Written by Eve Katz, Image courtesy of Justin Martin.
“If you see the exterior of the building, there are no windows for the most part, once you’re inside you’re fully engulfed in Meow Wolf lore and artistry,” said Justin Martin, B.F.A. production design 2015, creative director of Meow Wolf’s Denver installation.
He was discussing how it’s possible to follow a narrative and achieve completely immersive storytelling all within a rather plain-looking, albeit standing at a whopping 90,000 square feet, building nestled at the intersection of West Colfax Avenue and I-25.
Martin’s journey with themed entertainment started long before his work with the arts production company Meow Wolf, he knew he wanted to be involved in the industry while he was studying at SCAD. “I went to SCAD for production design really always knowing I wanted to get into themed entertainment,” said Martin, “Thematic worlds get me excited because they allow you to be able to step out of your everyday reality and into a world of fantasy or adventure, and just live in that world. You can play your part as much or as little as you want. We can take things that you see in films or on stage, but instead of it being a passive experience like those mediums, you actually get to jump into the film or onto the stage or into the book or whatever the case is and really be a part of that adventure.”
Although themed entertainment is most commonly associated with larger names like Disney and Universal, up-and-coming companies like Meow Wolf are growing in popularity and should not be pushed aside in favor of the familiar. Martin himself has worked with Universal and expressed his enjoyment of his time there, but also made note of the fact that Meow Wolf has been a completely different and equally amazing experience.
“I find with Meow Wolf, and I think it comes with overseeing art direction of the projects, but Meow Wolf is such a collaborative experience compared to something like Universal,” said Martin, “During my time at Universal I worked on Volcano Bay and Jurassic World, and with Jurassic World in particular that was already a ride that had constraints because we were just retheming that attraction, and we had an intellectual property that was already laid out. I think it turned out really well and I’m really proud of that ride, but creatively it really was a more straightforward experience. Whereas with Meow Wolf, I’ll have a meeting with somebody who’s designed a new technology that’s never been seen before, and that’s specifically for our exhibit. It’s a wild collaboration of insanely talented people.”
While Disney and Universal tend to work with existing narratives from films to create the majority of their experiences, Martin stated that Meow Wolf started with some people deciding to “make some cool art,” and that has led to some of the most innovative interactive experiences in the industry. “We want you to go in and touch things, see what happens when you open that refrigerator door and step inside,” said Martin.
If opening a refrigerator and walking inside sounds bizarre to you, you’ve got the right idea. Meow Wolf operates off of the wonderfully unexpected. Their website claims they include elements such as “extended reality” into their experiences. Their spaces are familiar yet foreign, meant to excite guests by throwing them into a sort of alternate dimension. Themed entertainment is a relatively new industry, and already projects like those of Meow Wolf have shaken the status quo.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented setbacks for everyone. This industry, despite facing obstacles, presents a kind of storytelling and guest experience that simply can’t be achieved in any other medium. The end of 2021 will bring the opening of Meow Wolf’s Denver exhibit, as well as, hopefully, an upward swing for the themed entertainment industry as a whole.
