S7E11 - Everything Immersive: Noah Nelson of No Proscenium

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

“I have irrational exuberance about the future of immersive.”

Whether you work in the immersive theater space, or have more than a passing interest in the immersive arts, chances are you’ve seen Noah Nelson at an immersive event, or listened to his coverage of it on the No Proscenium podcast. Or maybe you’ve read about it on their weekly newsletter. Whether it’s reviews of immersive theater shows, thought pieces on the term “immersive” or articles on how to break into the immersive industry, No Proscenium has it covered.

After attending Sleep No More and Then She Fell, Noah he came out of these experiences with his mind on fire. He started compiling a list of upcoming immersive shows to share with his friends, which eventually became the No Proscenium website, an incredible resource for all things immersive.

On the podcast, Noah shares insights from his decades long coverage of immersive, including how immersive theater and escape rooms can learn from each other. I especially appreciated hearing him talk about teaching immersive at the college level and hearing about the passion that his students have for the medium.

“They're obsessed with the idea of telling stories this way. They want to figure out how to make a good immersive experience, right? It's not cynical at all. They believe in the power of the form. And that's what takes all of this from being a fad and becoming a medium and industry is that the love of the form is such that people pursue it at any cost.”

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to check out the No Proscenium Podcast.

Timestamps & Full Show Notes

Episode Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, & RECON, the Reality Escape Convention:

Morty

Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.

Morty News:

• Morty now features haunt attractions
• Morty for Android is here

Special Badge for REPOD listeners:

You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).

Buzzshot

Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS.

Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:

REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.

COGS

COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when.

Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:

REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.

RECON - The Reality Escape Convention

Our convention, RECON, will be in Universal City, California on August 18th & 19th, 2024.

RECON offers a curated collection of talks and experiences exploring the business and art of escape room and immersive game creation. All are welcome at this event that is crafted around professionals and aspiring professionals.

Tickets are on sale now at RealityEscapeCon.com

Production Credits

Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law

Produced by Theresa Piazza

Supported by Lisa Spira, Richard Burns, and Tommy Honton

Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media

Music by Ryan Elder

Logo by Janine Pracht