Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackson Mancuso.
Hi Jackson, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Raised in Los Angeles, I’ve always been fond of the themed environments you can find across the city. When I was little I loved the local theme parks and the way they literally took you away from the real world. That matured into a love for the tiki bars in the valley, our incredible mom and pop haunted houses, amazing local architecture, and even immersive theater. I further channeled this passion into a full-time career as a theme park designer. I attended art school, I networked, hustled, and eventually got my big break as an intern Show Designer on Epic Universe working on the Monsters Unchained ride.
While I’ve worked with various brands and IPs all over the world, I’ve always wanted to create my own experience and really push the medium of immersive storytelling further in my own way. Seeing Sleep No More and The Willows for the first time, two tentpoles of the immersive genre, showed me that there’s a way to make these immersive experiences at both an elevated and intimate level. And that’s where DrownedOut Productions comes in!
The first show I ever did was a Tarot card experience gone wrong in my mom’s garage called Limos. A humble start but the reaction from audiences was electric and pushed me to go further. From there I established DrownedOut as a production company, brought some friends on board, and remounted Limos in a proper venue. We’ve since done shows all over the city and just finished our largest effort yet, People In The Dark: An Immersive Ghost Story. It started as a normal ghost tour in DTLA, highlighting true stories of Hollywood legends lost to time, before audiences stumbled upon an old abandoned studio where they were able to venture inside and discover the ghost within. We had over 500 people experience the show, our highest turnout yet. We wrapped at the end of October and we are hopeful to expand our slate by launching a new original production in the Spring!
The goal for me with DrownedOut is to bring together friends in the theme park industry, take our day job skills and apply them to our own passion projects. We are trying to replicate the indie energy that exists within the film world and make the theme park equivalent: immersive theater!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been challenging but rewarding. We have learned so much from each show we’ve done; lessons we can take and apply to the next projects. I’m always trying to push myself as a creative. I feel like I’m just getting started and really perfecting my craft with each production we do. As a fan of the genre it is such a joy to get to create the experiences that I want to see.
These types of productions take a lot of planning, money, and time. Finding a venue for this type of work is a huge hurdle, if not the biggest. Landlords are waiting for their next six figure Marvel film payout that isn’t going to come and city laws make finding acceptable venues incredibly difficult. It takes a collaboration with other artists to get these shows off the ground. What venue owner likes immersive theater and wants to promote the art form? Where have other shows found success in their venues? Is it an off season for anyone and can we get a good rate? Once the venue is locked in it is about bringing a team together who can execute the final product and luckily I have some incredibly talented friends who are down to help out!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a production company specializing in creating elevated immersive experiences with a high level of polish. Our shows land somewhere between a dark ride and an art installation. We’re not only trying to give people a fun time, but also tell them a story that sticks. Something people can think about and chew on long after they’ve finished the show. To do that everything has to be connected.
I get to wear so many hats when creating this work because immersive theater really encompasses every discipline. I direct all of our productions but I also take on the scenic design, the lighting design, picking out smells for rooms etc. Everything has to come together and support a central theme.
I am probably most proud of the show we just finished, People In The Dark. It was an incredible undertaking and by far our most ambitious project. It felt like a huge step up for us, both in scale and production value. The learnings we took from it were incredible. I felt myself growing as a creative every day, and I couldn’t be more excited to see what we’re able to do next!
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
It’s all about community, and I suggest tapping into yours for whatever you’re passionate about! None of my projects would have been able to get off the ground without a lot of incredibly talented people helping out along the way and support from people in the immersive community showing up and spreading the word about our shows.
I’d say the best advice to people who want to do this type of art is to just do it! Either find a group of friends who are down to make this work with you or find a local theater company where you feel like your skills can be developed (we and every immersive company I know are always looking for volunteers). It’s a great way to hone your craft and meet like-minded people who want to make cool stuff!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.drownedoutproductions.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drownedout_productions/
Image Credits
Photos by DrownedOut Per
