adventures in the world of XR. (That's virtual, augmented, and mixed reality for those playing the home game.)
Recently he curated the art show Spatial Reality, which brought together multiple artists from across the reality spectrum for what was one of the biggest -- if not the biggest -- gatherings of XR art to date.
We sit down with Jesse, drink my favorite beer, talk about that show and wax philosophical as we are won't to do. Come, join us.
This episode is brought to you by listeners like you and The Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts, who are seeking faculty candidates.
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In the past year actress Karlie Blair has become a mainstay of the LA immersive theatre scene. She's performed in such shows as Whisperlodge, the original production of Safehouse '77, and The Lust Experience. With actress Keight Leighn she co-founded DR3AMLOGiKK, which has presented the improvised experience Snow Fridge, and a workshop production Broken Clocks. She's also one of the leads in Shine On Collective's Echoes in the Dark.
We caught up with the busy lady to talk about her work and her background as a graduate of UC Berkeley's theatre program.
Brought to you in part by The Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts, who are seeking faculty candidates.
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We met Amanda Rose Villarreal at the Denver Immersive Summit, where we shared a panel with her and Jenny Weinbloom of Meow Wolf Denver on Consent & Agency in immersive. Amanda Rose is getting her Ph.D in Theatre Arts at Colorado University at Boulder, and her practice involves training "police officers, lawyers, and counselors to use effective communication and de-escalation techniques during crisis intervention and conflict management."
Amanda Rose is both a practitioner and a researcher, so we're getting a full spectrum look.
That work has given her incredible insight into the challenges facing immersive creators around issues of agency and consent, and we dig into that on today's episode, recorded live in the field at The Molecule Effect cafe in Denver.
This week's episode brought to you by listeners like you and The Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts.
Content Advisory: language and mature themes.
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You might know Tad as the actor who played the dad, and whose own childhood informed Drycraeft LA and Capital W's Rochester 1996, or you might know him as a gentle seeker whose life got caught up in The Society and who is now working for the group that is unraveling the mystery of the Wolf Trail.
Tad is all this, and more.
Get ready for a special in-the-field edition of No Proscenium as we join Tad on the Wolf Trail, where we've encountered a Moonglow.
This episode is brought to you by listeners like you, with the support of The Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts.
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Kathryn Yu moderates and This Is Not A Theatre Company's Erin Mee is the featured guest in this talkback session for Cafe Play recorded on September 30th, 2018.
Featuring guest appearances by the cast of the show, Alyssa Kim, Christy Casey, and Andrew Hoepfner.
Plus: Noah rambles a bit about his recent trip to Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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Odyssey Works is a legendary company that started in San Francisco around the turn of this century. They're best known for making elaborate, immersive pieces of theatre for one. Ayden LeRoux is an installation artist and writer who is a part of Odyssey Works' team of collaborators, and she joins NoPro's Kathryn Yu in NYC to talk about her work and Odyssey Works.
ALL NEW: EVENT SCHEDULE
Are we coming to your town soon?! Find NoPro at these upcoming events!
#SantaFe: 10/22: The Art of Presence by Noah Nelson
http://bit.ly/2OzHyjK
#LA: 11/5: Meet the Press featuring Bryan Bishop, Juliet Bennett Rylah, and Noah Nelson
http://bit.ly/2S0VFNq
#NYC: 11/5: Everything Immersive meetup
http://bit.ly/2P08chW
#Denver: 11/10: Denver Immersive Summit, featuring Noah Nelson
http://bit.ly/2QX75RI
And applications for the Immersive Design Summit are OPEN.
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Shine On Collective's writer-director duo Anna Mavromati and Marlee Delia join host Noah Nelson in LA to talk about their latest work Echoes in the Dark, a 2018 update of the Frankenstein story, and how their collaboration has evolved over the last two years of work.
Plus: we touch on a bunch going on in LA right now, like the amazing Spatial Reality gallery exhibition, Delusion, CreepLA: Awake, the upcoming workshop from Tara O'Con and Marissa Neilsen-Pincus, and much much more.
Support us via Patreon!
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Yvonne Chang and Jae Lee of NYC's Wildrence join guest host Kathryn Yu to talk about their unique storytelling space and consulting studio on Manhattan's Lower East Side.
Plus: quick notes from Noah about the beautifully constructed site-specific work Nightwalk in the Chinese Garden currently in Southern California.
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From NYC: Kathryn Yu talks with Carlo D'Amore, founder of interactive theatre company Live In Theater, about their latest work, the Nordic LARP influenced This Is When We Rest. Carlo is a Drama Desk Nominated director and he and LIT have been re-imagining the mystery genre since 2009.
This year he was part of the Interactive PlayLab's Deep Dive team in Austin.
Meanwhile, in LA: Noah is on Tylenol with codeine. Uh oh.
Also: be sure to check out this week’s edition of Everything Immersive This Week. Always a doozy! And follow us on The Gram!
To learn more about Deep Dive Austin and the SimuLife project, check out our previous podcast interviews with Bryan Bishopand Jeff Wirth.
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Matt Dorado's Drunken Devil has been a fixture of the LA immersive scene for years now. Starting out as a haunt, the company transitioned to nightlife events with a flair for horror themes and immersive elements.
This Spooky Season the company will present the next in its series of deadly sin themed soirees: Bacchanalia, a trip back to Rome sans togas. (No one wants togas.)
Dorado sits down at NoPro headquarters with host Noah Nelson to talk about the company's origin story and what's on tap this Fall.
CONTENT ADVISORY: we discuss the lives, and actions of serial killers -- the subjects of To Live and Dine In LA -- in this episode. There are details, including discussion of sexual violence.
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David Wally, Chief Creative Officer of Mycotoo --the design firm that collaborated with marketing agency Giant Spoon on the SXSWestworld and InkHole activations -- joins us to talk origin stories: of the Westworld activation, Mycotoo, and his own journey from filmmaker to theme park and immersive designer. Oh, and he's ALSO the director of the annual Dark Harbor haunt at the Queen Mary to boot.
Get ready for a deep dive.
Plus: a slew of announcements including The Immersive Design Summit venue, LEIA's latest organizing efforts in LA, and a few thoughts about value and transparency around costs.
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Darren Lynn Bousman, Clint Sears, and Gordon Bijelonic are the terrifying trio behind the all-new Theatre Macabre, which recreates Paris' infamous 19th Century Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol in 21st Century LA, with an immersive twist.
This is, of course, the team that brought us the often controversial Tension and Lust experiences and who made a splash by partnering with the Russo Brothers to bring that universe to Las Vegas.
Theatre Macabre is an all-new stand alone show, and the team is bringing their A game as they look to reinvent how they tell immersive stories. Whatever happens next: we're bound to be talking about it for months to come.
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Kathryn Yu and Anthony Robinson -- the keystones of our editorial board -- join Noah Nelson for a talk about the state of immersive as we see it now.
So grab your beverage of choice and pull up a chair, it's NoPro After Dark.
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The 49 Boxes is a singular puzzle based storytelling event, the latest incarnation of which focuses on the life of Floyd G. Thayer-- one of the most famed illusion creators of all time.
Host Noah Nelson sits down with Michael Borys, the information and story architect of The 49 Boxes to talk about the origins of the show and his career as an untraditional storyteller.
Look for announcements about the next set of experiences from The 49 Boxes this week.
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Sara Beil and KJ Knies are one of LA's most interesting behind the scenes pairs in immersive.
By day Sara works for ThinkWell, the major themed entertainment design firm, as a multimedia writer and producer. KJ, meanwhile, works for Giant Spoon, the company that has been behind some of the splashiest immersive activations (SXSWestworld, The InkHole) this year.
By night the two work on indie projects, like the Hollywood Fringe sleeper hit What Went Wrong, and the immersive enhanced production of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest that got LA audiences talking.
Disclosure: KJ writes for us from time to time, but we're the one's who are lucky to have him.
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Jeff Wirth has been a lot of things in his life: university professor, computer programmer, ballroom dancer, and clown. These days he's the wandering sage of interactive performance, leading the Interactive PlayLab which is best known for the Deep Dive think tank that created work that was both intimate and large scale at the same time.
Wirth has been crisscrossing America leading workshops in interactive acting techniques and design, and after a recent stop in Los Angeles he sat down with our own Noah Nelson for a philosophical deep dive of their own.
Also this week: we kick things off with an impromptu field report from The InkHole, the latest promotional pop-up from the Giant Spoon/Mycotoo team, which brings the curious into the fabulously felt world of The Happytime Murders.
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Our friend Mikhael Tara Garver dropped by this morning for a chat about how she integrates social impact into her work -- for entertainment, causes, and brands -- and how immersive and experiential work are uniquely suited for creating long term social change.
Here's one we wish could be longer, and it pairs well with the conversation we just had on EXP*DSN.
Mikhael Tara Garver has been directing and creating immersive work for 18 years. She is an experiential architect integrating live and technology for brands, social impact, and storytelling.
Catch up with MTG on Instagram.
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We sit down with the founder of Presence, which aims to be a kind of Patreon for experiential artists, Damian Madray to talk about his own life as an experience designer and why he decided to built a platform for other makers.
Damian is also the co-host of the upcoming EXP*DSN, aka Experiential By Design, a live web show that features conversations between pioneers in experience design. The show kicks off on August 2nd, and will feature director Lynsey Peisinger who produces participatory work with The Abramovic Method. It will also have some weirdo named No Ha Nel son.
Oh, wait. That's me.
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Think Tank Gallery impresario Jacob Patterson invites Noah over to the studio to share the scoops on Think Tank's latest projects in LA. They've got three big shows opening in the next few weeks, including the Sea-Saw residency on the Santa Monica Pier which will feature local favorites like The Guest & The Host, #Metaforyou, and Lola Kelly.
Plus it's Jacob and Noah, so you know the convo gets off the rails and into some ish.
Brought to you by Meow Wolf and our generous Patreon backers.
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Once upon a time Sean Stewart was a science fiction novelist. Then, one day, he got a call asking if he wanted to take part in a little world-building project. One based around a Steven Spielberg movie.
That movie was A.I. and that project would become known as "The Beast," the first Alternate Reality Game. Now Sean works for Magic Leap, the secretive company in Florida that is working on augmented reality. But we're not here to talk about that. We're here to talk about making participatory stories.
Sean plays Jedi Master to Noah's padawan learner. This is a very, very good episode.
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Last week your host, Noah Nelson, was in Qingdao, China for the Sandbox Immersive Festival. This week he's back, solo, to talk about some of what he observed there and about the emerging thinking around XR -- the term being given to all of immersive technology -- and how that relates to live immersive.
This being Noah talking into a microphone, you know that we get into a few tangents, including thoughts about what it means to become a bit jaded as a reviewer, and what incoming designers need to be thinking about when they approach immersive work for the first time.
Show Notes: Jesse Damiani's piece on XR UI design. Room Escape Artist on tariffs. Get bonus content on Patreon
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At the heart of many an immersonaut's journey is #SOMEDND, the "DND" being Dungeons & Dragons, and as it just so happens that hashtag stood for a recent livestream extravaganza called the Stream of Many Eyes.
Now, why is NoPro talking about live-streaming D&D?
Well for one, the lead up to the stream was a multiverse hopping alternate reality game (#NoStoneUnturned) that called upon the powers of transmedia producer Emmett Furey and puzzle designer Elisa Teague, who join us on this week's episode to talk about the ARG, mixing tabletop gaming with escape room like puzzles, and the renaissance in roleplaying games.
Look: we always knew it was going to come down to Dungeons & Dragons. It's almost a surprise it took this long to get here.
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Our hard-hitting reporters have revealed a nest of bloodsuckers in the beating heart of Los Angeles. This den of the undead appears to the outside world as the lobby of one of those newfangled "escape rooms" co-owned by a woman named Rachel Foti. Our intrepid host dares to enter this lair of sin and uncover the secret origin of this nefarious gathering point for a "micro-community" of the vampire's mortal pawns.
Follow us into The Count's Den if you dare.
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There's something magical going on in Downtown Los Angeles. Something simple, and oh-so-needed in this day and age.
It's called The Silent Play Experiment, and it is exactly what it says on the tin. Host Noah Nelson sits down with its co-creator Olivia Hamilton to talk about the experience, the company that gave birth to it, and the road to embracing play.
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Negin Singh has been a lot of things: founder of Cartel Arts Collaborative LA, leader of the Inspiration team at AR pioneers DAQRI, and now she's the Executive Director of the Santa Monica Pier.
She's bringing her experience as a producer of immersive and interactive events to one of the biggest travel destinations in all of Southern California, and taking our friends at Think Tank along for the ride. This episode is a barn burner: art, augmented reality, and how theatre kids are stealth taking over the world. Okay. That last one is implied. We don't say it, but it's soooo there.
Brought to you by the generous support of Meow Wolf (!!!!) and our amazing Patreon backers.
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This edition replaces the messed up original file.
Lisa & David Spira of Room Escape Artistand Michael Andersen of ARGN.comjoin us to talk about how we talk about this immersive thing of ours.
From how to handle spoiler discussions online to designing for discovery after the fact, this conversation is all about the unique problems that face immersive entertainment of every form -- from live theatre to escape rooms to Alternate Reality Games.
Good thing we've got people who specialize in each of those on the show today!
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It's no secret that we have LARP roots here at No Proscenium, specifically VAMPIRE LARP roots. So when we heard that there's a "blockbuster" (aka bespoke) Vampire LARP coming to Texas in November -- part of the relaunch of Vampire: the Masquerade which is happening all year long -- we got very, very intrigued.
Which is how we ended up talking to Matthew Webb of Jackalope Live Action Studios, the company that is putting on this event called The Night In Question.
That's not all Jackalope is up to, as they're working on the Cyberpunk license and more, looking to introduce an emerging style of play to brand new audiences.
Break out the fangs, we're going in.
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Just time for a real quick update about a few things. Get bonus content on Patreon
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Director Spencer Williams (Walk The Night) and music producer Andrew Heringer have created a unique music experience in the form of The Guest & The Host: Make Music, which will be debuting alongside the Hollywood Fringe Festival this June in LA.
Plus: Noah's initial thoughts on the Oculus Go.
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What happens when two immersive theatre companies meet at a bar in San Francisco?
They make a show in LA, that's what.
Rochester, 1996 is a collaboration between Capital W and DryCræft Los Angeles that will be hitting this year's Hollywood Fringe Festival. We talk with Lauren Ludwig & Monika Miklas of Capital W, and Thaddeus Shafer of DryCræft Los Angeles whose life as the son of a pastor provides the inspiration for the show.
(They're raising money/selling advance tickets on IndieGoGo right now.)
All that plus a touch of the usual shenanigans.
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Every fan of immersive in Los Angeles know the name Jon Braver: he's the creator of the wildly popular Delusion interactive horror theatre company.
Each instance of Delusion is an event into and of itself, and Jon has been creating his dark wonderland in our reality for years now.
This week Delusion goes virtual, with the cinematic VR version of Delusion: Lies Within debuting at The Overlook Film Festival. We talk with Jon about that, the future of the LIVE Delusion shows, and just about everything else under the sun in this, our first full interview with Jon.
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Derek Spencer and Meredith Treinen of Ceaseless Fun drop in with beer and pecan pie to talk about their most recent show -- Agnosia -- and the upcoming They Who Saw The Deep in Los Angeles.
Don't worry, we save the pie for afterwards. But it is one of THOSE episodes thanks to the beer. In fact, it's officially an NoPro After Dark.
We get into process in this one, so you know I love it.
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John MacInnes and Remington Scott met while making Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, kicking off a collaboration (MacInness Scott) that is exploring the bleeding edge of photorealism. But these two are about more than brain melting tech that can turn Hollywood actors and politicians into digital humans: all that is just the groundwork for exploring the art of storytelling on the immersive digital frontier.
Host Noah Nelson talks with John and Remington about the history of their collaboration, their work for Netflix on an Altered Carbon promotion, and just where all this is headed.
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The madmen went and did it.
Last week the creative team behind The Tension & Lust Experiences announced that they were taking on new partners, a company called AGBO -- which is The Russo Brothers' new company.
You know, the guys who are directing Avengers: Infinity War.
So yeah, that's some big news. And Tension creators Darren Bousman, Clint Sears, and producer Gordon Bijelonic sit down with host Noah Nelson to talk about what all this means for The Experiences now and in the future.
Oh, and Joe Russo calls in during the show to explain why and how he got mixed up with all this.
Plus: a word about our editorial policy updates.
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Our dear friend Bryan Bishop of The Verge has just come back from a once-in-a-lifetime experience at SXSW. There he was one of just two participants in an elaborate, four day long immersive experience called a "Simulife" by the creative think tank known as Interactive Deep Dive.
Host Noah Nelson, who walks in clueless (What else is new?), journey's with Bryan into the heart of what made this so special. The answer: Soylent Green. (I mean, from a certain point of view.)
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Writer and director Edward Robles of Here Be Dragons drops by to talk about Dispatch, his episodic VR narrative for Oculus that debuted at Sundance.
Well that and a wide ranging conversation about how he landed in the business, writing, and more.
That plus a #NoProGoesPro campaign update.
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You may not know Justin Denton's name, but you certainly have heard of his work. He's the director of the much buzzed about LEGION FX activation at last year's San Diego Comic Con (which had an encore at FoST Fest in NYC) and part of the core team at Here Be Dragons, the production studio that has helped put VR on the map.
Get ready, because Noah and Justin are about to have one of THOSE conversations.
This is my favorite episode in a long while.
Plus: we sing the praises of our SXSW crew, and detail the NEXT STEP in our March NO PRO GOES PRO campaign. (GIVE US YOUR MONEY!)
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Aaron and Austin Keeling of E3W Productions join Noah to talk about their new show Bitter at the End and how their surprise debut -- the absolutely wonderful In Another Room -- came together in the first place.
Keep an eye on these guys, they're got the touch.
Plus: the first part of our NoPro Goes Pro campaign BEGINS.
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Kathryn sits down with Taylor Myers of Roll The Bones to talk about his storied career (Sleep No More, Then She Fell, Grand Paradise) and the upcoming narrative feature film Hamlet in the Golden Vale an adaptation of Shakespeare's play.
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Actor, poet, and entrepreneur Terence Leclere joins host Noah Nelson to talk about how he became an immersive person, and just what he's up to with his company Metaforyou, which offers immersive and interactive services for hire in the LA area.
Philosophy with a side of business. Plus: Noah totally gives a reading list at the end of the show. What? I know.
Join the conversation at the NoPro Slack.
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Creator Nick Rheinwald-Jones & Creative Producer Lyndsie Scoggin of Safehouse '77 invite Noah to the safehouse for a chat about how the show came to be... and how it is returning to LA.
That plus: a but about this week's LEIA Town Hall in LA, and a shout out to our friends at the A.R.T. Artist Real Talk podcast, who are kicking off their second season with a bang!
Brought to you by our amazing Patreon backers.
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Alison S. M. Kobayashi joins Kathryn Yu to talk about Say Something Bunny, a feat of theatrical documentary that draws audiences into the lives of a New York Jewish family in the 1950s. It is quite unlike anything else on stage in NYC, and it drew the attention of our New York team.
Plus: Noah without his coffee.
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Our friends from LA's Speakeasy Society return to talk about two -- or is it three??? -- upcoming projects including their take on The Wild Party, which is part of The Broad Stage's 10th anniversary season.
Connect with us via Slack.
This episode is dedicated to Prof. Mohammad Kowsar (1943 - 2018).
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Surprise!
Zay Amsbury returns to talk with Caitlin Cassidy and Geoff Kanick of Lubdub Theatre Company about The Doubtful Guest.
Plus: Noah talks about the initial impact of the Immersive Design Summit.
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This week we turn to YOU, the NoPro audience (and our team), to find out what you're looking forward to in the coming year. Get bonus content on Patreon
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Ida Benedetto is the author of Patterns of Transformation: Designing Sex, Death and Survival in the 21st Century. That work came about thanks to years of practice as an experience designer, including being part of the legendary Night Heron speakeasy brain trust. She joins NoPro NYC curator Kathryn Yu to discuss her approach to experience design.
This is one we've been waiting for.
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Tommy Honton wears a lot of hats: escape room designer, founding member of LEIA, and now the co-creator of The Museum of Selfies, a gloriously self-aware "Instagram Museum" which is opening up in the immersive-friendly SoCal city of Glendale.
We talk with Tommy about the very real, and very tongue in cheek, themes of the Museum and about his upcoming escape room "Stash House," which is coming out of testing.
Get ready for one of THOSE episodes.
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Zay Amsbury, our man in New York City, is setting out for some traveling. Stepping into his shoes is Kathryn Yu, our not-so-secret-weapon.
In this AFTER DARK episode that duo join Noah to talk about, well... whatever we want to talk about. It's one of THOSE episodes. (Which are a lot of fun.)
Plus: what starts out as a media rant at the end of the show turns into something decidedly more, um, spiritual?
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Sean T. Cawelti, Chelsea Sutton, and Lori Meeker of LA's Rogue Artist Ensemble stop in to talk about Kaidan Project: Walls Grow Thin. We dig into the long gestation process, and lessons learned from the Rogue's first foray into large-scale immersive work.
Plus: Rolfe Kent of The Unmarked Door stops by to talk about their first show, 'The Heart of Winter' which debuts in Culver City this month.
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Louis Changchien and Steven Klein of the LA and immersive premiere of the Obie-Award winning CAUGHT (currently at Think Tank Gallery in DTLA) join Noah for a look into the twisty reality of this barnburner of a play.
Spoilers abound! But you still have two weeks to catch (accidental pun) the show at Think Tank Gallery, then come back here and listen to this deep dive into the history of the production.
THIS. IS. A. GREAT. SHOW. JUST. GO.
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Before he was the Vice President of Experiential Global Entertainment for Westfield -- yes, that Westfield -- Vance Garrett was a producer on 29 Rooms and The Museum of Ice Cream.
Before THAT he was a key player in the opening of the McKittrick Hotel, home of Sleep No More.
On this episode of the podcast we take a trip down memory lane with Vance.
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Eva Anderson and Michael Cassady, the co-writers of 'Amos: A Play With Music,' join us to talk about the EDM infused, site-responsive musical that audiences in LA are eating up.
Plus: Steve Boyle of Epic Immersive joins us to make a VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT about The Immersive Design Summit, which is coming up in San Francisco this January. (Applications are OPEN NOW, and they CLOSE THIS SUNDAY!)
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Get ready for some brain-twisty-ness on the latest episode.
First: we have Lin Bo, of China's dissident Xiong Collective joining us for a hot second at Think Tank Gallery where he is hanging their new collaboration 'District 798.' Lin Bo is the subject of the show 'Caught,' which is also making its bow at Think Tank.
How does that work? We have no idea.
Then it's time for one of THOSE episodes, as we sit down with Derek Spencer of Ceaseless Fun (and the League of Experiential and Immersive Artists) to talk about... well, everything.
Plus a short rant about Gothamist shutting down, word on the Immersive Design Summit, and strange interruptions galore.
This one really is like hanging out with us.
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Just a quick check in with a few announcements about some upcoming events! Get bonus content on Patreon
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London based immersive producer Venetia Harpin joins Noah to talk about the scene in London, her work in experiential marketing and the way that world and the world of immersive theatre overlap.
All that plus more on this January's Immersive Design Summit.
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This week: the creative team at Hall and Mirrors -- creators of the $5000 a ticket, one guest at a time show YOU -- sit down with us to talk about upending the traditional theatre market, making art for one, and what led to the creation of this audacious experiment.
Writer-producer Edward Tucker, director Daniel Student, and actor Lola Kelly join host Noah Nelson for a lively discussion.
Plus: a tease of this January's Immersive Design Summit.
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This week David Ruzicka, the Artistic Director of Creep LA, joins us to talk about his career path in immersive -- from his earliest days as a kind of haunt prodigy (my term, not his) to working operations and then design in the theme park industry.
And then, of course, teaming up with Just Fix It Productions for The Willows and now Creep: Lore.
It's a great conversation with a great guy. And then Noah ruins it all by rambling for ten minutes at the end of the show. Like always.
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This week Zay sits down with Woodshed Collective’s Artistic Director Teddy Bergman (K-POP) to talk about the storied NYC group's approach to immersive theatre. Bergman and Woodshed's The Confidence Man was Zay's intro into the realm of immersive, so he's been looking forward to this one... and I've been looking forward to listening to it! --Noah
Plus: some rambling thoughts from our master of ceremonies.
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This week on the show: a kind of psychological sequel to last week’s episode on physical safety.
We have sex-positive psych Dr. Liz Powell -- a licensed therapist and coach who specializes in LGBTQ/Poly/Kink-Friendly therapy joining us to talk about the mental side of safety and emotional risk.
Plus Elan Lee -- co-creator of Exploding Kittens and former Chief Design Officer at Xbox joins us to talk about his passion for escape rooms.
Head's up: strong language and frank discussion throughout!
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Immersive productions can be challenging, both physically and mentally for creators and audiences alike.
Even when they are challenging, there is a reasonable expectation that they are safe. That every effort has been made to make sure that even experiences that seem dangerous are, in fact, not dangerous. That the risks that are being taken by audience and performers are the agreed upon ones -- not one of shoddy construction and poor design.
What sort of mindset should creators have when taking safety into consideration? What should audience members accept when it comes to safety issues? These are the questions we get into with our expert panel: from Delusion come production designer Kevin Williams and lighting designer/technical director Iam Momii. Joining them is David Ruzicka, a creative consultant who is part of the Creep team and who works in the theme park industry.
Plus: Charlie Melcher, founder of The Future of Storytelling, joins us for the "A" segment. (Use the code NP20 for 20% of FoST Fest tickets.)
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Two of our favorite creators in the Southland, Jeff Leinenveber and Jarrett Lantz return to talk about lessons learned from their first show: the very much beloved The Nest.
Before that: Meredith Treinen talks about her upcoming debut work grief.
Before that: Noah formally announces the formation of LEIA: The League of Experiential & Immersive Artists.
Before that: we address the safety issues raised last weekend at one show in LA, and what we're going to be doing about it as a community.
Before that: you download the podcast.
PLUS: WE. HAVE. FOST. TICKETS. FOR. YOU. Listen for giveaway rules!
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MINDSHOW!
There is pretty much NOTHING that gets me more excited about virtual reality than Mindshow: which turns an HTC Vive into a performance capture tool, allowing users to create animated stories with digital puppets. It's like having a film FX pre-visualization tool to play with.
For years now I've been anticipating Mindshow's release to the public and now, this week, it is finally HERE. You can roll onto Steam right now and get it for free.
To celebrate, we've got Mindshow CEO Gil Baron on to talk about it and the philosophy behind the software. Gil is one of my favorite people to talk all things immersive with, and I've been dying to do this episode for years now. If you're in NYC in October you can check out Mindshow and meet the team at the FUTURE OF STORYTELLING FESTIVAL, who are hosting them this year. (You should go.)
This is a big episode in every sense. Gil's interview starts a bit after the half-hour mark (WHAT?) because our friend Ricky Brigante of Inside The Magic stops by to talk about the jam packed summer he's had.
Hey: it's a holiday weekend. Consider this two shows for the price of one.
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If you're in the amusement industry, Kevin Williams is a name you probably know. Once upon a time he headed up the "DisneyQuest" project in Orlando for the Mouse House, and beyond that he's a consultant on numerous projects, the editorial voice of The Stinger Report and founder of The DNA: Digital Out-of-Home Interactive Entertainment Association.
This year he's starting an all new conference focused on the Future of Immersive Leisure. We talked about that, his history in the amusement industry, and a whole lot more.
Plus: David & Lisa of Room Escape Artist stop by to talk about the state of Escape Rooms, and I go into a little more about LEIA: the League of Experiential & Immersive Artists, which is coming together in the Southland.
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Oh, do we have a multi-layered episode for you today.
First, we turn to Jacob Patterson of Think Tank Gallery, as we drop in on the night of their media preview for their next big show Drinkin', Smokin', West Coastin'.
Then we unlock the No Pro time machine (Where do you think all that Patreon money goes to?) to enter the world of Nocturnal Fandango before The Sudden Loneliness Gift disrupted their dreams and plans. That's where we find Jason and Kevin Davidson, the couple at the heart of that company, weeks after Have You Seen Jake? ended, before a tragic fire--an uncanny echo of stories past--took Kevin away from Jason.
All that, and Noah shares his tale of a Technodelic experience.
Wait, what?
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Christian Dieckmann is the Chief Strategy Officer of 3D Live, a technology studio in Los Angeles that specializes in creating "holographic" 3D.
Their LED video wall has made appearances at VRLA and other gatherings, showing that there is something magical to letting those of us outside a virtual space see what happens when participants and performers are interacting with virtual worlds.
Christian is going to be speaking at the Future of Immersive Leisure conference at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas this September 13th & 14th. The conference organizers were gracious enough to set us up with Christian for this interview and our audience up with a 20% discount for the conference when they use the code NOPROSCENIUM.
Shouldn't be too hard to remember.
All that, plus the end of the show notes where I talk a little about In Another Room, which makes its bows this week in LA.
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After two years (!!) we're back with Annie Lesser for a conversation on how her work has evolved as she's become a mainstay of LA's immersive theatre scene.
Plus: field reports from Noah about Midsummer Scream and a pop-up event for HBO's Big Little Lies that pulled in some of LA's best immersive actors and creators.
What a week.
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At this year's San Diego Comic Con the most buzzed about things weren't movies: they were immersive.
Pop-up "marketing activations" for Westworld, Blade Runner 2049, and Mr. Robot drew on the talents and skills of immersive theatre makers and ARG crafters to created the biggest tentpole for immersive this side of Sleep No More.
We check in with Daphne Mir and Maxwell Robison who checked out Westworld and Blade Runner 2049, respectively, to get a connoisseur eye view of these immersive gateways into some of Hollywood's biggest properties.
Plus: our neighbor uses a garden hose throughout a very special announcement from Noah.
Plus-plus: in LA this weekend? Swing on by MIDSUMMER SCREAM and catch our "STAGE & SCREAM" panel on Sunday. Featuring Zombie Joe, Shine On Collective, The Overlook Film Fest, and Unbound Productions.
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What can we say about this Open Forum edition?
Well: we crack open a can of worms and we go right in. That's what.
WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE.
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Steve Boyle, the CEO of the SF Bay Area's Epic Immersive stops by to talk about their work in immersive theatre and VR... and about their new show The Infernal Motel.
Plus:
- A bit about the Future of Immersive Leisure conference this September in Las Vegas
- A call for submissions in next weeks OPEN FORUM episode
- An op-ed from Noah about some of the issues popping up in the SoCal immersive scene
All brought to you by our generous Patreon backers.
Sustaining Backer: Ross Sigworth
Music By: Chris Porter
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Lauren Ludwig of Capital W stops by to take a deep dive into the process behind her latest, the much talked about Red Flags. Which means we dive deep down the acting and process rabbit hole.
What does that have to do with Jon Hamm?
You'll see. You'll see.
Plus: "live events locksmith" Simon Rust Lamb jumps in to answer YOUR questions about getting a new production company off the ground.
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John Bucher of Sideshow Media Group joins us to talk about his upcoming book Storytelling For Virtual Reality, and in the process gets Noah to go way, way off script. (Warning: content advisory.)
Plus the creator of the augmented reality/immersive theatre piece Transmission, which will be making its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe stops by.
Brought to you by our Patreon backers, including sustaining backer Ross Sigworth.
.
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Vinny DePonto is an amazing mentalist based out of New York City who knows a thing or twelve about immersive theatre: he's been working for the past few years with Third Rail Projects on shows like Sweet & Lucky and the recently opened Ghost Light.
While on tour in LA, Vinny stopped by NoPro headquarters to talk with Noah about how magic is the original immersive theatre and his own background in working in both magic and immersive.
Plus: we get Meiyin Wang, the new Festival Director of the Without Walls Festival, on the line to talk about their big announcement this week and Lauren Ludwig of Capital W (Red Flags, Hamlet-Mobile) stops by to talk about the launch of NoPro's brand new workshop program: because she's teaching the first class next month!
In other words: this is a MASSIVE episode, all in a tiny little space.
Because we know you like it that way.
(Oh, and dig our new logo by Dino Nama, cool, right?)
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"When in doubt, LARP it out."
That, thanks to Andrew Hoepfner is one of our unofficial mottos here at NoPro. So it is with great exuberance that we introduce today's guest: Jason Carl of By Night Studios.
By Night Studios are the folks who publish the Mind's Eye Theatre series of LARP games-- live action versions of the classic RPGs Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse. These are among the NoPro crew's formative immersive experiences, and the lines have been going strong and maturing for years now.
In this episode we do more than talk about what the games are and how they cross over with all things immersive, but about the lessons in consent and safety that have been developed through years of experience in the LARP world: lessons immersive creators and participants would do well to heed.
All that plus: GHOST LIGHT notes from Zay Amsbury in NYC, and something SPECIAL from the gaps of the Hollywood Fringe. #theboanthropic
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This week on the show, the co-director of The Overlook Film Festival--Landon Zakheim--joins host Noah Nelson for a lively discussion.
We also check in with Mike and Russell of My Haunt Life to see how the Hollywood Fringe is going.
Plus we tease OUR panel at the Hollywood Fringe: The Fringe of the Fringe! This Saturday June 10th at 11AM!
For even more news: check out NoProscenium.com
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Welcome to the all-new No Proscenium Podcast.
The format has changed!
But we've still got an amazing guest for you: contemporary artist Simon Birch, the creator of The 14th Factory, which has been turning heads in Los Angeles since it opened. The 14th Factory is three acres of art--much of it immersive--and all of it designed to create a sense of awe and wonder.
It's a can't miss spot in LA this summer.
Plus we check in with Ricky Brigante of Inside The Magic to talk about an otherworldly attraction in Orlando.
All that and more on the all-new No Pro: brought to you by listeners like you!
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Two years.
One hundred episodes.
Guiding you through everything immersive.
This very special episode of NoPro features the voices of some of our friends--all looking forward to the future of immersive entertainment.
(It's also super short, as these things go!)
We'll see you back here next week, for the ALL NEW No Proscenium.
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Our man in NYC -- Zay Amsbury -- and Bryan Bishop (Senior Reporter for The Verge) join master of ceremonies Noah Nelson for a wide-ranging talk about how we talk about this immersive thing of ours.
Oh, yeah, it's one of THOSE episodes.
The "I-word," ARX vs. ARG, virtual reality and more come up as three dudes try and figure out which part of the elephant they are holding. All part of the lead up to episode One- Zero-Zero.
Plus a flash facts version of News & Notes.
WARNING: WE CUSS.
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The proprietors of LA's most deliciously strange haunt--Creep LA--invite you to meet the family: The Willows family, that is.
Planned as a year-round production, The Willows is the Creep take on the classic murder mystery dinner. If 'Clue' were staged by The Addams Family and viewed through a disturbed gothic indie horror lens.
Naturally, we love it.
We dig deep into what makes the show possible and the vision Justin Fix and Daniel Montgomery have for it and their production company on this blockbuster episode.
Plus News, Notes, and a call to action for the upcoming Episode 100!
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The LA immersive renaissance is really heating up, and choreographer Sophia Stoller is bringing some stunning dance chops to the table this month with her piece 'The Other Side,' which uses some infamous experiments in social control as her inspiration.
We dive into the inspiration for the show and Stoller's craft... and you get a nice dose of news, notes, and an old fashioned Noah rant after the interview proper.
All brought to you by listeners like you.
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This is a first: an After Dark episode with someone who isn't on the No Pro team.
Here's another first: talking to a member of The Speakeasy Society solo... well, mostly solo. Maybe there are special guests. Maybe not all of the are human. Maybe you'll have to listen to find out what we mean by that.
This is one of those lovely philosophical discussions about the form where we really get our hands dirty. And occasionally curse. So grab a drink (but don't drive!) and join us After Dark, won't you?
OH, YEAH: I totally give you a hint at what's going on with the Hollywood Fringe Festival, the tickets for which go on sale at MIDNIGHT MAY 1st.
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Story time: months ago, while driving Interstate 5 in California, I listened to Kent Bye's interview with Jessica Brillhart of Google. In that episode of his "Voices of VR" podcast Kent offered up an "elemental theory of presence," mapping the classical elements onto the different building blocks of immersive experiences.
It was like a door opened up in my head. Luckily, I didn't drive off the road.
I knew at that moment that I had to have Kent on the show. I knew I had to bring him into our little corner of the immersive world to share what he discovered.
In other words, get ready for one of those episodes of No Proscenium, because we're not going to be the same after this one.
Oh yeah: all the news and notes--and then some--are here in our pursuit of EVERYTHING IMMERSIVE.
Brought to you by Patreon backers like you.
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What can we say about Dasha and Keight, Keight and Dasha?
If you're a fan on the LA immersive scene you've probably encountered their work with Annie Lesser (Getting To Know You, Covell), or seen Dasha in Delusion or had the most disturbing one-on-one possible with Keight in Lesser's A(partment 8)--which is getting a reprise this year at the Hollywood Fringe and is appearing at the Overlook Film Festival as The Chalet.
But that's their resumes.
What's it like to, you know, just hang out with Dasha and Keight?
It's awesome. Enjoy.
All that plus another ridiculously huge raft of News. Honestly people, you need to calm down.
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This week Noah is joined by Jon Lawrence Rivera, founder and artistic director of LA's Playwright's Arena to talk about their 25th-anniversary show "The Hotel Play," a site-specific piece that unfolds in a series of hotel rooms at the Radisson by USC.
We get into their writing process behind telling a mosaic story with a writer's room of playwrights. (Apologies for the slightly off sound quality. SOMEBODY forgot a cable and we recorded on the laptop... but it sounds better than the pre-Yeti mic episodes somehow!)
All that plus a MEGA News&Notes (sorry, not sorry, but kinda sorry) and the announcement of EVERYTHING IMMERSIVE our new GLOBAL Facebook group for... everything immersive.
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Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, Associate Artistic Director of Third Rail Projects, joins us to talk about the a of immersive performance. Marissa has had a major role in crafting and keeping up Third Rail's most famous shows, and we get into the spirit of the craft and her approach.
All that plus the usual News & Notes, brought to you by Patreon backers just like you.
Note: the News & Notes section is a bit long this time out. Interview starts at 19:39.
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I first met Ben Hill in 2011, on the eve of the second Hollywood Fringe Festival. We became fast friends. In the years since the Hollywood Fringe has become an important incubator for the immersive arts here in LA. Capital W, Annie Lesser, and Shine On Collective all got their start at the Fringe. This year is poised to be the most important year for immersive at the Fringe yet: for reasons we delve into in the podcast.
Join festival co-founder Ben Hill and myself as we take a tour through what it takes to make immersive at the Fringe--the registration deadline is April 1st--and have a few laughs along the way. -Noah
Plus the usual News & Notes.
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This week: we travel up to the Presidio in San Francisco to talk with Vicki Dobbs Beck, the executive in charge of ILM's xLab. That's the part of Lucasfilm--yes, that Lucasfilm--whose mandate is to explore the immersive frontier. They're working on a whole range of immersive, virtual reality powered projects, and host Noah Nelson talks with Beck about how she views the world of immersive entertainment.
Join us as we gaze into the future, and get incredibly excited about how the digital and physical realms of immersive entertainment are merging.
All that, and the usual News and Notes. Brought to you by Patreon backers just like YOU.
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It's always a big deal when an internationally known theatre company like Rimini Protokoll hits Los Angeles. It's an even bigger deal for our team when they hit LA with an immersive, headphone driven show like Remote X. And it's a really big deal that they're doing it under the auspices of Center Theatre Group, the biggest theatrical producer in LA.
So naturally we just nerd out with director Jörg Karrenbauer and talk about process and theory, because No Proscenium is a podcast for theatre nerds by theatre nerds.
Oh, and there's the usual NEWS AND NOTES... and an announcement we're just going to tease you here with.
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We've wanted David Mack, the strategic director for Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre and a consultant and producer in his own right, on the show for ages. David is a fellow traveler in the LA arts scene and knows more than almost anybody here about what's what.
So naturally we start talking about the Big Picture: how the real estate market and the demographics of LA impact and influence the art that is made here. This one works as a solid compass point for producers of any kind of performance art here in LA. And for fans: it gives you a real nuts and bolts look behind the scenes that explains why things are the way they are...
All that plus a raft of News and Notes.
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Live from the ThinkTank Studio... well, virtually live anyway: we talk with VR Scout editor-at-large and immersonaut extraordinaire Jesse Damiani about his exploration of Sundance's New Frontier, his development of scripting tools for digital and live immersive experiences, and a whole lot more.
PLUS: so many notes you will run out of sticks to shake at them. Including details on our first unofficial Fringe Town Hall: putting two great tastes--the Hollywood Fringe and immersive--together in a formal way at last. Better than chocolate and peanut butter! (That's a damn lie and I know it. Nothing is better than chocolate and peanut butter. Unless you have an allergy.) LINK: http://hff17.com/4496
All this brought to you by our generous Patreon backers and the support of Think Tank LA--check out their podcast Artist Real Talk! Stalk their shows as they go mobile!
CONTENT ADVISORY: Noah says a BAD WORD!!!
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Jeff Leinenveber and Jarrett Lantz have been around the immersive scene in LA for a minute. The two Imagineers (you know what this is, right?) have worked on Delusion and helped out Third Rail Projects when they popped into town.
Now they are turning their theme park sharpened skills on their own immersive work with the newly announced The Nest, coming this April: and we're here to tell you all about it.
Well, that and the usual nonsense we get up to.
All that plus a massively NEWS focused News and Notes.
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Rubber Ducky Optional!
Thrills! Zay-our man in NYC-sits down with Siobhan O'Loughlin, creator of Broken Bone Bathtub, the globe-trotting solo show that takes place in bathtubs.
Chills! Noah butchers some names, as usual!
News! Notes! Surprises! Stick around for the end credits: there's one!
ALL BROUGHT TO YOU BY WONDERFUL PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU!
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Friend of the show Abel Horwitz stops by to talk about the month-long residency of his Serial Killer Speed Dating at The Bunker Experience escape room in Pasadena. It's been a while since Abel and Noah have had a face-to-face chat so, naturally, things get weird.
Also: in the News & Notes section this week a little tale of community and connection from our MC.
All this is brought to you by our amazing Patreon backers. Like Jessica Lachenal and Brett Kuehner, who are the latest to join the cause!
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They call themselves THE ORGANIZERS and they're looking for a man named Jake. You know him. That Jake.
Welcome to another great episode of the No Pro podcast as we get wonky with two members of the creative team from the immersive event series Have You Seen Jake? which involves a search for a missing man through a surreal mindscape.
We're protecting the creator's identities, since there's a whole metafiction going on, but to be clear: this is NOT an in-character podcast. This is a full-on, glorious No Pro wonkfest.
These folks GET the power of immersive, and I think you can learn a lot from this episode whether you're a new maker, a fan, or an old hand. One of my favorites. -Noah
BROUGHT TO YOU BY LISTENERS LIKE YOU, THANKS TO PATREON!
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John O'Malley has had a storied career behind the scenes in immersive theatre. He was part of the producing team on Sleep No More back when the show started up in NYC, and he currently works for Space in the Raw--a group who navigates the liminal space between real estate developers and artists.
Host Noah Nelson sits down with John in his West Hollywood apartment and the two talk about the business, John's career journey, and a certain Mouse House. In other words: we get hella wonky in this one. A great episode for you immersive nerds.
Brought to you by our fantastic Patreon backers. Folks like Tim Redmond and Taylor Winters of haunting.net. Find out how you can join the cause at patreon.com/noproscenium.
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Screenshot Productions' Nicholas Sherwin & Meghan McHale-Sherwin join host Noah Nelson to talk about the all-new version of Screenshot's Fear Is What We Learned Here that they are bringing to SF. They also chat about adjusting to life in the Bay Area, the ART side of immersive, and more.
All THAT plus a RAFT of news & notes from around the country.
Brought to you by PATREON backers like you!
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A wrap up of immersive theatre news and notes from NYC to LA with a stop in one of our new haunts--Atlanta--by host Noah Nelson. Get bonus content on Patreon
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We check in with Zay, Dean, and Albert--the curators of the New York, Chicago, and San Francsico newsletters--to get their immersive highlights for 2016.
Oh, and we also check in with some of YOU to get a broader picture of our immersive world.
Brought to you by our friends at drafty-app.com.
So long, 2016. You've been... a thing.
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The first part of our two part end of the year spectacular. This episode sees friend of the show Juliet Bennett Rylah (LAist, Thrillist) joining host Noah Nelson to talk about some of their favorite immersive experiences of the year. Juliet's a big fan of the haunt stuff, bringing a Team Spooky perspective to the festivities.
All that plus the usual News & Notes.
Brought to you by our friends at drafty-app.com and Patreon backers like you!
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Friends of the show Lauren Ludwig and Monica Miklas stop by to talk about lessons learned from the recent remount of Hamlet-Mobile, which was pretty much host Noah Nelson's favorite thing in 2015 that wasn't a Star Wars movie.
All that plus: we've got some free tickets in the Bay Area to David Byrne's Neurosociety thanks to our friends at Epic Immersive, Noah embarrsess himself no less than TWICE during the news and notes, and you can update your NYE plans in LA.
It's No Proscenium! Brought to you by our friends at drafty-app.com and Patreon backers JUST. LIKE. YOU.
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Jon Braver, the mastermind behind Delusion--backbone of LA's immersive horror world--joins host Noah Nelson for a quick chat on the patio lounge of the show. Get a glimpse behind the forces that put this powerhouse show together, and peer into the virtual future of Delusion on this episode of your faborite (we hope!) immersive entertainment podcast.
Oh, yeah: News & Notes and a Call to Action! Plus we promise you a Christmas present.
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From NYC: Zay Amsbury talks with Kendra Slack and Jordan Chlapecka of Linked Dance Theatre, who have been working on some exciting stuff.
Meanwhile, in LA, Noah makes some dumb jokes about Krampus and pitches us all on becoming Patreon backers. Whatever, Noah.
All that and a modicum of News.
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Noah here with some updates, a call to action for our End of Year episode, and the latest show annoucements we've got!
Back next week with a full show!
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Lisa and David Spira of Room Escape Artist join Zay in New York City to talk about how they got into reviewing escape rooms, and the trio breaks down their reaction to Paradiso: Chapter One--the theatrical escape room game that's been the talk of NYC.
All that plus news and more.
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Theme music by Chris Porter.
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Marlee Delia and Anna Mavromati of Shine On Collective join host Noah Nelson to talk about their show Devoted, one of the gems of LA's Spooky Season.
Plus News & Notes.
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Bryan Bishop, senior reporter for The Verge, has been on a quest for all of October. He's been digging into the immersive horror scene in Los Angeles and joins host Noah Nelson to talk about The Tension Experience, how immersive is bigger than any one medium, and what gets him excited about our rapidly evolving art form.
And, yeah, the News & Notes.
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Head's up: there's some profanity if you listen open air style.
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This week, a vacationing Noah takes some audience questions about the nature of immersive and the International scene. Then he delivers a rant about value and cost in live immersive entertainment.
Plus the usual News & Notes!
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Noah journeys into the man cave of Bob Glouberman... wait. That's not right.
Nevermind!
MEET: the creator of Get The F Out: The Virus, one of the most enjoyable escape rooms in LA!
MARVEL: at how he and host Noah Nelson pack so much nerditry into such a short span of time!
WONDER: how many more exclamation marks we have in this Costco pack we bought last week!!!!
All this plus the news, notes, and a reminder to send us your questions for next week's OPEN FORUM via email and voice message to no_proscenium@outlook.com.
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Zay talks to Andrew Hoepfner and Melinda Lauw of Whisper Lodge, a recent experiment in live ASMR experiences in New York. Zay caught up to the creators right after his experience in the lodge, so it's all super fresh.
Meanwhile: we've got a raft of News & Notes from headquarters-- new shows, new reviews, and a tiny little breakdown of what's up at IndieCade's NIGHT GAMES this Saturday night in LA.
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Before you go any further, we just want to remind you that puns were once considered the highest form of wit...
What happens when you put old friends in a room and get them talking about theatrical games? This episode of No Pro, that's what. Noah sits down with Myles Nye and Greg Snyder of The Wise Guys--whose careers have involved building challenges for Survivor-- to talk about their upcoming immersive gaming event Heritage Scare: An Evening of Competitive Murderon Oct. 30th in LA.
Bonus: you can catch a preview of one of the games at the upcoming IndieCade: Night Games event on Oct 15th.
All that plus the usual News & Notes, and a coda about The Grand Paradise from Myles.
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East Coast Represent! West Coast Represent!
It's the return of the AFTER DARK podcast. Hosts Noah Nelson and Zay Amsbury plug in their microphones and open up the good stuff to get down to some no holds barred talking.
Bad marketing, hidden burlesque shows, what drives us nuts and what keeps up turning up for show after show.
Pour yourself your favorite drink and settle in. But only... After Dark.
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Host Noah Nelson sits down with creator and performer Jenapher Zheng to talk about her "video game theatre" piece Oblivious, performing in immersive, movement-based work, and how gaming influences her sense of design.
All that plus the usual News & Notes!
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From the Think Tank podcast studio in DTLA comes the latest episode of NO PRO.
Host Noah Nelson is joined by Think Tank's Jacob Patterson to talk about Traphouse.la, the art show/escape room/immersive venue that Think Tank is popping up for Spooky Season in LA. Annnnnnd to announce the advent of Think Tank's own podcast A.R.T.- Artist Real Talk, which is bowing this week.
All that plus the News & Notes-- featuring the announcement of No Pro's involvement with IndieCade's NIGHT GAMES event on October 15th, and our BRAND NEW THEME MUSIC by Chris Porter.
So, you know, just your average episode. ;-)
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Jonathan Josephson, Paul Millet and Jeff Rack are the creators of the perennially popular WICKED LIT in Altadena--a triptych of literary adaptations that provide an immersive twist on Halloween fun. The team, best known as Unbound Productions, sits down with host Noah Nelson in the Think Tank Podcast Studio to talk about this year's Wicked Lit, the history of the company, and the non-Spooky Season shenanigans they get up to.
All that plus the News & Notes, and Noah makes the case for why you should be backing No Pro on Patreon. (Hint: because we need you to!)
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THE TIME OF THE HARVEST IS UPON US! ALL SHALL... oh, sorry. Wrong podcast.
THIS WEEK ON THE SHOW: Mike Fontaine & Russell Eaton of My Haunt Life join us to talk about the best that LA's Spooky Season has to offer. We go IN on haunts large and small, extreme and home. If you want to know what to do in LA for Halloween scares THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE.
All that plus a whole lot more. (How "a whole lot more" is even remotely possible, I don't know. But it is!)
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For the past few months in Los Angeles a mysterious cult has been up to no good... or so the makers of The Tension Experience would have you believe. After months of speculation and rumors the cat was finally let out of the bag when what appeared to be an Alternate Reality Game turned out to be the lead up to: an immersive horror experience.
So that's a two-fer for NoPro. Our interest was piqued.
Yet there was still little in the way of information on just who was behind all the cloak and dagger shenanigans. That is, until today. The Tension Experience pulled back the curtain for the LA Times and revealed its creator as Darren Lynn Bousman, director of Saw II, III, IV and of Repo! The Genetic Opera.
We were lucky enough to sit down with Bousman a couple of weeks back to talk about The Tension Experience, how a filmmaker finds himself doing immersive horror, conspiracy theories, and his deep passion for immersive theatre. Oh, and we also talk about how hard it is to get a show up and running in LA.
This is one of my favorite interviews in the who series so far. I hope you dig it too.
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This one's for the record books.
John Rosenberg of the (currently) Culver City-based Hella Fresh Theater joins host Noah Nelson for what can only be described as a late-night dorm conversation about high school theatre, putting plays on in your own living room, and the living legacies of the worst people ever.
Not exactly the usual chit chat.
All that plus News & Notes on this, the 60th episode of No Proscenium.
(Contains strong language.)
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Last year play collaborative arts venue, one of the producers of immersive and interactive shows in LA, was shut down by the vice squad for running a DIY performance venue.
For the past month Noah--our host--has been helping out the campaign to "legitimize play" and bring performing arts back to the space that until now has been zoned as an art gallery. You've probably heard us talk about it on the show.
In this episode Noah talks with the power trio at play--Nicole Rosner, Meredith Treinen, and Scott Monahan--about how the campaign came to be, the obstacles they've faced in bringing the space back, and more.
Check out the play IndieGoGo campaign at https://igg.me/at/playdtla/x/7051521
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In the experimental Think Tank podcast studio Noah sits down with Ben Taylor of Escape Authority--a new site focusing on escape room games--and calls up Ben's partner Chris Moschella in Orlando to talk about their new site and what makes a great escape room.
All that and a Noah riff on the VRLA Expo that took place this weekend in LA as part of the News & Notes.
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In NYC: Zay talks with choreographer Avital Asuleen, co-creator of the immersive dance theatre piece Ephemera about this dream ballet fueled by drinking and debauchery.
Meanwhile, in LA, Noah has the news and notes. And he probably shares TMI. That is his M.O. these days. (That and writing in the third person again.)
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This week host Noah Nelson is joined by Julianne Just, Genevieve Gearhart, and Matthew Bamberg-Johnson of LA's The Speakeasy Society to talk about their latest production Johnny: The Shell.This is the second part of their cycle of work exploring Dalton Tumbo's Johnny Get Your Gun, which opens on July 21st at St Mark's Episcopal Church in Glendale and runs through August 13th.
All that plus our usual news and notes. Brought to you by our friends at Drafty--the theatrical design program built by and for theatrical designers--check it out at Drafty-App.com--and the support of our Patreon backers.
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In 2014 Boxcar Theatre's The Speakeasy was the most talked about immersive experience in San Francisco, and then it disappeared. Now, after an extensive rebirthing experience the show is returning with a brand new, custom-built space. NoPro SF's Albert Kong visits the site of the new show while it is under construction to talk to Boxcar's Artistic Director Nick Olivero and producer David Gluck for a walk through.
Then, though the magic of the internet, host Noah Nelson speaks to Gluck and Olivero about the unique crowd-investing plan that is powering The Speakeasy's rebirth and setting a path for the production's future.
In other words: this isn't your usual episode.
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Host Noah Nelson is joined by Chris Eng, founder of Mojo Maps Expedition Co., an LA-based theatrical walking tour group that mashes up history and improv in Venice, the Arts District, and Echo Park. The two dig into Chris' background as a business guy at Walt Disney Imagineering, creating experiences in urban landscapes, and just what the market is for this kind of work.
All that plus the usual News and Notes, brought to you by our friends at Drafty-app.com: the theatrical design tool built by and for theatrical designers.
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This week: Noah interviews writer Ruth McKee, one of the core members of LA's Chalk Repertory Theatre, about her latest play 'In Case of Emergency.' The conversation ranges from the themes of the play itself, to how McKee's writing process is driven by a sense of space. A great, into the artistic meat of it, kind of episode.
All that, plus the news and notes-- and a call for feedback.
THIS MONTH'S EPISODES ARE BROUGHT TO US BY OUR FRIENDS AT DRAFTY-APP.COM
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If you've been following the LA scene you have probably heard of Screenshot Productions, or at least their work: the company popped up during last year's spooky season with the solo haunt "Fear Is What We Learned Here" and since then have mutated into something... unique.
Screenshot founder Nicholas Sherwin Jr. and his partner Meghan Farrington sit down at No Pro headquarters with host Noah Nelson to talk about crafting one-on-ones, taking the step beyond extreme haunts and food. What? We're human. Humans talk about food. (Trust us, it makes total sense in context.)
All that plus your news and some notes that take us beyond theatre.
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Sophie Bortolussi is the choreographer and co-director of LA's immersive hit The Day Shall Declare It (which just announced an extension). Sophie sits down with host Noah Nelson in the back patio of the show right before a performance in the Arts District of DTLA (so, you know, it's gonna get loud) to talk about the show, how her training with the Martha Graham company led to a career in immersive theatre, and oh yeah: the art of all this stuff.
All that and the usual news and notes, brought to you this month by our friends at Drafty (drafty-app.com): a computer aided design tool for theatrical professionals. (And yes, we explain EXACTLY what that sentence was all about herein.)
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Steve Peters, host of The Story Forward Podcast--a show about the future of storytelling and entertainment--joins our own Noah Nelson for this hybrid of both shows. Fun fact: Steve and Noah have known each other for a few years now, but they've never sat down and had a one on one before now.
Another fun fact: Steve isn't just a podcast host, he's also an experience designer. Both with his company No Mimes Media and at other experience design houses Steve has worked on some of the biggest Alternate Reality Games ever. So big that he's still not allowed to mention some of them by name. But you're all some of the world's finest detectives, I'm sure you can figure them out.
Yes, it's a big show--with a big News & Notes to lead us in. One that includes Noah's super fresh impressions of Annie Lesser's 'Apartment 8' at the Hollywood Fringe Fest.
LET'S GET TO IT.
(And thanks for 50 episodes, y'all. Here's to 50 more.)
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In this oh so special episode hosts Noah and Zay connect for a little late-night philosophizing over the role of narrative in immersive experiences. This is one you're going to want to pour a drink and mull over.
Content warning: I think we might get a little salty. Frankly, it's been a minute. Better just avoid playing this around kids.
All that and the usual news and notes.
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The director of Second Skin, a site-adaptive piece currently performed on the Santa Monica beach, joins host Noah Nelson for a discussion about site-specific theatre. This one gets philosophical, but in a totally fun way.
All this plus the usual news & notes.
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Zay Amsbury (@zayamsbury) takes over the interview duties this week to talk with Jennine Willet and Elizabeth Carena of Third Rail Projects (@TRPNYC) about the development of the company's latest show The Grand Paradiseahead of its scheduled close at the end of May. Secrets are revealed, ideas dissected, and a rando calls in with some weird story.
All this and the usual news and notes from Noah Nelson on the West Coast.
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Noah is back in LA with lessons learned from his NYC trip inthis host-only episode.
We kick off with an extended news & notes before leaninginto some thoughts on The Grand Paradise,Accomplice, Then She Fell, Sleep NoMore, how to manage problem guests, and wrap with programnotes and a question for you, the No Pro audience.
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With Noah in New York City, No Pro's dynamic duo gets to go on an adventure together. They pick Janet Cardiff's 'Her Long Black Hair' an audio walking tour piece from 2004 that feels like it could have been made last week. Set in Central Park, 'Her Long Black Hair' takes listeners on a journey that can leave you feeling like you've slipped the bonds of times.
This episode was recorded in Central Park, NYC.
Access the play: https://phiffer.org/hlbh/
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One of our favorite shows of 2015 is returning to the site of its run in LA's Arts District. But what they found might surprise you... or not, if you know the Arts District.
The work to get The Day Shall Declare It back up on its feet for a May 10 bow has begun, and Wilderness founder Annie Saunders takes host Noah Nelson on a tour of the site where they talk about the future fate of the Arts District.
All that plus news, notes, and some advice on how to get in on the pre-sale for The Day Shall Declare It, which starts on April 9th.
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Host Noah Nelson (@noahjnelson) takes YOUR questions about the--still emerging--immersive art form.
All that, plus news and a special announcement about a favorite show returning to Los Angeles.
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Designer Uriah Findley (@theuriah) has been caught up with some of the most talked about long-form immersive experiences of the last decade. His work with Nonchalance on "The Jejune Institute" was documented in the film "The Institute" and he was instrumental in the building of "The Latitude," which reached its controversial conclusion in San Francisco this Fall.
In the wake of "The Latitude" Findley and game designer Anthony Rocco (@anthrocc) have teamed up to create their own experience design firm: Foma Labs.
Host Noah Nelson talks with Findley and Rocco about the ethics of experience design, how Foma approaches the work, and what lessons they both took away from "The Latitude."
Get your thinking caps on: we get philosophical up in here.
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Host Noah Nelson drops in on NoPro SF curator Albert Kong and gets a lesson in Bay Area public/prankster performance art, and a glimpse into how Albert approaches his version of the newsletter. A fun conversation to be sure! Get bonus content on Patreon
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Lauren Ludwig (Hamlet-Mobile, Lost Moon Radio) is the director and adaptor of And The Drum, a movement based immersive in LA's Koreatown that is one part dinner party and two parts exploration of the poetry of Martha Marion. The piece, performed at Marion's own home, is one of the more stunning pieces of work to be staged on LA's immersive scene in the past year.
Ludwig speaks with host Noah Nelson (@noahjnelson) about her process for And The Drum in this fast paced, insightful discussion.
All that and the usual news and notes.
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NEW YORK CITY: Zay Amsbury talks with Jennine Willett and Elizabeth Carena of Third Rail Projects, the company behind Then She Fell and The Grand Paradise. Settle in for a history of the company, a SECRET ORIGINS special if you will. (Ed. Note: No one but you will get that reference, Noah.)
In other words: this is the big one. The episode we've been dying to do since the start of the podcast... and we're less than a year old.
All that, plus Noah Nelson has the usual news and notes.
Sign up for the newsletter: NoProscenium.com.
Check out the Medium collection.
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We go off the beaten path this week to talk to the creators of Escape Room In A Box: The Werewolf Experience, which aims to bring the escape room genre home. The duo behind the game--Juliana Patel and Ariel Rubin--are two stay-at-home moms who love escape rooms but find it increasingly hard to get everything in order to get out to them. So they used their game playing acumen--and their theatre degrees, what???--to create a dramatic, at-home version of the phenomenon.
Come along as we talk about bringing he escape room experience home, and the pitfalls of crowdfunding--something I know more than a few of you have either considered or know a thing or two about yourselves.
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Artists Scott Hove and Baker's Son join host Noah Nelson, along with Think Tank gallery Creative Director Jacob Patterson and Arya Davachi--director of Rough Sleeper--which will be using the gallery's Break Bread installation as the backdrop for his show.
The conversation waxes philosophical about the nature of collaboration and the intersection between art installations and immersive theatre.
Rough Sleeper will play out on just two dates--March 3rd and 4th--at the gallery. The Break Bread installation will be open through March 13th.
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We talk a lot about Sleep No More and Then She Fell at the margins of this podcast. This week's guest--performer Haylee Nichele--has danced in both shows. We are lucky to count her amongst our friends.
On this week's episode we step through the looking glass and see what the immersive life is like from a performer's point of view. We also nerd out a lot.
Haylee's in Los Angeles these days, so Noah has the hosting duties this week.
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In the summer of last year Marike Splint, an incoming theatre professor at UCLA, reached out to us to talk about LA immersive theatre community. Now we visit Marike at her office on campus to talk about her experiences creating immersive performance and what the scene is like in The Netherlands, where she hails from.
It's a fun talk. All that plus a blast of News Notes. (The fastest in ages... the coffee is working!)
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This time out host Noah Nelson talks with Paul Stein, creator of The Car Plays and Moving Art's Lem Thornton about the origins of that show. Is it any surprise that there's a "necessity is the mother of invention" moral to the story?
And STICK AROUND after the interview because our intrepid host FORGOT something cool in the News & Notes. Unless you are listening to this after Saturday Jan 30th. In which case: you're too late.
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Host Noah Nelson talks with the folks at Play Collaborative Arts (Retrograde, Erotica)--Cole Rosner, Meredith Treinen, and Scott Monahan--about their take on devised work, making immersive theatre with an erotic charge, and the pitfalls of running an underground venue in LA's Arts District.
All that, plus the usual news, notes, and a tease of what's to come.
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After a too-long hiatus we are BACK and this time out we've got a special ALL CURATOR edition of the podcast. Noah (LA) and Zay (NYC) are joined by the all-new curator of the SF Edition: Albert Kong.
Together they form Voltron.
Just kidding. That takes FIVE curators.
Together they review the Best of 2015, the biggest surprises of last year, and look forward to what 2016 is going to bring. It's been a great year for immersive theatre and events, and the year ahead promises even more.
ALSO: be on the lookout for the WEST COAST EDITION of No Pro--launching THIS WEEK!
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Host Noah Nelson shares a little bit of the regional news, and then big parts of the plan for 2016 for No Pro--including the revised fate of No Proscenium SF!
PUBLICATION NOTE: Both the podcast AND the LA newsletter are taking a break next week. We'll be back in FORCE before Christmas.
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The creators of LA's living, experiential literary journal Enter>text, Henry Hoke and Marco DiDomenico, join host Noah Nelson to talk about bringing some immersive spice to the world of literary readings.
Enter>text is a fascinating beast, that proves that you can approach the open frame of immersive work from just about any angle in order to create compelling experiences.
All this, plus some big--albeit tentative--housekeeping news.
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Noah travels to the offices of the Think Well Group--experience designers extraordinaire--to talk about the shared worlds of immersive theatre and theme park design with a group of people who are passionate about both.
Vice President of Creative Development Dave Cobb (@DaveCobb) is joined by members of the creative brain trust--Kate McConnell (@AntiKate), Jeremy Thompson (@jkthompson72), and Dana Shaw (@thefakedana)--for a family style discussion that is probably way chiller than what happens at your Thanksgiving table. So come sit with us at the cool kid's table!
Also: Noah waxes POETIC about The Industry's HOPSCOTCH, which Jeremy was kind enough to drag him to when all hope looked to be lost.
More Twitter handles than you can handle:
@thinkwellgroup
@theindustryopera
@thebewcomedy
@ablehorwitz
All of which are there for a reason--just listen to the show already!
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Zay pops in from NYC to interview director Erin Mee (Versailles 2015, Ferry Play) about her immersive work and transforming public spaces into performance venues through unconventional means.
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Four core members of Los Angeles' The Speakeasy Society--Genevieve Gearheart, Julianne Just, Matthew Bamberg-Johnson and Chris Porter--join host Noah Nelson to talk about their recent seasonal special show 'The Hollow.'
Staged at Golden Road Brewery's own Speakeasy--Chloe's--'The Hollow' is an exploration of the work of Washington Irving centered on his classic 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' that mixes storytelling, dance, and immersive performance within the frame of dinner theatre.
We go deep this episode into how the show came together on a tight timeline.
Find the Speakeasy Society online: http://speakeasysociety.com
Speakeasy Society Twitter: @TheSpeakeasySoc
No Proscenium Twitter: @NoProscenium
Sign up for the No Proscenium Newsletter: noproscenium.com
Back the No Proscenium Patreon: patreon.com/noproscenium
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Miranda Wright, founder of Los Angeles Performance Practice and the Live Arts Exchange Festival in LA comes by No Pro HQ to talk with Noah about contemporary performance, producing, and the ways in which the relationship between performers and audience members are changing.
Wright--whose credits include not only LAX but The Day Shall Declare It and multiple shows at REDCAT--and her producing partner at LAPP have started a FREE ADVICE series at the Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles for artists who are looking to produce work.
www.losangelesperformancepractice.org
(Listen here to the "Episode Zero" of No Pro with Annie Saunders that gets mentioned in the show.)
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Get ready for a big episode as we sit down to talk about the crown jewels of Spooky Season--Haunts--with filmmaker Jon Schnitzer. His new documentary 'Haunters' is headed towards a release next year and has begun offering behind the scenes looks at the work ahead of release.
Also joining us on the podcast is host Noah Nelson's housemate, writer Priscilla Spencer, who shares with Noah and Jon her harrowing experiences at the infamous BLACKOUT.
This is a super fun conversation, and it's the perfect way to spend the time between Halloween parties! Just, you know, know that there's some cursing so: NSFW.
Check out the film at www.HauntersTheMovie.com where you can get early access as part of a late stage crowdfunding effort.
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Our man in New York, Zay Amsbury, sits down with Andrew Hoepfner--creator of Houseworld--to talk about the surrealist immersive show.
Meanwhile, in LA, Noah has the news and something like a short rant about ethical behavior regarding ticket sales. Because, you know, he gets cranky sometimes.
All this plus the usual nonsense.
Hi Abel!
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No Pro travels this week to La Jolla and the bi-annual Without Walls (WoW) Festival of immersive and site-specific performance. There we talk with Christopher Ashley, Artistic Director of both the Festival and the La Jolla Playhouse.
This is a can't-miss episode for the theatre makers in the audience.
All that plus the usual news and notes from Noah.
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Host Noah Nelson sits down with Matt Soson, founder of Crooked Grin (formerly A Working Theatre, a Sliver Lining) a production company working in both immersive theatre and virtual reality for a nice, ambling chat complete with cat visitations.
Hey: you don't win Best of LA Awards without a few cat visitations.
All that plus some news and notes!
This one contains swears.
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Zay Amsbury, our man in New Amsterdam--that's New York City, if you're not into Dutch Colonial American History--come through with a short and sweet one with BBQ Films' Gabriel Rhoads. These purveyors of immersive cinema are gearing up for the BLADE RAVE--an immersive showing of BLADE complete with a recreation of the iconic, bloody vampire rave. That will be going down on October 9th as part of New York's Super Week, presented by New York Comic Con.
Find out more at bbqfilms.com
Find more on Twitter: @bbqfilms, @zayamsbury, @noproscenium
Next week: a brief hiatus.
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What happens when you make a call for comments for an Open Forum about failure?
You get a very meta-episode where no one calls in.
So instead: some news and notes from our host Noah Nelson.
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Heidi Duckler, the founder of LA’s site-specific dance company Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre, joins host Noah Nelson to talk about her company’s 30th anniversary season including the upcoming Sophie & Charlie: a dance telenovela that runs for four weeks and culminates with a gala event.
All that plus the usual news and notes.
NEXT WEEK: Our second Open Forum episode. Listen for details, and send your voice memos to no_proscenium@outlook.com.
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Sam Roberts--the festival director of Indiecade, the independent festival of games-- knows a thing or two about theatre. He’s been directing and designing it for two decades now. Sam sits down with host Noah Nelson to talk about how game design can—and already does—influence immersive theatre in this thoughtful, philosophical chat.
Honestly, we could have gone on for hours.
Program note: the first half of the interview had a technical glitch with the mic (short answer: I made a rookie mistake) but the second half is spot on. (And now I know which button I’m looking for!)
Find No Proscenium all over the web. Twitter: @noproscenium. Newsletter: noproscenium.com. Medium: medium.com/no-proscenium.
Help make the podcast better, pledge to our Patreon: pattern.com/noproscenium.
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So, time to come clean: last week's episode was "in character." A kind of epilogue to the fantastic Hamlet-Mobile produced at this year's Hollywood Fringe Festival.
This episode is a real--no really--interview with the cast and actual creators of Hamlet-Mobile.Producer Monica Miklas and writer-director Lauren Ludwig join the actors-- Heather Ann Gottlieb, Lizzie Prestel, Hunter Seagroves, JB Waterman--and host Noah Nelson to talk about the actual creation of Hamlet-Mobile.
We assure you, these are real people.
Okay, one of them might be a raccoon in a human suit.
All that plus a boatload of news. Seriously. Like, too much news.
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Long time listeners of the podcast--we've only been around for four months, so not that long--know that there is a special place in our hearts for Hamlet-Mobile, the immersive theatrical installation from this year's Hollywood Fringe Festival that took place in a van.
In this very special episode of No Proscenium host Noah Nelson talks with the members of The Moving Shadow-- Lizzie, Heather Ann, James, and Hunter--the troupe of actors who fulfilled the last wishes of theatrical genius Marlon Pine in order to bring the microtheatre masterwork that was... is Hamlet-Mobile into our lives.
We apologize in advance for any distress the explicit language in this episode may cause.
Listener discretion advised.
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You know what, this is your show, and for all the talk we talk about "audience agency" it is about time that we went ahead and opened up the "phone lines." This is our first, and hopefully not our last, Open Forum episode featuring reviews and comments from the community.
We'll be doing another one of these next month, so find out where the Voice Memo app is on your phone or fire up GarageBand and shoot us a memo at no_proscenium@outlook.com.
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This minisode--recorded in a car and at the Oculus Story Studio's press event for Henry--features some clips from Oculus' Edward Saatchi, producer of the Story Studio, on how his team views their exploration of immersive entertainment. (Oculus, for those who don't keep up with tech stuff, is the company that makes virtual reality headsets and has captured the imagination of the tech world.)
Next Week: our first Open Forum send in your reviews/questions/comments to no_proscenium@outlook.com.
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Hey gang, just a few quick notes this week before we head up to the SF Bay Area. Get bonus content on Patreon
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The heads of No Pro East and West meet up to talk about the ellusive "I" word, what keeps them passionate about this whole "open frame theatre movement" and just what the hell goes on in their heads when they are putting together the newsletter.
If you're a producer looking to know what it takes to make the cut: this one is for you. If you're an enthusiast looking to understand some of the intriciies and mysteries of the scene, yeah, we do some of that too.
This one was incredibly fun to make.
Content Advisory: Noah curses just like he does in real life.
Find us on Twitter: @noproscenium, @zayamsbury, @noahjnelson
Help make the podcast even better (becasue it's getting more expensive to produce!)
patreon.com/noproscenium
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Juliet Bennett Rylah (LAist) and Abel Horwitz (Urban Death at Zombie Joe's Underground Theater) join host Noah Nelson to talk about Escape Rooms and Haunts in the LA area and what makes a good interactive show. Get bonus content on Patreon
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Get ready to dig in. Host Noah Nelson gets into the nuts and bolts of the creative process that drove writer Annie Lesser's Getting To Know You, one of the sleeper surprises at the 2015 Hollywood Fringe Festival.
All that plus a quick update on the world of immersives this week.
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Brent Bushnell co-founder and CEO of Two Bit Circus--a motely crew of Entertainment Engineers--joins host Noah Nelson. Bushnell isn't just involved with immersive entertainment professionally, he's also the LA area's number one fan of the work. Listen is as he and Noah dig deep into what's exciting in the world of immersibve and interactive experiences today.
Plus the usual news, and more.
Two Bit Circus (@twobitcircus)
No Proscenium (@noproscenium)
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A quick episode this week (with a little set-up) as Lauren Ludwig and Monica Miklas, producers of Hamlet-Mobile at the 2015 Hollywood Fringe Festival join host Noah Nelson to talk about their interactive, immersive, and mobile show. It's like a food truck... for Hamlet.
All this plus the usual updates from the immersive world.
Follow Hamlet-Mobile on Twitter (@hamletmobile). Catch up with No Proscenium on Twitter (@noproscenium) and send us tips/announcements via email: no_proscenium@outlook.com.
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Director Mikhael Tara Garver has been doing immersive and interactive theatre work for over a decade and a half now. She coined the term "Open Frame" to talk about the continuum of work that she's developed, and that tends to fall under "immersive" in it's squishy, catch-all usage.
No Proscenium New York's Zay Amsbury talks with Garver in Brooklyn about Open Frame as a concept and about Garver's latest directorial effort, Dean Poynor's Together We Are Making A Poem In Honor Of Life. (The play is reccomended for audiences over the age of 16.)
On Twitter: follow @ZayAmsbury, @MTGarver, @honoroflifeplay, @NoProscenium
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Everything is backwards!
Recent guest Jennifer Chang (Chalk Rep's Diet of Worms) becomes the host and No Prosceium founder Noah Nelson is the guest as Jennifer seeks the answer to the question: What is No Proscenium?
If you've been wondering that youself, this is the episode you won't want to miss.
Find No Pro on Twitter: @NoProscenium, at Patreon: patreon.com/noproscenium, and on Medium: medium.com/no-proscenium
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The second part of our conversation with Chalk Rep's Jennifer Chang: this time we zero in on the company's new work: Diet of Worms.
Subscribe to the No Proscenium newsletter at NoProscenium.com! Help make the podcast better via our Patreon campaign at Patreon.com/NoProscenium.
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Jennifer Chang, Producing Artistic Director at Chalk Repretory Theatre and director of their upcoming show Diet of Worms joins host Noah Nelson for the first in a series of interviews about the site-responsive company's work, diversity in casting, and a whole lot more.
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The second part of our two-parter with Jamie Peterson (At An Appointed Time). Focusing on his creative process when working in interactive theatre. Hosted by Noah Nelson (@noahjnelson).
Plus: the latest news from No Proscenium. Keep up with @NoProscenium on Twitter, subscribe to the newsletter at noprosceium.com and support the podcast at patreon.com/noproscenium.
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In this, the first of a two part talk with Jamie Peterson, host Noah Nelson digs into what the creator of last year's At An Appointed Timelooks for when he's exploring Los Angeles' immersive scene.
That plus the latest news from No Proscenium in this, the second of our podcasts. Keep up with @NoProscenium on Twitter, subscribe to the newsletter at noprosceium.com and support the podcast at patreon.com/noproscenium.
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For the first episode of the podcast Julianne Just and Genevieve Gearhart, founders of Los Angeles’ The Speakeasy Society (Ebenezer, The Stronger), join Noah to talk about their approach to immersive theatre and the company’s next production: The Quick and The Dead. Get bonus content on Patreon
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