Stranger Things 4
A rift into the underworld opened up in Los Angles just as Netflix was about to launch the 4th season of Stranger Things (perfect timing...). The Hawkins National Laboratory challenged fans to test energy on the rift. Those who scored highly were rewarded with custom Xbox consoles and those who missed the mark were served up as demogorgon snacks.
This pop-up installation was powered by a custom Unreal Engine application that tracked each guest and controlled special effects throughout the space. Additionally, the system integrated a custom web application that allowed the "scientists" to control testing sessions and keep their prizing inventory updated.
Social Response
The activation received a lot of buzz.
And here are some posts.
Testing
This is a block about testing stranger things
Development
The main application was built in Unreal Engine since it would provide a solid foundation for stunning visual effects. A combination of video and real-time rendering was used to show compelling content on the displays for guests. The application leveraged Google Media Pipe to track the movements of each guest and provide a score for accuracy. The scores were used to dynamically control DMX lighting and sound effects giving the guest a sense of how well they were doing.