FX在好莱坞Nya Studios East打造“AHS:13”沉浸式体验，串联《美国恐怖故事》前12季
Inside FX’s Terrifying Immersive Experience Celebrating 13 Seasons of ‘American Horror Story’
为迎接9月24日《美国恐怖故事》第十三季首播，FX在好莱坞Nya Studios East举办“AHS:13”沉浸式体验，让粉丝依次走过代表前12季的场景，最终预览即将播出的第13季。体验借鉴鲁布·戈德堡机械设计，观众需完成互动挑战才能触发下一环节，NVE担任体验制作机构，Civic Entertainment Group负责活动公关。FX还推出含各季定制奖品的降临日历，通过线上抽奖送出。
“AHS:13” led fans through immersive environments representing all 12 previous installments of the series before culminating in a sneak peek at the forthcoming 13th chapter.Photo: Courtesy of FX
LOS ANGELES—Ahead of the Sept. 24 premiere of the 13th installment of American Horror Story, FX brought more than a decade of the horror anthology off the screen and into the real world with an immersive Los Angeles experience designed to revisit some of the franchise’s most memorable—and terrifying—moments.
Held at Nya Studios East in Hollywood, “AHS:13” led fans through immersive environments representing all 12 previous installments of the series before culminating in a sneak peek at the forthcoming 13th chapter. NVE served as the experiential production agency for the activation, and Civic Entertainment Group handled event PR.
The activation kicked off with a VIP preview party on Sept. 18 at Nya Studios East. Guests were invited to experience the journey through the franchise’s history, beginning at the doorstep of the Murder House, continuing through Asylum’s dark corridors and Freak Show’s twisted carnival games, and ultimately coming face to face with the horrors of the new installment.
Photo: Courtesy of FX
Rather than just moving along passively from one themed room to the next, guests had to actively propel the experience forward. Inspired by a Rube Goldberg machine, the activation was structured as a chain reaction: Each space required participants to complete an interactive challenge in order to trigger the next stage of the journey.
Kenya Hardaway, FX senior vice president of integrated promotions and multi-platform marketing, said the concept grew out of the show's new installment itself. When the team learned that AHS:13 would bring back iconic characters from previous installments, “we knew we needed to create an experience that provided guests a journey through the franchise,” she explained.
Photo: Courtesy of FX
The team looked to classic Rube Goldberg machines as a way to connect those different worlds while making fans active participants in the experience.
“Fans have been integral to the success and longevity of American Horror Story, so it felt only natural to put them at the center of the experience and have them physically drive it forward themselves,” Hardaway said.
Photo: Courtesy of FX
Photo: Courtesy of FX
Along the way, the environments incorporated Easter eggs, jump scares, and references spanning the franchise’s history, from its original Murder House installment to the worlds of Asylum, Freak Show, Hotel, Coven, and beyond. The team mined all 12 previous installments for recognizable environments, characters, sounds, and fan-favorite moments, weaving details from the series’ distinct visual worlds throughout the experience.
Traditional haunted-house effects helped deliver scares, too. One of Hardaway’s favorites was a drop window that suddenly revealed the creepy clown from AHS: Cult.
Photo: Courtesy of FX
The creative challenge was how to distill visually distinct installments of a series that has been on the air since 2011 into a single cohesive live experience, while also using that nostalgia to build anticipation for what comes next.
Hardaway said the team leaned into the “connective tissue” across the American Horror Story universe. The return of characters from earlier installments in AHS:13 gave the creators an opportunity to revisit the franchise’s history while planting Easter eggs for longtime fans to discover along the way.
Photo: Courtesy of FX
Photo: Courtesy of FX
The journey ultimately connected guests with a preview of the new installment, effectively turning the activation’s progression through the franchise’s past into a reveal of its future.
Executing the concept also required close coordination behind the scenes. Because guests themselves triggered the chain reaction that moved the experience forward, the tech, creative, and production teams had to ensure that the interactive elements worked reliably, all while they delivered that powerful visual impact.
Photo: Courtesy of FX
“One of the biggest considerations was making sure the Rube Goldberg-inspired design worked seamlessly,” Hardaway said. “Since the nature of the activation put a lot into the guests’ hands, there was a high level of coordination required across the tech, creative, and production teams to ensure the experience was both visually striking and functional.”
The experience also extended beyond the physical event. FX created an exclusive American Horror Story advent calendar featuring custom prizes inspired by each installment of the series, with the kits available to fans through an online sweepstakes.
AHS:13 premieres Sept. 24 on FX and Hulu, with the 13th and final episode scheduled to air Oct. 29, just before Halloween.
About the Author
Contributing Writer
Alesandra (Alice) Dubin began her journalism career at BizBash in 2003 as one of the publication’s first editors in New York City and launched its Los Angeles bureau in 2005. She is a veteran meetings and events journalist, industry expert, and enthusiast.
来源：BizBash · bizbash.com