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. Settl...
Mar 25, 2022•57 min•Season 1Ep. 336
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 li...
Mar 24, 2022•23 min
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 tha...
Mar 19, 2022•58 min
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 - Di...
Mar 18, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 335
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...
Mar 17, 2022•38 min
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 17, 2022•55 min
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. ...
Mar 11, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 334
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 he...
Mar 04, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 333
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 ...
Mar 04, 2022•50 min
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...
Feb 25, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 332
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 24, 2022•47 min
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 ...
Feb 18, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 331
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 17, 2022•55 min
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 m...
Feb 11, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 330
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. Hosted on...
Feb 10, 2022•57 min
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: t...
Feb 04, 2022•59 min•Season 1Ep. 329
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...
Feb 03, 2022•44 min
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 w...
Jan 28, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 328
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:...
Jan 21, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 327
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 Hosted on Aca...
Jan 14, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 326
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 31, 2021•1 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 325
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 He...
Dec 24, 2021•1 hr 45 min•Season 1Ep. 324
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...
Dec 18, 2021•1 hr 47 min•Season 1Ep. 323
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 Imme...
Dec 10, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 322
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...
Dec 09, 2021•51 min
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 &am...
Dec 03, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 321
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...
Dec 02, 2021•1 hr
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 ...
Nov 25, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 320
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 whi...
Nov 19, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 319
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 18, 2021•1 hr 4 min
