Writer and Storyteller
Telfair Epperson
THED@SCAD Experience
My role: Research and Writing Team
About
Project
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Craft an enthralling and captivating adventure for prospective Bees and their families to discover during SCAD Day. Furthermore, this remarkable experience can be customized to suit the unique atmospheres of IAAPA and TEA Mixers.
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Blue sky and concept phase of project
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The build and digital components will be built during the winter quarter of 2024 (January - March)
My Responsibilities
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Theme Research
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Beat list for overall experience
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​​Treatment
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Show Scripts
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Nomenclature
Research and Writing Team Deliverables
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Logline
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collaborative​
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Overview
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Erin Compton​
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Character Backstory
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Erin Compton​
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Beat lists
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collaborative​
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Treatment
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Show Scripts
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Copy
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Erin Compton​
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Journey Map
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Erin Compton​
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Nomenclature
Brief
Maya, a SCAD alum, needs your help designing the experience of a lifetime for a new theme park. Become a themed entertainment designer and design something of your own in this interactive experience, watching in excitement as your creation comes to life before your eyes.
Overview
Maya Rodriguez, ten years after graduating from SCAD, wants help from the SCAD Day guests in designing experiences for a new theme park. Groups of guests are welcomed into the garden outside her cozy Savannah office, called Enchanted Entertainments, to make design choices including the theme, type, and some specifications for several different themed entertainment venues. Once the designs are complete, guests enter Maya’s office to see their creations come to life and find a place within the new theme park. Guests leave with an increased knowledge of the scope of themed entertainment and reassurance that themed entertainment design is a potential career with opportunities for success.
Maya's Backstory
When Maya Rodriguez graduated from SCAD ten years ago, she had a job lined up with a company doing exciting things in the industry thanks to her networking and summer internship experience. After four years with that company and the opening of a new theme park, she spent the next few years doing all sorts of design work for a smaller company and diversifying her skillset. Her favorite things about the themed entertainment industry are always learning new things and watching families enjoy her designs.
Eventually she felt called back to her second home, the city of Savannah, and decided to start doing freelance work there. She found a cute office space downtown in one of the renovated old houses and set up shop. With her network of associates from SCAD and her time outside of Savannah, the clients started coming quickly, and she has found steady work. Her clients include everyone from theme parks to museums to some of the local restaurants.
One of the things she loves about Savannah is the chance to interact with and mentor the students, and with her business picking up she is planning on hiring a couple of local interns. In her design philosophy, she recognizes that all sorts of people with all sorts of skills find their home in themed entertainment, just as she found her own home in the SCAD THED department.
Beats
For Overall Experience
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Guest Walk in
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Greeted by Professor/Docent
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In queue, guests pass by the facade of Maya's studio
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A docent directs (6) guests to the kiosks (2 guests per kiosk)
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On the kiosk screen, Maya greets guests
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Maya describes problem
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Detailed options for guests to design experience
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They make their final decision–Congratulations!
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Guests head inside to see design
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Maya begins talking and projection mapping starts
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Reintroduces problem and shows off guests' designs
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Maya ends with an inspirational quote and reveals the name of what the park
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Projection mapping stays up for photos
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Thanking guests for their help–hope to see you soon!
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Guests exit, receive QR code card, and view student work around the corner
For Video Show
Guests enter
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Lights Dim
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Lights Come up on White Model
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Maya congratulates guests on completing the designs
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Sunrise shines over an empty lot
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Basic color patterns show up on model
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Ride starts to coalesce as Maya talks about the ride (30 seconds)
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Family dark ride through space in this case!
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Ride fades out, then the restaurant starts to coalesce and get described (30 seconds)
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Then the exhibit
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Then finally the outdoor spaces to tie the land together
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All areas come back up and Maya describes how they tie together (30 seconds)
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Thank you for your help, I hope to see you again soon!
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Guests leave through demonstration of student work
Treatment
Maya, a SCAD alum, needs your help designing the experience of a lifetime for a new theme park. Become a themed entertainment designer and design something of your own in this interactive experience, watching in excitement as your creation comes to life before your eyes.
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This new installation can be found in room 112 in Montgomery Hall, where a welcoming professor and student docent wait in hopeful excitement to greet guests. The interactive stands proudly, exhibiting what makes THED at SCAD different: the preservation of the past housing the designers of the future. Beautiful and historic red brick with moss and ivy draping pulls the guests to the queue. The name of Maya’s studio, Enchanted Entertainment, hangs close to the entrance. As guests make their way through, a classic bay window invites them to take a quick peek into Maya’s studio.
*Updated version coming soon
A SCAD alumna sticker proudly sits on the window glass. Within is a small, bay window seating area. Textbooks relating to different themed entertainment concepts rest on the cushioned, bay window seat. Sticky notes and tabs spill out of them. A cute, little cat is curled up either on the books or on the little bed next to them. It is using an Art the Bee plushie as a pillow. If space allows, guests may also notice a mug with the SCAD logo/Maya’s logo holding pencils, pens, drafting tools, and paintbrushes. A halfway finished, miniature piece of concept art rests against it or near it. A corner of a halfway finished draft of a building hangs out of the books. It may also be tucked under something, seeming as though the object is trying to keep the draft from rolling back up.
Walking by the bay window, a docent instructs guests to pass through a gated archway to a small garden space connected to the historic Savannah house. On the right, a gate connected to the archway leads guests further in. There are two freestanding touchscreens framed by iron, much like the historical markers across the historic district in Savannah. On the left, the Savannah brick continues with ivy and moss draping from above. Two touchscreens are mounted to the wall and framed by small ceramic or iron water fountains. Though a small garden space, guests do not feel cramped due to the staggering of the touchscreens.
The touchscreens come alive as the guests interact with them. Upon pressing the start button on the screen, guests are encouraged to enter their name, making the interactions with Maya, our SCAD alumni, more personable. If guests have been through the experience before, they simply have to scan the card they received before with the scanner (text instructing them to do so on screen). The screen changes and Maya welcomes the guests to the experience and explains the project (ride, restaurant, museum, outside) she needs the guests help in designing. Maya presents the guests with 3 or 4 rounds of options to choose from to design the project. During each round, the screen displays the options, descriptions, and examples of each. Maya introduces each category and option, and also gives advice and/or some quips about the category/options. Each category gives more detailed options as the guests go. Note: each screen has a time limit to keep the guests moving and the final product is not shown on the screen. Upon choosing the last option, the screen shows their final design and Maya congratulates them on designing the project. Maya can’t wait to see how it turns out!
From there, Maya or a docent directs the guests to enter through the door at the back of the garden to see their designs come to life. Inside, a tiered and angled table with four different white models awaits guests at the end of the room. The walls are covered in molding and tasteful wallpaper. Hanging on the walls are finished concept art and blueprints showing off student work. A few SCAD posters may line the walls but do not overtake the student work. A corkboard filled with current and/or past SCAD bees notes, tips, and insights encourages future SCAD bees to join THED at SCAD. The docent encourages guests to let their future SCAD bees stand in front of the models.
On the table, each model represents one of the designs each guest created. There are paintbrushes and pencils laying around the table. Maya’s voice pours out from a speaker, prompting guests to scan their card on one of the scanners (these scanners do not have to actually work, but are mainly there for more guest interaction). Once all guests have scanned their cards (or within a time frame) the show begins. The room transforms with projection mapping and Maya reintroduces the problem she needed the guests to solve. Using projection mapping, the models come to life with the help of the paintbrushes, pencils, and tools. Maya focuses on each experience the guests designed, giving an overview of them all. Once each design has been in the spotlight, Maya presents the name of the expo/park/etc. based on the designs and ends the show with an inspirational message for future bees. Maya (or docent) encourages guests to stay for a minute and take pictures. The projection mapping stays on during this time. Maya (or docent) lets guests know the projection mapping is turning off and to please exit the room, so the next guests may enter.
Coming out of the room, guests are greeted by a docent (or Bill) who hands the future SCAD bee a card with a QR code on it. They explain the different aspects the card provides for them. Like scanning the QR code to experience Maya’s Enchanted Entertainments all over again, learning more about THED and THED at SCAD, and taking a quiz that can show future SCAD bees what careers are available to them within THED based on their interests. The docent (or Bill) then makes sure to direct them to the student work on the brick wall and around the room. The docent asks questions of the guests (like did they like the experience) and reminds and/or informs guests about what the card can do for them even after SCAD day ends. Guests will also be encouraged to go through the experience again to design a different aspect of the expo/park/etc. Upon exiting the room, guests feel energized, excited, and inspired to not only be a part of SCAD but to be a part of THED at SCAD.