Attendees of South by Southwest (SXSW) this year should get ready to be scared as two of the world’s experts in horror expereinces will be there.
In what is said to be anything but the usual technology showcase, Directors, producers and virtual reality (VR) creators Jon Schnitzer and Joel Zika will be sharing their stories of horrifying haunts, dark rides and VR from around the world. The two are responsible for scaring countless people around the world thanks to their engaging and cutting edge simulations. In a one-hour talk the pair will be exploring where it all began, the controversies facing interactive horror artists today and what they think will be the next wave of immersive entertainment.
Guests of the talk can expect to gave an insight into what makes these two creators tick along with why people love to be scared and horror attractions are among some of the most popular. The talk will also explore the evolution of immersive entertain and how far is too far when scaring people.
Jon Schnitzer is the co-owner of The Brain Factory, and has been involved in creating horror attractions and immersive projects for Tim Burton, YouTube RED Studios and even produced 3D ghost illusions for President Obama’s first Halloween party at the White House. He also created a feature film documentary title Haunters: The Art of the Scare which is available now.
Joel Zika is a senior Academic at Deakin University and the only professor specialising in haunted attractions. He has spent his career exploring the long-lost art of the American dark ride and is using Virtual Reality to save them. His VR project captures the oldest Ghost Trains, Mill Rides and Haunted Houses at amusement parks all over the world. His Dark Ride Project is among one of the most popular VR projects in the world of scares, offering a full 360 scare experience.
The talk, titled Immersive Horror Experiences, will be taking place on 14th March at 12:30pm (CST) until 1:30pm (CST) in room 6AB at the Austin convention center.
In other SXSW news, Read Player One will be taking over the Brazos Hall to create a two-story experience. This will include plenty of Ready Player One themed attractions including a VR experience powered by HTC Vive. The Ready Player One Experience at SXSW will be open from Friday, 9th March until Sunday, 11th March. The SXSW conference will continue on until the 18th March, 2018.
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