Innovative Interactive Reality Show Blends Ghost-Hunting Fan Content with Original Film, Web Serial, Augmented Reality App and More
With Halloween approaching, ghost hunters and ghost story fans will have an innovative new web destination called “The Ghost Club,” where they can document and share their own destinations, or learn about how to start their own Ghost Club.
The innovative site is powered by Theatrics.com, LLC the interactive media company behind recent projects like PSYCH The S#cial Sector (USA Network); Welcome to Sanditon, the sequel to the hit web series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (Pemberley Digital), and Aurelia: Edge of Darkness (from independent Lisa Walker England). Theatrics also powers Wikia’s Virtual Cosplay Contest, held in conjunction with ComicCon New York.
“The Ghost Club” offers ghost-hunting fans a place to document and share their adventures, and interact with others who love the paranormal world, including fans of popular ghost-themed movies and TV programs. The project, created by Atlanta-based production company The Secret Club and Michael Mailer Films, is available as fans are getting ready for Halloween, as part of a transmedia “StoryScape” that includes a forthcoming independent feature, a series of webisodes, comics, live characters, Ghostpedia (a ghost-hunting wiki) and an Android augmented reality app.
Original content to be released on the site centers around the cast of a reality TV series about ghost hunting who will be live and participating. Each week The Ghost Club cast uses a mix of modern and modified nineteenth century technologies to investigate reports of the bizarre and unusual. Among their famous forefathers, are Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the new Ghost Club is more concerned with proof and then with ratings but will do whatever it takes to stay maintain it’s stature as the preeminent ghost hunting organization. “The Ghost Club” movie follows the cast through an episode, as they investigate an eldritch antebellum mansion and its eccentric caretaker (William Forsythe). The goal is to engage people across media by allowing people to engage with scripted content, games, and participation through ghost hunting and the whole ends up being greater than the sum of its parts.
Viewers will meet Jimmy (Jason Nunes) and his team of investigators; his little brother Austin (Jason Mac), second in command and true believer Tab (Clark Sarullo), team psychic Caitlin (Enisha Brewster), surveillance expert Parnell (Jeph Cangé), and Goth-girl and 19th century tech master Noreen (A.C. Smallwood). The Ghost Club: Spirits Never Die takes place at a mansion.
“Theatrics is all about empowering fan communities,” said Biff Van Cleve, CEO, Theatrics.com, LLC. “That’s why we’re so eager to see how our partners use the platform to help their fans co-create new content and connections. We’re excited that our site will become headquarters for sharing the ghost hunting expeditions of fans across the globe.”
“We want ordinary ghost-hunting fans to ‘Join the Hunt’,’” said producer Hank Blumenthal. “The Ghost Club Storyscape empowers people to participate in ghost hunting by creating their own character or club. You can take advantage of our advice, tips, and tricks and post your evidence to be evaluated by a community of Skeptics and Believers. Fans can also lean back and watch the videos and stories that are posted about the modern day investigators of the Ghost Club storyworld. The Ghost Club Storyscape continues the long history of Ghost Clubs that stretches back to 1860 London. Charles Dickens was an early investigator and Harry Houdini, a diligent skeptic, with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the great believer, formed a ghost hunting team.”
About Theatrics.com
Theatrics.com, LLC is an interactive media company that has developed a cloud-based platform enabling collaborative video communication within entertainment, B2B, and B2C environments. The software allows managers to create their own media-sharing site and open it to other users to upload videos, stills, and text while maintaining full control over the process. Regardless of the end use, Theatrics’ tools encourage user involvement in the creative process while leaving control with the storyteller or manager. Via its video storytelling platform, Theatrics makes it possible for creators, from individuals to major corporations, to collaborate with their online audience to create interactive content by engaging their audience – customers, employees, fans, and audience members – in user generated content creation. Theatrics partnered with USA Network for the launch of PSYCH The S#cial Sector, Welcome to Sanditon, the sequel to The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, interactive steampunk drama Aurelia: Edge of Darkness, and produced its first series, Beckinfield, as proof of concept. For more information, please visit: www.theatrics.com.
About The Secret Club, LLC
The Secret Club is a company that specializes in stories across media with a special focus on transmedia storytelling for television and movie properties. We have special expertise in Augmented Reality applications and games, Alternate Reality Games, Branding across media devices, and the transmedia storytelling approaches that integrate stories across more than three platforms.
Michael Mailer Films
Michael Mailer has been working extensively in the independent film business since graduating from Harvard University in 1987. He co-wrote and produced his first feature film, A Fool And His Money, starring Sandra Bullock and George Plimpton, in 1988. Since then, Mailer has produced over 20 features. Michael Mailer Films was established in 2004 to focus on both independent, character-driven films and larger, concept-oriented studio pictures. Since its formation, MMF has produced six pictures, including The Ledge, a suspenseful drama starring Liv Tyler, Patrick Wilson, Terrence Howard, and Charlie Hunnam, debuted in Main Dramatic competition at Sundance 2011 and was released by IFC. Mailer premiered the James Toback feature, Seduced and Abandoned, starring Alec Baldwin at Cannes 2013.
