In 2023, I was selected to be a part of the first international cohort for the NextGen Showcase (now called the Immersive Design Academy), a year-long creative program simulating the collaborative conditions of a real project in the entertainment industry. I was placed on a team that was exclusively based in Europe. As a result, I learned how to engage with and collaborate successfully with people from different cultures, linguistic backgrounds, and time zones. We worked together to create Shrinktopia, an interactive environment for families centered around positive environmental themes. Since the project was set in Eastern Europe, I had the opportunity to explore the region’s diverse cultures and ethnic communities. I incorporated this cultural research into the project, tailoring it to the specific demographic we were working with to help ensure a successful outcome.
Created Using Adobe Photoshop and Sketchup
Blue sky phase
For the first phase of the project, I developed a concept called Enchanted Grove as one of the three options we would present to our client. Enchanted Grove would be a themed environment where magical creatures converge to attend summer camp. The main themes of Enchanted Grove would be acceptance and celebrating one’s differences. However, Shrinktopia was ultimately chosen because the client felt it would better reflect the specific demographic we were targeting. At the end of this phase, I worked with our main concept artist, Andy de Neef, to create a physical presentation board for the 2023 IAAPA Expo. Since the team was entirely based in Europe, they were unable to attend the event, so I presented our concept on behalf of the team to industry professionals in Orlando.
Created Using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator
concept phase
In this particular phase, I was in charge of fleshing out Shrinktopia’s food and beverage offerings. Initially, there was a live performance component to the food and beverage areas, but this concept was scrapped due to mock budget constraints. When the live entertainment was scrapped, I focused on creating concepts that would allow the guests to take on a starring role in the land through the show elements.
shrinktopia concept book
Layout Created and Edited in Adobe InDesign
I took the content created by the wonderful members of Totally Immersive Projects and compiled them into this concept book as a final deliverable. All members of the project are properly credited towards the end of the project with a description of their responsibilities across the project. I collaborated on every page with András Szüts and received creative direction from our project manager, Sanne van Es.
