This week in the interview we talk with the one, the only, Steve Boyle; CEO of Epic Immersive.

From immersive hackathons in Paris to swing dancing in Japanese internment camps, we cover a whole lot of ground! We start by discussing steve’s background which starts with performance education in Thailand, India, and Indonesia while attending NYU, and ends in the unexpected origins of Epic Immersive. We trace the line between producing 100 actor shows, creating immersive work in China, and starting a secretive immersive incubator in San Francisco. Finally, we land on the part speaker series, part video game experience that is the upcoming ‘This Immersive Globe’.

You can find the complete show notes and more details on the guests and experiences at this page on the Immersion Nation Website

This week in the interview, we talk with David and Lisa Sipra; the co-founders of Room Escape Artist, the most prolific publication covering escape rooms and the escape room industry.

We start by talking about Lisa and David’s first escape rooms and how Room Escape Artist (or REA for short) came to be. Next, we move on to discuss how escape rooms are contending with the COVID-19 pandemic. And finally, we go in-depth on the creation of the first annual RECON, or Reality Escape Convention, which has been meticulously designed to take advantage of the online medium.

You can find the complete show notes and more details on the guests and experiences at this page on the Immersion Nation Website

This week in the interview, we talk with two seasoned immersive performers, Amber Lawson, and Erik Abbot-Main. One who’s principle experience comes from immersive dance in New York City, and the other from interactive acting in Los Angeles. Their professional backgrounds couldn’t be more different, which makes the similarities in their tactics and strategies as immersive performers even more striking.

We discuss how they invite their audiences into the world of an experience. Contrast the disciplines of immersive dance and immersive acting. And finally, explore the mercurial and beautiful experience of performing immersive art both for and with an audience.

You can find the complete show notes and more details on the guests and experiences at this page on the Immersion Nation Website

This week in the interview we get some fresh perspective from outside the immersive community, talking  with Jorge Demoya and Julian Rodriguez about the virtual reality experience, The VOID.

We explore the delta between the reactions of a gamer and a non-gamer to this industry staple and go in-depth on ‘Ralph Breaks VR’. Finally, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the mixed VR and real-world experience that has made The VOID a leader in the immersive space. 

You can find the complete show notes, time markers, and more details on the guests and experiences at this page on the Immersion Nation Website

This week in the interview, we talk with Kendra Slack and Jordan Chlapecka of Linked Dance Theatre, a group based in New York City that creates immersive experiences that utilize a multitude of mediums in their work, but of course, emphasize dance.

We talk about: Their paths and how Linked Dance Theatre somewhat organically broke down that fourth wall. Their most recent in-person immersive experience, ‘Remembrance’. The adventure and challenge of creating ‘Remembrance’ on Governors Island, which is right off the south tip of Manhattan. We discuss the concept of creating an immersive experience in the world of Guillermo del Toro’s ‘The Shape of Water’. And, naturally, touch on a multitude of other topics, including a mid-20th-century group of artists and activists called the Situationists who could very well be considered the philosophical grandparents of the rising Experience Economy.

You can find the complete show notes and more details on the guests and experiences at this page on the Immersion Nation Website

This week in the interview we talk with experience designer Tommy Honton about finding hidden magic in the world and Tommy's origin story. The creation of Stash House, LA. Why the Los Angeles legislature is confused about immersive entertainment. The art of the 2nd or 3rd impression and how Tommy used his unique way of connecting with people to find his way onto the path of the professional immersive experience designer. And so much more.

Note: This is the first episode of season 2 and as such, we’re going to be doing things a little differently! -- Each episode will have 3 segments

First, a comprehensive explanation of the relevant experiences and an introduction of the guest. Second, the interview as always. Third, the Immersion Community Briefing, where we take a few minutes to discuss the happenings in the immersive world over the course of the last week.

This week there are two relevant experiences. First, being StashHouse and the second being The Museum of Selfies.


Visit the page for this podcast on the ImNation Site for complete show notes! 

The results are in!

For all of you who voted. Thank you so much for taking the time helping to help support both your favorite immersive experiences, creators, and the immersive community! On January 28th, we reached out to a myriad of wonderful immersive creators...

Now, 18 days and couple thousand votes later, we’re back to invoke the names of 2019’s most remarkable immersive experiences. These experiences, both the recipients and the and nominees of the Immersion Awards, helped move both the entire immersive community -and the immersive world as a whole- to a turning point in 2019. 

The immersive revolution, movement, wave? The Immersive Renaissance that is already shaping the entertainment landscape of 2020 was aided, in earnest, by these 16 experiences. 

Welcome to the 3rd and final part of this roundtable discussion on immersive entertainment and it impacts on the real world.

Joining us we have Caroline Murphy, Chief Creative Officer of Incantrix Productions. Jessica Creane, founder of IKANTKOAN Games. Justin Fyles, Co-founder and Managing Director of Any One Thing. And Risa Puno, creator of The Privilege of Escape and Creative Time’s first open call artist.

In this episode, we push out to the edges of reality and ask the question… What happens when we’re all creating immersive experiences for -and with- each other? When the line between the hyperreal and the surreal begins to blur into daily life?

I should say, it might be a little tricky to jump in here if you haven’t heard part 1 and or part 2 because here, the concrete cadence of the conversation begins to transmute into the white-hot liquid theory around this increasingly immersive world we live in.

Last time, we left off wondering how empathy, of all things, could be a destructive force. Well now, we talk about that- and how to avoid it. How to lend yourself to a shared moment in a way that respects the unimaginable experience of another person. All that, and so much more.

Selected Links:

• Caroline Murphy
• Incantrix Productions
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Sinking Ship Creations
    • Calculations
• Jessica Creane
• IKANTKOAN Games
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
    
    
• Justin Fyles
• Any One Thing
  • Souvenir
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
• Risa Puno
• The Privilege of Escape
  • Instagram 
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

This is part two of the three-part roundtable discussion on the real-world impact of immersive entertainment. This, in many ways, is the perfect set of episodes to be airing now, because this is the time of year where many so many people, subcultures, and industries zoom out to look at the broader picture. Where have we come from? Where is this all going? And what in the world does this all mean anyway? Well, I can think of very few people who are more qualified to help lend some clarity to these questions for the immersive community in 2020.

Joining us we have Caroline Murphy, Chief Creative Officer of Incantrix Productions, Jessica Creane, founder of IKANTKOAN Games, Justin Fyles, Co-founder and Managing Director of Any One Thing, and Risa Puno, creator of The Privilege of Escape and Creative Time’s first open call artist.

If you’re jumping in here and want more context for our contemplative immersive creators, they all have their own episodes on the podcast. They also introduce themselves in the first episode.

Selected Links:

• Caroline Murphy
• Incantrix Productions
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
• Jessica Creane
• IKANTKOAN Games
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
• Justin Fyles
• Any One Thing
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
• Risa Puno
• The Privilege of Escape
  • Instagram 
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

Mentioned:

• 2019 Immersion Awards: Nominations
• 2019 Immersion Awards: Voting
• Caroline’s Immersion Nation Podcast interview
• Jessica’s Immersion Nation Podcast interview
• Justin’s Immersion Nation Podcast interview 
• Risa’s Immersion Nation Podcast interview •pt 1
• Risa’s Immersion Nation Podcast interview •pt 2
• Mattie Bryce: game designer

Chapter Markers can be found here