Spencer Williams has followed a common thread. From documentary, to haunted corn mazes, to boutique immersive experiences for only 1 to 3 guests. The desire to watch a story, a world, a new perspective unfold brought him to the front edge of immersive entertainment.

Creating Walk the Night Immersive, Spencer has developed Tales by Candlelight, The Guest and the Host, and a number of other productions in collaboration with world renowned Bluebarn theatre.

As part of the first cohort of immersive creators, Spencer has helped give legs to the immersive revolution; he, like many others, found a home on the front lines of this changing landscape and decided to stay.

Make it immersive:

Creating magic realism: [2:15] 

Selected Links from episode:

• Walk the Night
• Tales By Candlelight
• Grand Rapids, MI [shameless hometown plug]
• Capital W
• Two Bit Circus
• Galaxy’s edge
• Speakeasy Society
• Immersive Sweeny todd
• SXSWestworld
• Scent marketing
• Immersive Design Summit
• Jenny Weinbloom of Meow Wolf
• Geoffrey Jackson Scott: Peoplmovr
• Ceaseless fun
• Giant Spoon
• Santa Monica Pier: (does strange things)
• The Guest and the Host: make music

Show Notes:

• Make it immersive [2:15]
• Using personal context to build worlds [13:30]
• Building options and making a new fields [18:45]
• Immersive impacting students [21:02]
• Immersive impact on theatre [22:28]
• Immersive advertising [25:16]
• Scent marketing + awareness [26:43]
• Stepping carefully [27:48]
• Immersive revolution: “What are we revolting against” [30:40]
• The importance of questioning + extended fandom [31:40]
• Facebook, consent, and why Opt-out, not Opt-in? [33:55]
• ‘Move fast and break things’ vs. sustainability [37:37]
• High potential immersive creators [41:27]
• Spencer’s work & details of the experiences [45:03]
• Changes in ‘Tales by Candlelight’ booking [50:08]
• Audience ask: ‘Find what’s near you’ [54:17]