#7 Candles, memory, and the value of new perspective -Christoff Visscher

06/27/19 • 52 min

Description:
An immersive experience based on memory and scent. Christoff Visscher has learned how to harness the link between nostalgia and our sense of smell to create emotionally resonant stories, worlds, and perspective. Through Cantrip Candles and Tales By Candlelight, he is exploring the way a candle can represent a place, rather than just a thing.
Perspective is invaluable but tricky to gain and attain. In this episode we talk about Immersion as a way of having perspective on tap, and the difference between escapism and play. In Christoff’s words “I look at escapism is running away, and I look at immersing as running towards...” Let’s unpack that a bit.

Make it immersive:
Harry Potter

Selected Links:

Show Notes:

Making candles [1:58]
Scent and memory [5:05]
What is tales by candlelight? [7:10]
The why behind Christoff [8:42]
Escapism vs. Play (the value of play [11:20]
Favorite fictional world [13:20]
Make it immersive [15:00]
Perspective shift and self understanding [20:23]
What does Christoff tell the uninitiated about immersive experience? [23:24]
The balance of curiosity [27:00]
Another perspective on Galaxy’s edge [27:58]
Christof’s favorite candle [30:45]
Identity anchor and reaction videos [32:37]
The impact of immersive experience [34:40]
‘What do we want people to feel?’ [36:50]
What we don’t know, (+bad neuroscience) [40:50]
‘A price must be paid’ + Applied empathy [42:50]
Why tales by candlelight is slowing down [47:40]
Finding burnout [49:20]

Make it immersive:
Harry Potter

Selected Links:

Show Notes:

Making candles [1:58]
Scent and memory [5:05]
What is tales by candlelight? [7:10]
The why behind Christoff [8:42]
Escapism vs. Play (the value of play [11:20]
Favorite fictional world [13:20]
Make it immersive [15:00]
Perspective shift and self understanding [20:23]
What does Christoff tell the uninitiated about immersive experience? [23:24]
The balance of curiosity [27:00]
Another perspective on Galaxy’s edge [27:58]
Christof’s favorite candle [30:45]
Identity anchor and reaction videos [32:37]
The impact of immersive experience [34:40]
‘What do we want people to feel?’ [36:50]
What we don’t know, (+bad neuroscience) [40:50]
‘A price must be paid’ + Applied empathy [42:50]
Why tales by candlelight is slowing down [47:40]
Finding burnout [49:20]

Previous Episode

#6 Opting out, consent, and the Immersive revolution -Spencer Williams

Description:

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 Weinblum 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]

Next Episode

#8 You are seen, you are essential: Relearning play with -The Speakeasy Society’s artistic directors

For 7 years Artistic Directors Genevieve Gearhart, Julianne Just, and Matthew Bamberg-Johnson of the Speakeasy society have shown LA’s immersive community the evolution of an artform. With more experience than most working in the LA area, they have a unique understanding of the word ‘play’ and why it’s so important to their work.
The Speakeasy Society is responsible for works like:
The Kansas Collection: A 10 part epic exploring the world of OZ
The Johnny Cycle: a series about lost youth and the horrors of war- based on Dalton Trumbo’s ‘Johnny Got His Gun’.
And Under the Bigtop: A series on time travel and the mystery of a 1928 circus -in collaboration with Two Bit Circus
For any in the LA area: as of 7/5/19, they are currently working to remount the Johnny Cycle and are looking for folks interested in living through a glimpse of that world.

Make it immersive:

The Magicians [15:00]

Selected links:

Speakeasy society
Johnny cycle: Vidya
Kansas collection
The magicians
Dragon Lance
Forgotten realms
Edith Wharton: age of innocence
Immersive Design Summit
Agousto Boal
Invisible theater
No Proscenium
Indiecade festival
GOAT test
Knotts Berry Farm: Ghost Town Alive
Hollywood fringe festival
The Pod
Meow Wolf
Johnny got his gun
Dalton Trumbo
Two Bit Circus
Under the Big Top

Show Notes:

Introductions & Favorite worlds? [1:55]

What kind of experience are you trying to give your audience? [7:57]

Setting the stage & onboarding [12:56]

Value of play:

-Genevieve Gearhart [17:28]

-Matthew Bamberg-Johnson [19:23]

-Julianne Just [21:40]

Art and personal reflection [24:25]

Veterans healing through immersion [25:05]

Make it immersive: The magicians [28:10]

Starting with the test & a secret entrance [30:25]

No two experiences alike [33:35]

Rationing resources with a group [38:50]

What do you tell the uninitiated about immersion [40:30]

You have importance, you are seen.. [40:50]

Should you surprise a friend with immersion? [43:40]

Immersion on the horizon: Thoughts on star wars, VR, and collaboration [45:50]

LA Immersive Supergroup [51:11]

GET IMMERSED: A billboard [54:20]
What Speakeasy has on the horizon [59:42]

A collaboration with Two Bit Circus: ‘Under the Big Top’ [1:03:18]

The means, team, and times of Speakeasy Society [1:05:27]

Immersion Nation Podcast - #7 Candles, memory, and the value of new perspective -Christoff Visscher

Transcript

spk_1: 0:00
our memories are closely linked to our sense of smell. The way something smells is timeless. In an instant, you could be transported to another life, another world, another you. Today we're joined by an alchemist of memory, founder of Can Trick candles and the co creator of Tales by Candlelight. I give you Christoph fixture.
spk_0: 0:22
I look at escapism as running away, and I look at immersing as running towards still Don't know what t