Shadow Falls

Winter 2018 | Professor Charlie Otte | Group Project with Nathan Evans and Meredith Zhang

(all individual work unless noted)

PROJECT

Pitch an idea for a brand new theme park and create a master plan with two other classmates.

Include attractions, food and beverage, merchandise, entertainment, and facilities
Include separate themed lands that are thematically different yet complimentary

This was a 10-week project.

STORY - PARKWIDE

Welcome to Shadow Falls, a tiny town where nothing is as it seems.

Whether dealing with an alleged alien invasion, hushing up government conspiracies, or trying to keep Bigfoot at bay, the town's residents seem to have their hands full with the paranormal, paranatural, and just plain strange. You won't hear this from them, though, and you certainly didn't hear it from me. The town tries hard to maintain a sense of normalcy and is eager to welcome guests.

HIGH CONCEPT

Shadow Falls is an immersive, experiential theme park rooted in story. The park is relatively small and contains few traditional attractions.

The park is a living story that can grow and evolve over time through multiple visits. The park is connected to a large-scale Alternate Reality Game which expands beyond the borders of the park. Within the gates, costumed actors roam the streets and interact with guests. Details in shop windows, queues, and signage reveal new clues.

Shadow Falls is a love letter to classic thriller/mystery genre TV shows and films including Twin Peaks and Stranger Things, as well as an ode to all unexplained phenomena. It is the world that conspiracy theorists believe that we already live in. Here, guests take on the leading role in their own mystery adventure.

Process

Each member of the class pitched three theme park concepts to the professor. From these concepts, three were chosen for the class to develop. My pitch for an unexplained phenomena-themed park was one of the ideas chosen.

I was assigned to a group with Nathan Evans and Mengyuan Zhang (website links below). Together, we developed an overall narrative for the park and established the unifying time and place as a small town in the Pacific Northwest sometime in the late 80s or early 90s. I chose to lead the design of the land called First Street, our entry land and main food and merchandise hub.

STORY - FIRST STREET

With only two main streets (First and Second) and one traffic light, Downtown Shadow Falls doesn't look like much, but what it lacks in bustle it makes up in heart. Many of the town's families have lived here for generations, giving the place a homey, familial feel. Of course, a scandal has the potential to shake this town to its core, but luckily, the town has largely stayed off the map.

At first glance, First Street seems like any typical small town...but look deeper, and you'll notice that things feel a bit off. It's as though reality is tilted on a Dutch angle. You keep seeing shadows out of the corner of your eye. There is a faint buzzing. Something is off...but we promise, this is all quite normal for Shadow Falls.

Welcome to our town! Don't hesitate to ask any of the townsfolk if you need anything. Because you know, you're never alone in Shadow Falls.

team

Nathan Evans | Concept Art | Show Set Design | Creative Development: Ipsoot Forest

Meredith Zhang | 3D Modelling