Introduction to tech-driven immersive theater
In The Nest, an immersive show currently running in Los Angeles, audience members sift through an abandoned storage unit to slowly uncover the story of its owner. Creators Jeff Leinenveber and Jarrett Lantz wanted to coax people through the story rather than lead them through it more obviously. They created a custom Arduino flashlight that the audience used to explore the space, but whose functionality could be controlled remotely. "We use it at precise moments for either cinematic effect or to help guide an audience member,” says Larantz. When audience members are getting off track, or exploring the wrong area, the show runners will trigger the flashlight and it will flicker or go out. “People will naturally gravitate towards the next thing,” says Leinenveber.
This could be automated using beacon technology like in The Raven, of course, but Lantz and Leinenveber instead opted for the human touch.
Project Amelia —a branching narrative, immersive send-up of big tech, created by Bricolage in Pittsburgh. The experience took place in a 20,000 sq. ft. former gym, involving multiple story tracks and ten possible different endings. This was far too much for a backstage team to keep tabs on. The solution? Allow the actors on stage to cue scenes and lighting changes from their own devices in real time.
See the full story with useful links at the end here: https://sway.office.com/1mZxInQjMafAtvpX?ref=Link&loc=play&fbclid=IwAR23jVsPmm2q31qUUZ0oR0MIGiWnRTz-Poxp94t09X6rJw-nsRy6ILowLog