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All five episodes of HOLLOW MEDIUM are now out in the world! This is the most significant creative work I’ve been a part of and it’s been incredibly rewarding to hear from people who’ve enjoyed it.

Collaborating with @bylinnea.bond and @nickytea over the past three(!) years on this has been a truly great experience and hearing the world we created come to life through @legom2rs’ voice and @postinthewoods’ sound design has been incredible.

Who can say what the future holds, but I’m grateful people have enjoyed our little found audio ghost story. If you’d like to take a listen, all five episodes (coming in just under 150 minutes) are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever.

All five episodes of HOLLOW MEDIUM are now out in the world! This is the most significant creative work I’ve been a part of and it’s been incredibly rewarding to hear from people who’ve enjoyed it.

Collaborating with @bylinnea.bond and @nickytea over the past three(!) years on this has been a truly great experience and hearing the world we created come to life through @legom2rs’ voice and @postinthewoods’ sound design has been incredible.

Who can say what the future holds, but I’m grateful people have enjoyed our little found audio ghost story. If you’d like to take a listen, all five episodes (coming in just under 150 minutes) are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever.

Beyond visiting Epic Universe, I also finally managed to make it into the Men in Black: Alien Attack immigration tour! Been trying for years, but every time I’ve visited, it wasn’t being offered. Really glad I finally got to do it!

Plus: bonus pictures from Orlando.

Beyond visiting Epic Universe, I also finally managed to make it into the Men in Black: Alien Attack immigration tour! Been trying for years, but every time I’ve visited, it wasn’t being offered. Really glad I finally got to do it!

Plus: bonus pictures from Orlando.

Beyond visiting Epic Universe, I also finally managed to make it into the Men in Black: Alien Attack immigration tour! Been trying for years, but every time I’ve visited, it wasn’t being offered. Really glad I finally got to do it!

Plus: bonus pictures from Orlando.

Beyond visiting Epic Universe, I also finally managed to make it into the Men in Black: Alien Attack immigration tour! Been trying for years, but every time I’ve visited, it wasn’t being offered. Really glad I finally got to do it!

Plus: bonus pictures from Orlando.

Beyond visiting Epic Universe, I also finally managed to make it into the Men in Black: Alien Attack immigration tour! Been trying for years, but every time I’ve visited, it wasn’t being offered. Really glad I finally got to do it!

Plus: bonus pictures from Orlando.

Beyond visiting Epic Universe, I also finally managed to make it into the Men in Black: Alien Attack immigration tour! Been trying for years, but every time I’ve visited, it wasn’t being offered. Really glad I finally got to do it!

Plus: bonus pictures from Orlando.

Beyond visiting Epic Universe, I also finally managed to make it into the Men in Black: Alien Attack immigration tour! Been trying for years, but every time I’ve visited, it wasn’t being offered. Really glad I finally got to do it!

Plus: bonus pictures from Orlando.

Beyond visiting Epic Universe, I also finally managed to make it into the Men in Black: Alien Attack immigration tour! Been trying for years, but every time I’ve visited, it wasn’t being offered. Really glad I finally got to do it!

Plus: bonus pictures from Orlando.

Beyond visiting Epic Universe, I also finally managed to make it into the Men in Black: Alien Attack immigration tour! Been trying for years, but every time I’ve visited, it wasn’t being offered. Really glad I finally got to do it!

Plus: bonus pictures from Orlando.

Beyond visiting Epic Universe, I also finally managed to make it into the Men in Black: Alien Attack immigration tour! Been trying for years, but every time I’ve visited, it wasn’t being offered. Really glad I finally got to do it!

Plus: bonus pictures from Orlando.

Beyond visiting Epic Universe, I also finally managed to make it into the Men in Black: Alien Attack immigration tour! Been trying for years, but every time I’ve visited, it wasn’t being offered. Really glad I finally got to do it!

Plus: bonus pictures from Orlando.

Beyond visiting Epic Universe, I also finally managed to make it into the Men in Black: Alien Attack immigration tour! Been trying for years, but every time I’ve visited, it wasn’t being offered. Really glad I finally got to do it!

Plus: bonus pictures from Orlando.

Beyond visiting Epic Universe, I also finally managed to make it into the Men in Black: Alien Attack immigration tour! Been trying for years, but every time I’ve visited, it wasn’t being offered. Really glad I finally got to do it!

Plus: bonus pictures from Orlando.

Beyond visiting Epic Universe, I also finally managed to make it into the Men in Black: Alien Attack immigration tour! Been trying for years, but every time I’ve visited, it wasn’t being offered. Really glad I finally got to do it!

Plus: bonus pictures from Orlando.

Beyond visiting Epic Universe, I also finally managed to make it into the Men in Black: Alien Attack immigration tour! Been trying for years, but every time I’ve visited, it wasn’t being offered. Really glad I finally got to do it!

Plus: bonus pictures from Orlando.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

Almost a year later, I finally made it out to Epic Universe. On first impressions the park is gorgeous. It seems like it’ll be a really nice place to hang out once the initial wave of hype has burned off and the park is allowed to be more accessible. The four portals and Celestial Park are intricately themed and immaculately designed. To my tastes, Darkmoor and (perhaps regrettably) Wizarding Paris are the most spectacular, but Berk and Super Nintendo World are also rich with detail and vibrant with character.

The attractions themselves are fun, but for my money where Epic Universe really shines is in its live entertainment. Both of the big, seated shows are clever and technically impressive, and the roaming performers in Darkmoor and Paris really help those lands to feel alive. I’d have loved for there to be an additional immersive layer available to peel back, but even absent that, I’ll take all the live entertainment in theme parks I can get at this point.

Fundamentally Epic Universe isn’t breaking new ground so much as it is the ultimate realization of the last 15 years of theme park design. This idea of siloed-off, spectacularly intricate recreations of fantasy worlds that began with the first iteration of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010 has reached its logical endpoint here. Whatever the next design innovation for theme parks is will have to come from somewhere else, but as the culmination of this current design philosophy, Epic Universe is pretty fantastic.

To learn more about the massive combined production for the pair of 𝘞𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 films, 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 spoke with A camera and Steadicam operator Karsten Jacobsen, DFF, and B camera operator Simon Finney, GBCT, ACO. They told not only of the huge scale of the shoot, but also the more intimate moments of spontaneity, reacting to the performances of stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.⁣
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Photos by Giles Keyte / Courtesy of Universal Pictures⁣

Read the story and the rest of the Winter 2026 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 at ((link in SOC’s bio)).⁣
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Subscribe to 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 for FREE at SOC.org.⁣
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🏷️ ⁣
#SocietyofCameraOperators #cameraoperatormagazine #cameraop #behindthescenes #Wicked

To learn more about the massive combined production for the pair of 𝘞𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 films, 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 spoke with A camera and Steadicam operator Karsten Jacobsen, DFF, and B camera operator Simon Finney, GBCT, ACO. They told not only of the huge scale of the shoot, but also the more intimate moments of spontaneity, reacting to the performances of stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.⁣
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Photos by Giles Keyte / Courtesy of Universal Pictures⁣

Read the story and the rest of the Winter 2026 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 at ((link in SOC’s bio)).⁣
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Subscribe to 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 for FREE at SOC.org.⁣
⁣
🏷️ ⁣
#SocietyofCameraOperators #cameraoperatormagazine #cameraop #behindthescenes #Wicked

Had a really lovely Valentine’s Day with @danielleofarrell! Tea at the Getty Villa followed by a screening of Casablanca (her first time!). Also, we bummed around L.A.’s third worst tourist trap—the Santa Monica pier—for a bit to kill some time. Even when dinner plans fell through and we ended up eating deeply mediocre pizza from a shop on the 3rd Street Promenade, it was still nice being together. At the risk of getting gooey on social media, I’m kind of into her.

Had a really lovely Valentine’s Day with @danielleofarrell! Tea at the Getty Villa followed by a screening of Casablanca (her first time!). Also, we bummed around L.A.’s third worst tourist trap—the Santa Monica pier—for a bit to kill some time. Even when dinner plans fell through and we ended up eating deeply mediocre pizza from a shop on the 3rd Street Promenade, it was still nice being together. At the risk of getting gooey on social media, I’m kind of into her.

Had a really lovely Valentine’s Day with @danielleofarrell! Tea at the Getty Villa followed by a screening of Casablanca (her first time!). Also, we bummed around L.A.’s third worst tourist trap—the Santa Monica pier—for a bit to kill some time. Even when dinner plans fell through and we ended up eating deeply mediocre pizza from a shop on the 3rd Street Promenade, it was still nice being together. At the risk of getting gooey on social media, I’m kind of into her.

Had a really lovely Valentine’s Day with @danielleofarrell! Tea at the Getty Villa followed by a screening of Casablanca (her first time!). Also, we bummed around L.A.’s third worst tourist trap—the Santa Monica pier—for a bit to kill some time. Even when dinner plans fell through and we ended up eating deeply mediocre pizza from a shop on the 3rd Street Promenade, it was still nice being together. At the risk of getting gooey on social media, I’m kind of into her.

Had a really lovely Valentine’s Day with @danielleofarrell! Tea at the Getty Villa followed by a screening of Casablanca (her first time!). Also, we bummed around L.A.’s third worst tourist trap—the Santa Monica pier—for a bit to kill some time. Even when dinner plans fell through and we ended up eating deeply mediocre pizza from a shop on the 3rd Street Promenade, it was still nice being together. At the risk of getting gooey on social media, I’m kind of into her.

Had a really lovely Valentine’s Day with @danielleofarrell! Tea at the Getty Villa followed by a screening of Casablanca (her first time!). Also, we bummed around L.A.’s third worst tourist trap—the Santa Monica pier—for a bit to kill some time. Even when dinner plans fell through and we ended up eating deeply mediocre pizza from a shop on the 3rd Street Promenade, it was still nice being together. At the risk of getting gooey on social media, I’m kind of into her.

((Watch full video)) @DavidMDaut is interviewing SOC Camera Operator of the Year nominees this week. Have a question you’d like him to ask? Submit it via the link in SOC’s bio, our Story, or in the comments below. Either way, we want to hear from you! ⁣
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Thank you, SOC community! Keep an eye out for the COY Creative Spotlights over the coming weeks.

SOC 2026 Awards will be a live stream on Saturday, March 7, 2026 with in-person Watch Parties held in Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; and Atlanta, GA. Awards details and past recipients can be found on the Awards site: SOCAwards.com
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🏷️⁣
#SocietyofCameraOperators #SOCAwards #cameraoperator #cameraop #behindthescenes

In the Winter 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 (OUT NOW), the SOC brings you multimedia stories that shine a light on camera operators of both film and television. ⁣
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For our features, Camera Operator spoke with A camera operator @Gilles.Corbeil, SOC, and Steadicam operator James Frater, SOC (steadicam_uk), to learn more about what it was like working with Guillermo del Toro to bring his passion project—Frankenstein—to life, from the massive practical builds that had to accommodate cranes to camera work that ethereally glides through the compositions.⁣

To learn more about the massive combined production for the Wicked films, Camera Operator spoke with A camera and Steadicam operator @KarstenJacobsen and B camera operator Simon Finney. They told not only of the huge scale of the shoot, but also the more intimate moments of spontaneity, reacting to the performances of stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. ⁣

For the technically complex shoots involving stunt driving and simulated fire, The Lost Bus required quite a bit of collaboration between the first and second unit camera teams, with both units frequently working together to cover the same sequences. In this multimedia feature, 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 assembled a panel of talent from both camera teams, including first unit A camera operator @GeorgeBillinger, SOC; first unit C camera operator Kevin Emmons, SOC (@kevincolorado); second unit B camera operator Kent Harvey, SOC (@khfilms); second unit C camera operators Juergen Heinemann, SOC (@juergen73), and Corey Weintraub (cdubcamera); and director of photography @PalUlvikRokseth.⁣

Though not a musical in the traditional sense, music is still a driving force in Song Sung Blue, as are the pair of powerhouse performances by the film’s stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson. To learn more about what went into shooting this film, Camera Operator reached out to A camera and Steadicam operator @DaveThompsonSOC.⁣
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And watch SOC Active members sharing personal insights into camera operating, tips learned during their careers, and stories from the set in ITS: Insights, Tips & Stories. ⁣
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Cover photo by Sarah Shatz/Focus Features⁣
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READ at ((link in bio))⁣

Had a mostly low key birthday for 34. Spent Sunday at Knott’s followed by drinks at Strong Water with @danielleofarrell, then poked around the California Science Center and (once again) snooped on the construction progress at the Lucas Museum.

Finishing out the evening by catching up with Bugonia (and cashing in my birthday rewards at Alamo Drafthouse).

Had a mostly low key birthday for 34. Spent Sunday at Knott’s followed by drinks at Strong Water with @danielleofarrell, then poked around the California Science Center and (once again) snooped on the construction progress at the Lucas Museum.

Finishing out the evening by catching up with Bugonia (and cashing in my birthday rewards at Alamo Drafthouse).

Had a mostly low key birthday for 34. Spent Sunday at Knott’s followed by drinks at Strong Water with @danielleofarrell, then poked around the California Science Center and (once again) snooped on the construction progress at the Lucas Museum.

Finishing out the evening by catching up with Bugonia (and cashing in my birthday rewards at Alamo Drafthouse).

Had a mostly low key birthday for 34. Spent Sunday at Knott’s followed by drinks at Strong Water with @danielleofarrell, then poked around the California Science Center and (once again) snooped on the construction progress at the Lucas Museum.

Finishing out the evening by catching up with Bugonia (and cashing in my birthday rewards at Alamo Drafthouse).

Had a mostly low key birthday for 34. Spent Sunday at Knott’s followed by drinks at Strong Water with @danielleofarrell, then poked around the California Science Center and (once again) snooped on the construction progress at the Lucas Museum.

Finishing out the evening by catching up with Bugonia (and cashing in my birthday rewards at Alamo Drafthouse).

Had a mostly low key birthday for 34. Spent Sunday at Knott’s followed by drinks at Strong Water with @danielleofarrell, then poked around the California Science Center and (once again) snooped on the construction progress at the Lucas Museum.

Finishing out the evening by catching up with Bugonia (and cashing in my birthday rewards at Alamo Drafthouse).

Had a mostly low key birthday for 34. Spent Sunday at Knott’s followed by drinks at Strong Water with @danielleofarrell, then poked around the California Science Center and (once again) snooped on the construction progress at the Lucas Museum.

Finishing out the evening by catching up with Bugonia (and cashing in my birthday rewards at Alamo Drafthouse).

Had a mostly low key birthday for 34. Spent Sunday at Knott’s followed by drinks at Strong Water with @danielleofarrell, then poked around the California Science Center and (once again) snooped on the construction progress at the Lucas Museum.

Finishing out the evening by catching up with Bugonia (and cashing in my birthday rewards at Alamo Drafthouse).

Had a mostly low key birthday for 34. Spent Sunday at Knott’s followed by drinks at Strong Water with @danielleofarrell, then poked around the California Science Center and (once again) snooped on the construction progress at the Lucas Museum.

Finishing out the evening by catching up with Bugonia (and cashing in my birthday rewards at Alamo Drafthouse).

Had a mostly low key birthday for 34. Spent Sunday at Knott’s followed by drinks at Strong Water with @danielleofarrell, then poked around the California Science Center and (once again) snooped on the construction progress at the Lucas Museum.

Finishing out the evening by catching up with Bugonia (and cashing in my birthday rewards at Alamo Drafthouse).

Another season of Haunt in the books. In some ways the whole SoCal haunt scene feels like it never fully recovered after COVID, with Universal increasingly sleepwalking through their event design while Thirteenth Floor continues to acquire and subsequently mismanage virtually everything else. But Knott’s continues to deliver in spite of it all.

We’re at a point now where the only kinda lousy maze in the lineup is—ironically—the “greatest hits” maze held over from the 50th that only serves to illustrate just how much their creative design has evolved and improved over the last decade. It’s genuinely bittersweet to send off mazes like “Grimoire” and “Mesmer” which still feel vibrant and interesting even after five seasons.

That said, you can feel a bit of the state of things creeping in around the edges. Of the new mazes, “Mary” is really impressive, while “The Zoo” feels like slightly hampered by tight budget constraints. Still fun and often clever, but evidence of some belt-tightening in the wake of the Six Flags merger. Meanwhile, there’s still no show on the main Walter Knott Theatre stage (bring back Puppet Up!)

But even accounting for that, what this event has to offer is so far beyond what anyone else in this space is doing. From reveling in the electric energy of the Blind Tiger jazz band to simply staking out a spot and watching the monsters of Ghost Town menace passers by in the fog. Knott’s Scary Farm remains in a category of its own. Can’t wait for next season.

Another season of Haunt in the books. In some ways the whole SoCal haunt scene feels like it never fully recovered after COVID, with Universal increasingly sleepwalking through their event design while Thirteenth Floor continues to acquire and subsequently mismanage virtually everything else. But Knott’s continues to deliver in spite of it all.

We’re at a point now where the only kinda lousy maze in the lineup is—ironically—the “greatest hits” maze held over from the 50th that only serves to illustrate just how much their creative design has evolved and improved over the last decade. It’s genuinely bittersweet to send off mazes like “Grimoire” and “Mesmer” which still feel vibrant and interesting even after five seasons.

That said, you can feel a bit of the state of things creeping in around the edges. Of the new mazes, “Mary” is really impressive, while “The Zoo” feels like slightly hampered by tight budget constraints. Still fun and often clever, but evidence of some belt-tightening in the wake of the Six Flags merger. Meanwhile, there’s still no show on the main Walter Knott Theatre stage (bring back Puppet Up!)

But even accounting for that, what this event has to offer is so far beyond what anyone else in this space is doing. From reveling in the electric energy of the Blind Tiger jazz band to simply staking out a spot and watching the monsters of Ghost Town menace passers by in the fog. Knott’s Scary Farm remains in a category of its own. Can’t wait for next season.

Another season of Haunt in the books. In some ways the whole SoCal haunt scene feels like it never fully recovered after COVID, with Universal increasingly sleepwalking through their event design while Thirteenth Floor continues to acquire and subsequently mismanage virtually everything else. But Knott’s continues to deliver in spite of it all.

We’re at a point now where the only kinda lousy maze in the lineup is—ironically—the “greatest hits” maze held over from the 50th that only serves to illustrate just how much their creative design has evolved and improved over the last decade. It’s genuinely bittersweet to send off mazes like “Grimoire” and “Mesmer” which still feel vibrant and interesting even after five seasons.

That said, you can feel a bit of the state of things creeping in around the edges. Of the new mazes, “Mary” is really impressive, while “The Zoo” feels like slightly hampered by tight budget constraints. Still fun and often clever, but evidence of some belt-tightening in the wake of the Six Flags merger. Meanwhile, there’s still no show on the main Walter Knott Theatre stage (bring back Puppet Up!)

But even accounting for that, what this event has to offer is so far beyond what anyone else in this space is doing. From reveling in the electric energy of the Blind Tiger jazz band to simply staking out a spot and watching the monsters of Ghost Town menace passers by in the fog. Knott’s Scary Farm remains in a category of its own. Can’t wait for next season.

Another season of Haunt in the books. In some ways the whole SoCal haunt scene feels like it never fully recovered after COVID, with Universal increasingly sleepwalking through their event design while Thirteenth Floor continues to acquire and subsequently mismanage virtually everything else. But Knott’s continues to deliver in spite of it all.

We’re at a point now where the only kinda lousy maze in the lineup is—ironically—the “greatest hits” maze held over from the 50th that only serves to illustrate just how much their creative design has evolved and improved over the last decade. It’s genuinely bittersweet to send off mazes like “Grimoire” and “Mesmer” which still feel vibrant and interesting even after five seasons.

That said, you can feel a bit of the state of things creeping in around the edges. Of the new mazes, “Mary” is really impressive, while “The Zoo” feels like slightly hampered by tight budget constraints. Still fun and often clever, but evidence of some belt-tightening in the wake of the Six Flags merger. Meanwhile, there’s still no show on the main Walter Knott Theatre stage (bring back Puppet Up!)

But even accounting for that, what this event has to offer is so far beyond what anyone else in this space is doing. From reveling in the electric energy of the Blind Tiger jazz band to simply staking out a spot and watching the monsters of Ghost Town menace passers by in the fog. Knott’s Scary Farm remains in a category of its own. Can’t wait for next season.

Another season of Haunt in the books. In some ways the whole SoCal haunt scene feels like it never fully recovered after COVID, with Universal increasingly sleepwalking through their event design while Thirteenth Floor continues to acquire and subsequently mismanage virtually everything else. But Knott’s continues to deliver in spite of it all.

We’re at a point now where the only kinda lousy maze in the lineup is—ironically—the “greatest hits” maze held over from the 50th that only serves to illustrate just how much their creative design has evolved and improved over the last decade. It’s genuinely bittersweet to send off mazes like “Grimoire” and “Mesmer” which still feel vibrant and interesting even after five seasons.

That said, you can feel a bit of the state of things creeping in around the edges. Of the new mazes, “Mary” is really impressive, while “The Zoo” feels like slightly hampered by tight budget constraints. Still fun and often clever, but evidence of some belt-tightening in the wake of the Six Flags merger. Meanwhile, there’s still no show on the main Walter Knott Theatre stage (bring back Puppet Up!)

But even accounting for that, what this event has to offer is so far beyond what anyone else in this space is doing. From reveling in the electric energy of the Blind Tiger jazz band to simply staking out a spot and watching the monsters of Ghost Town menace passers by in the fog. Knott’s Scary Farm remains in a category of its own. Can’t wait for next season.

Another season of Haunt in the books. In some ways the whole SoCal haunt scene feels like it never fully recovered after COVID, with Universal increasingly sleepwalking through their event design while Thirteenth Floor continues to acquire and subsequently mismanage virtually everything else. But Knott’s continues to deliver in spite of it all.

We’re at a point now where the only kinda lousy maze in the lineup is—ironically—the “greatest hits” maze held over from the 50th that only serves to illustrate just how much their creative design has evolved and improved over the last decade. It’s genuinely bittersweet to send off mazes like “Grimoire” and “Mesmer” which still feel vibrant and interesting even after five seasons.

That said, you can feel a bit of the state of things creeping in around the edges. Of the new mazes, “Mary” is really impressive, while “The Zoo” feels like slightly hampered by tight budget constraints. Still fun and often clever, but evidence of some belt-tightening in the wake of the Six Flags merger. Meanwhile, there’s still no show on the main Walter Knott Theatre stage (bring back Puppet Up!)

But even accounting for that, what this event has to offer is so far beyond what anyone else in this space is doing. From reveling in the electric energy of the Blind Tiger jazz band to simply staking out a spot and watching the monsters of Ghost Town menace passers by in the fog. Knott’s Scary Farm remains in a category of its own. Can’t wait for next season.

Another season of Haunt in the books. In some ways the whole SoCal haunt scene feels like it never fully recovered after COVID, with Universal increasingly sleepwalking through their event design while Thirteenth Floor continues to acquire and subsequently mismanage virtually everything else. But Knott’s continues to deliver in spite of it all.

We’re at a point now where the only kinda lousy maze in the lineup is—ironically—the “greatest hits” maze held over from the 50th that only serves to illustrate just how much their creative design has evolved and improved over the last decade. It’s genuinely bittersweet to send off mazes like “Grimoire” and “Mesmer” which still feel vibrant and interesting even after five seasons.

That said, you can feel a bit of the state of things creeping in around the edges. Of the new mazes, “Mary” is really impressive, while “The Zoo” feels like slightly hampered by tight budget constraints. Still fun and often clever, but evidence of some belt-tightening in the wake of the Six Flags merger. Meanwhile, there’s still no show on the main Walter Knott Theatre stage (bring back Puppet Up!)

But even accounting for that, what this event has to offer is so far beyond what anyone else in this space is doing. From reveling in the electric energy of the Blind Tiger jazz band to simply staking out a spot and watching the monsters of Ghost Town menace passers by in the fog. Knott’s Scary Farm remains in a category of its own. Can’t wait for next season.

Another season of Haunt in the books. In some ways the whole SoCal haunt scene feels like it never fully recovered after COVID, with Universal increasingly sleepwalking through their event design while Thirteenth Floor continues to acquire and subsequently mismanage virtually everything else. But Knott’s continues to deliver in spite of it all.

We’re at a point now where the only kinda lousy maze in the lineup is—ironically—the “greatest hits” maze held over from the 50th that only serves to illustrate just how much their creative design has evolved and improved over the last decade. It’s genuinely bittersweet to send off mazes like “Grimoire” and “Mesmer” which still feel vibrant and interesting even after five seasons.

That said, you can feel a bit of the state of things creeping in around the edges. Of the new mazes, “Mary” is really impressive, while “The Zoo” feels like slightly hampered by tight budget constraints. Still fun and often clever, but evidence of some belt-tightening in the wake of the Six Flags merger. Meanwhile, there’s still no show on the main Walter Knott Theatre stage (bring back Puppet Up!)

But even accounting for that, what this event has to offer is so far beyond what anyone else in this space is doing. From reveling in the electric energy of the Blind Tiger jazz band to simply staking out a spot and watching the monsters of Ghost Town menace passers by in the fog. Knott’s Scary Farm remains in a category of its own. Can’t wait for next season.

Another season of Haunt in the books. In some ways the whole SoCal haunt scene feels like it never fully recovered after COVID, with Universal increasingly sleepwalking through their event design while Thirteenth Floor continues to acquire and subsequently mismanage virtually everything else. But Knott’s continues to deliver in spite of it all.

We’re at a point now where the only kinda lousy maze in the lineup is—ironically—the “greatest hits” maze held over from the 50th that only serves to illustrate just how much their creative design has evolved and improved over the last decade. It’s genuinely bittersweet to send off mazes like “Grimoire” and “Mesmer” which still feel vibrant and interesting even after five seasons.

That said, you can feel a bit of the state of things creeping in around the edges. Of the new mazes, “Mary” is really impressive, while “The Zoo” feels like slightly hampered by tight budget constraints. Still fun and often clever, but evidence of some belt-tightening in the wake of the Six Flags merger. Meanwhile, there’s still no show on the main Walter Knott Theatre stage (bring back Puppet Up!)

But even accounting for that, what this event has to offer is so far beyond what anyone else in this space is doing. From reveling in the electric energy of the Blind Tiger jazz band to simply staking out a spot and watching the monsters of Ghost Town menace passers by in the fog. Knott’s Scary Farm remains in a category of its own. Can’t wait for next season.

Another season of Haunt in the books. In some ways the whole SoCal haunt scene feels like it never fully recovered after COVID, with Universal increasingly sleepwalking through their event design while Thirteenth Floor continues to acquire and subsequently mismanage virtually everything else. But Knott’s continues to deliver in spite of it all.

We’re at a point now where the only kinda lousy maze in the lineup is—ironically—the “greatest hits” maze held over from the 50th that only serves to illustrate just how much their creative design has evolved and improved over the last decade. It’s genuinely bittersweet to send off mazes like “Grimoire” and “Mesmer” which still feel vibrant and interesting even after five seasons.

That said, you can feel a bit of the state of things creeping in around the edges. Of the new mazes, “Mary” is really impressive, while “The Zoo” feels like slightly hampered by tight budget constraints. Still fun and often clever, but evidence of some belt-tightening in the wake of the Six Flags merger. Meanwhile, there’s still no show on the main Walter Knott Theatre stage (bring back Puppet Up!)

But even accounting for that, what this event has to offer is so far beyond what anyone else in this space is doing. From reveling in the electric energy of the Blind Tiger jazz band to simply staking out a spot and watching the monsters of Ghost Town menace passers by in the fog. Knott’s Scary Farm remains in a category of its own. Can’t wait for next season.

Another season of Haunt in the books. In some ways the whole SoCal haunt scene feels like it never fully recovered after COVID, with Universal increasingly sleepwalking through their event design while Thirteenth Floor continues to acquire and subsequently mismanage virtually everything else. But Knott’s continues to deliver in spite of it all.

We’re at a point now where the only kinda lousy maze in the lineup is—ironically—the “greatest hits” maze held over from the 50th that only serves to illustrate just how much their creative design has evolved and improved over the last decade. It’s genuinely bittersweet to send off mazes like “Grimoire” and “Mesmer” which still feel vibrant and interesting even after five seasons.

That said, you can feel a bit of the state of things creeping in around the edges. Of the new mazes, “Mary” is really impressive, while “The Zoo” feels like slightly hampered by tight budget constraints. Still fun and often clever, but evidence of some belt-tightening in the wake of the Six Flags merger. Meanwhile, there’s still no show on the main Walter Knott Theatre stage (bring back Puppet Up!)

But even accounting for that, what this event has to offer is so far beyond what anyone else in this space is doing. From reveling in the electric energy of the Blind Tiger jazz band to simply staking out a spot and watching the monsters of Ghost Town menace passers by in the fog. Knott’s Scary Farm remains in a category of its own. Can’t wait for next season.

Another season of Haunt in the books. In some ways the whole SoCal haunt scene feels like it never fully recovered after COVID, with Universal increasingly sleepwalking through their event design while Thirteenth Floor continues to acquire and subsequently mismanage virtually everything else. But Knott’s continues to deliver in spite of it all.

We’re at a point now where the only kinda lousy maze in the lineup is—ironically—the “greatest hits” maze held over from the 50th that only serves to illustrate just how much their creative design has evolved and improved over the last decade. It’s genuinely bittersweet to send off mazes like “Grimoire” and “Mesmer” which still feel vibrant and interesting even after five seasons.

That said, you can feel a bit of the state of things creeping in around the edges. Of the new mazes, “Mary” is really impressive, while “The Zoo” feels like slightly hampered by tight budget constraints. Still fun and often clever, but evidence of some belt-tightening in the wake of the Six Flags merger. Meanwhile, there’s still no show on the main Walter Knott Theatre stage (bring back Puppet Up!)

But even accounting for that, what this event has to offer is so far beyond what anyone else in this space is doing. From reveling in the electric energy of the Blind Tiger jazz band to simply staking out a spot and watching the monsters of Ghost Town menace passers by in the fog. Knott’s Scary Farm remains in a category of its own. Can’t wait for next season.

Another season of Haunt in the books. In some ways the whole SoCal haunt scene feels like it never fully recovered after COVID, with Universal increasingly sleepwalking through their event design while Thirteenth Floor continues to acquire and subsequently mismanage virtually everything else. But Knott’s continues to deliver in spite of it all.

We’re at a point now where the only kinda lousy maze in the lineup is—ironically—the “greatest hits” maze held over from the 50th that only serves to illustrate just how much their creative design has evolved and improved over the last decade. It’s genuinely bittersweet to send off mazes like “Grimoire” and “Mesmer” which still feel vibrant and interesting even after five seasons.

That said, you can feel a bit of the state of things creeping in around the edges. Of the new mazes, “Mary” is really impressive, while “The Zoo” feels like slightly hampered by tight budget constraints. Still fun and often clever, but evidence of some belt-tightening in the wake of the Six Flags merger. Meanwhile, there’s still no show on the main Walter Knott Theatre stage (bring back Puppet Up!)

But even accounting for that, what this event has to offer is so far beyond what anyone else in this space is doing. From reveling in the electric energy of the Blind Tiger jazz band to simply staking out a spot and watching the monsters of Ghost Town menace passers by in the fog. Knott’s Scary Farm remains in a category of its own. Can’t wait for next season.

Another season of Haunt in the books. In some ways the whole SoCal haunt scene feels like it never fully recovered after COVID, with Universal increasingly sleepwalking through their event design while Thirteenth Floor continues to acquire and subsequently mismanage virtually everything else. But Knott’s continues to deliver in spite of it all.

We’re at a point now where the only kinda lousy maze in the lineup is—ironically—the “greatest hits” maze held over from the 50th that only serves to illustrate just how much their creative design has evolved and improved over the last decade. It’s genuinely bittersweet to send off mazes like “Grimoire” and “Mesmer” which still feel vibrant and interesting even after five seasons.

That said, you can feel a bit of the state of things creeping in around the edges. Of the new mazes, “Mary” is really impressive, while “The Zoo” feels like slightly hampered by tight budget constraints. Still fun and often clever, but evidence of some belt-tightening in the wake of the Six Flags merger. Meanwhile, there’s still no show on the main Walter Knott Theatre stage (bring back Puppet Up!)

But even accounting for that, what this event has to offer is so far beyond what anyone else in this space is doing. From reveling in the electric energy of the Blind Tiger jazz band to simply staking out a spot and watching the monsters of Ghost Town menace passers by in the fog. Knott’s Scary Farm remains in a category of its own. Can’t wait for next season.

Lorne, Mr. Drummond, and Emile thank you, and hope your Halloween is filled with frolic.

If you’ve spoken to me any time in the last two years, you’ve probably heard me rave about how cool HAIM was as an opening act for the Eras Tour (probably more than I’ve talked about the Eras Tour itself). I made a point that next time they performed in LA I’d be there, so of course I had to catch them when they came through the Forum.

HAIM puts on a hell of a show, and it was great seeing them a bit closer than my vantage point way up in the nosebleeds of SoFi Stadium.

If you’ve spoken to me any time in the last two years, you’ve probably heard me rave about how cool HAIM was as an opening act for the Eras Tour (probably more than I’ve talked about the Eras Tour itself). I made a point that next time they performed in LA I’d be there, so of course I had to catch them when they came through the Forum.

HAIM puts on a hell of a show, and it was great seeing them a bit closer than my vantage point way up in the nosebleeds of SoFi Stadium.

If you’ve spoken to me any time in the last two years, you’ve probably heard me rave about how cool HAIM was as an opening act for the Eras Tour (probably more than I’ve talked about the Eras Tour itself). I made a point that next time they performed in LA I’d be there, so of course I had to catch them when they came through the Forum.

HAIM puts on a hell of a show, and it was great seeing them a bit closer than my vantage point way up in the nosebleeds of SoFi Stadium.

If you’ve spoken to me any time in the last two years, you’ve probably heard me rave about how cool HAIM was as an opening act for the Eras Tour (probably more than I’ve talked about the Eras Tour itself). I made a point that next time they performed in LA I’d be there, so of course I had to catch them when they came through the Forum.

HAIM puts on a hell of a show, and it was great seeing them a bit closer than my vantage point way up in the nosebleeds of SoFi Stadium.

If you’ve spoken to me any time in the last two years, you’ve probably heard me rave about how cool HAIM was as an opening act for the Eras Tour (probably more than I’ve talked about the Eras Tour itself). I made a point that next time they performed in LA I’d be there, so of course I had to catch them when they came through the Forum.

HAIM puts on a hell of a show, and it was great seeing them a bit closer than my vantage point way up in the nosebleeds of SoFi Stadium.

If you’ve spoken to me any time in the last two years, you’ve probably heard me rave about how cool HAIM was as an opening act for the Eras Tour (probably more than I’ve talked about the Eras Tour itself). I made a point that next time they performed in LA I’d be there, so of course I had to catch them when they came through the Forum.

HAIM puts on a hell of a show, and it was great seeing them a bit closer than my vantage point way up in the nosebleeds of SoFi Stadium.

If you’ve spoken to me any time in the last two years, you’ve probably heard me rave about how cool HAIM was as an opening act for the Eras Tour (probably more than I’ve talked about the Eras Tour itself). I made a point that next time they performed in LA I’d be there, so of course I had to catch them when they came through the Forum.

HAIM puts on a hell of a show, and it was great seeing them a bit closer than my vantage point way up in the nosebleeds of SoFi Stadium.

If you’ve spoken to me any time in the last two years, you’ve probably heard me rave about how cool HAIM was as an opening act for the Eras Tour (probably more than I’ve talked about the Eras Tour itself). I made a point that next time they performed in LA I’d be there, so of course I had to catch them when they came through the Forum.

HAIM puts on a hell of a show, and it was great seeing them a bit closer than my vantage point way up in the nosebleeds of SoFi Stadium.

If you’ve spoken to me any time in the last two years, you’ve probably heard me rave about how cool HAIM was as an opening act for the Eras Tour (probably more than I’ve talked about the Eras Tour itself). I made a point that next time they performed in LA I’d be there, so of course I had to catch them when they came through the Forum.

HAIM puts on a hell of a show, and it was great seeing them a bit closer than my vantage point way up in the nosebleeds of SoFi Stadium.

If you’ve spoken to me any time in the last two years, you’ve probably heard me rave about how cool HAIM was as an opening act for the Eras Tour (probably more than I’ve talked about the Eras Tour itself). I made a point that next time they performed in LA I’d be there, so of course I had to catch them when they came through the Forum.

HAIM puts on a hell of a show, and it was great seeing them a bit closer than my vantage point way up in the nosebleeds of SoFi Stadium.

Last year I concluded my thoughts on the return of Dark Harbor hoping that they’d add to the foundation that was built last year rather than simply coast, but this is now a Thirteenth Floor joint, so lol.

The hardest thing about Dark Harbor is that the event gets so much for free just by nature of being on the Queen Mary. Wandering through the darkened corridors of the ship is legitimately eerie in a way that no other purpose-built haunt can be. In the regard, it’s still worth doing, but in all other aspects, the new Dark Harbor—now a part of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment’s investment portfolio—is a shadow of its former self. It’s still operating on a shoestring budget, but it’s missing the scrappy, independent energy and passion that the event had pre-pandemic.

It would be bad enough for one company to be hell bent on gobbling up all the independent haunts in Southern California, but it adds insult to injury that the company doing so is clearly bad at managing events! Thirteenth Floor is a curse, and I’m loathe to see what other beloved institution that see fit to buy up and suck the life out of next.

Last year I concluded my thoughts on the return of Dark Harbor hoping that they’d add to the foundation that was built last year rather than simply coast, but this is now a Thirteenth Floor joint, so lol.

The hardest thing about Dark Harbor is that the event gets so much for free just by nature of being on the Queen Mary. Wandering through the darkened corridors of the ship is legitimately eerie in a way that no other purpose-built haunt can be. In the regard, it’s still worth doing, but in all other aspects, the new Dark Harbor—now a part of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment’s investment portfolio—is a shadow of its former self. It’s still operating on a shoestring budget, but it’s missing the scrappy, independent energy and passion that the event had pre-pandemic.

It would be bad enough for one company to be hell bent on gobbling up all the independent haunts in Southern California, but it adds insult to injury that the company doing so is clearly bad at managing events! Thirteenth Floor is a curse, and I’m loathe to see what other beloved institution that see fit to buy up and suck the life out of next.

Last year I concluded my thoughts on the return of Dark Harbor hoping that they’d add to the foundation that was built last year rather than simply coast, but this is now a Thirteenth Floor joint, so lol.

The hardest thing about Dark Harbor is that the event gets so much for free just by nature of being on the Queen Mary. Wandering through the darkened corridors of the ship is legitimately eerie in a way that no other purpose-built haunt can be. In the regard, it’s still worth doing, but in all other aspects, the new Dark Harbor—now a part of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment’s investment portfolio—is a shadow of its former self. It’s still operating on a shoestring budget, but it’s missing the scrappy, independent energy and passion that the event had pre-pandemic.

It would be bad enough for one company to be hell bent on gobbling up all the independent haunts in Southern California, but it adds insult to injury that the company doing so is clearly bad at managing events! Thirteenth Floor is a curse, and I’m loathe to see what other beloved institution that see fit to buy up and suck the life out of next.

Last year I concluded my thoughts on the return of Dark Harbor hoping that they’d add to the foundation that was built last year rather than simply coast, but this is now a Thirteenth Floor joint, so lol.

The hardest thing about Dark Harbor is that the event gets so much for free just by nature of being on the Queen Mary. Wandering through the darkened corridors of the ship is legitimately eerie in a way that no other purpose-built haunt can be. In the regard, it’s still worth doing, but in all other aspects, the new Dark Harbor—now a part of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment’s investment portfolio—is a shadow of its former self. It’s still operating on a shoestring budget, but it’s missing the scrappy, independent energy and passion that the event had pre-pandemic.

It would be bad enough for one company to be hell bent on gobbling up all the independent haunts in Southern California, but it adds insult to injury that the company doing so is clearly bad at managing events! Thirteenth Floor is a curse, and I’m loathe to see what other beloved institution that see fit to buy up and suck the life out of next.

Last year I concluded my thoughts on the return of Dark Harbor hoping that they’d add to the foundation that was built last year rather than simply coast, but this is now a Thirteenth Floor joint, so lol.

The hardest thing about Dark Harbor is that the event gets so much for free just by nature of being on the Queen Mary. Wandering through the darkened corridors of the ship is legitimately eerie in a way that no other purpose-built haunt can be. In the regard, it’s still worth doing, but in all other aspects, the new Dark Harbor—now a part of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment’s investment portfolio—is a shadow of its former self. It’s still operating on a shoestring budget, but it’s missing the scrappy, independent energy and passion that the event had pre-pandemic.

It would be bad enough for one company to be hell bent on gobbling up all the independent haunts in Southern California, but it adds insult to injury that the company doing so is clearly bad at managing events! Thirteenth Floor is a curse, and I’m loathe to see what other beloved institution that see fit to buy up and suck the life out of next.

Last year I concluded my thoughts on the return of Dark Harbor hoping that they’d add to the foundation that was built last year rather than simply coast, but this is now a Thirteenth Floor joint, so lol.

The hardest thing about Dark Harbor is that the event gets so much for free just by nature of being on the Queen Mary. Wandering through the darkened corridors of the ship is legitimately eerie in a way that no other purpose-built haunt can be. In the regard, it’s still worth doing, but in all other aspects, the new Dark Harbor—now a part of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment’s investment portfolio—is a shadow of its former self. It’s still operating on a shoestring budget, but it’s missing the scrappy, independent energy and passion that the event had pre-pandemic.

It would be bad enough for one company to be hell bent on gobbling up all the independent haunts in Southern California, but it adds insult to injury that the company doing so is clearly bad at managing events! Thirteenth Floor is a curse, and I’m loathe to see what other beloved institution that see fit to buy up and suck the life out of next.

Last year I concluded my thoughts on the return of Dark Harbor hoping that they’d add to the foundation that was built last year rather than simply coast, but this is now a Thirteenth Floor joint, so lol.

The hardest thing about Dark Harbor is that the event gets so much for free just by nature of being on the Queen Mary. Wandering through the darkened corridors of the ship is legitimately eerie in a way that no other purpose-built haunt can be. In the regard, it’s still worth doing, but in all other aspects, the new Dark Harbor—now a part of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment’s investment portfolio—is a shadow of its former self. It’s still operating on a shoestring budget, but it’s missing the scrappy, independent energy and passion that the event had pre-pandemic.

It would be bad enough for one company to be hell bent on gobbling up all the independent haunts in Southern California, but it adds insult to injury that the company doing so is clearly bad at managing events! Thirteenth Floor is a curse, and I’m loathe to see what other beloved institution that see fit to buy up and suck the life out of next.

Last year I concluded my thoughts on the return of Dark Harbor hoping that they’d add to the foundation that was built last year rather than simply coast, but this is now a Thirteenth Floor joint, so lol.

The hardest thing about Dark Harbor is that the event gets so much for free just by nature of being on the Queen Mary. Wandering through the darkened corridors of the ship is legitimately eerie in a way that no other purpose-built haunt can be. In the regard, it’s still worth doing, but in all other aspects, the new Dark Harbor—now a part of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment’s investment portfolio—is a shadow of its former self. It’s still operating on a shoestring budget, but it’s missing the scrappy, independent energy and passion that the event had pre-pandemic.

It would be bad enough for one company to be hell bent on gobbling up all the independent haunts in Southern California, but it adds insult to injury that the company doing so is clearly bad at managing events! Thirteenth Floor is a curse, and I’m loathe to see what other beloved institution that see fit to buy up and suck the life out of next.

Last year I concluded my thoughts on the return of Dark Harbor hoping that they’d add to the foundation that was built last year rather than simply coast, but this is now a Thirteenth Floor joint, so lol.

The hardest thing about Dark Harbor is that the event gets so much for free just by nature of being on the Queen Mary. Wandering through the darkened corridors of the ship is legitimately eerie in a way that no other purpose-built haunt can be. In the regard, it’s still worth doing, but in all other aspects, the new Dark Harbor—now a part of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment’s investment portfolio—is a shadow of its former self. It’s still operating on a shoestring budget, but it’s missing the scrappy, independent energy and passion that the event had pre-pandemic.

It would be bad enough for one company to be hell bent on gobbling up all the independent haunts in Southern California, but it adds insult to injury that the company doing so is clearly bad at managing events! Thirteenth Floor is a curse, and I’m loathe to see what other beloved institution that see fit to buy up and suck the life out of next.