Themed Entertainment Ideation Packet, Jacob Flores-Popcak, August 2021

Campfire: Theatre in the Round Moodboard Phase

PROCESS Campfire: Theatre in the Round began as a hypothetical solution to the lack of nighttime entertainment at a Midwestern amusement park inspired by the theme of the great outdoors. The question that inspired the project was this: if the campfire is where the community gathers at night, then how many more could gather if we made the fire larger?

This sentiment of inclusivity prompted the designing of a gigantic campfire-inspired theatre in the round, the preliminary rough sketches for which can be seen here.

I began with the shape of the campfire itself, wondering if the action of the traditional “storyteller” could be relocated from beside the fire to within the fire itself.

From there, a tree stump became an aesthetically well-matched basis for a stage, with “log” seats being adapted for an outdoor amphitheater-style space.

Since the focus was on expanding and extrapolating the campfire-community-experience to all, great care was taken in researching the kinds of traditional folktales and dances which could be featured on the stage.

Among these influences was my own father-in-law, a traditional New Mexican Navajo folk dancer (”Northern-Style Fancy Dancing”). Another idea which made it’s way into the process was to include characters from Indigenous and Immigrant-American folklore by way of large scale puppets that could be seen from afar.

CLEAN SKETCH PHASE After a period of rough sketching and inspired by an aesthetic moodboard depicting elements of the classic American campout experience, the structure of Campfire: Theatre in the Round began to take shape.

Although this initial sketch infers the presence of four total logs, the ten story structure would ultimately be designed to resemble the tripod formation of three aging sequoia logs, a gigantic albeit basic campfire. In fact, these fiberglass “logs” - each coming in at 26 feet in diameter - would be hollow, allowing for the various technical equipment and access passages necessary for a state-of-the-art outdoor theater space.

Nestled between the logs would be a large, 50-yard-diameter round stage, fabricated to resemble an ancient stump complete with tree rings. Surrounding this stage would be arena-style seating for up to 1,100, which via two shows a day could provide an excellent ticketed option for a significant portion of park attendees.

Most impressively, the top of the structure was conceived to be able to emit timed pyrotechnics, allowing for a plume of fire to mark the beginning and end of every performance, as well as to serve as a beacon for park goers. Talk about a weenie roast!

Campfire: Theatre in the Round Refined Concept Sketch

Campfire: Theatre in the Round Final Concept Art

BRANDING PHASE The logo and accompanying brand for Campfire: Theatre in the Round were designed with a rustic and hand-crafted feel in mind. Since the overarching theme of the theater itself is to connect people with one another, with their cultural roots, and with nature, it was vital that a kind of organic quality be immediately discernible in the associated brand package.

The logotype is a combination of two fonts: Bronx Shoes,

by Cruzine, and an adapted version of Besom by Krisijanis Mezulis and Gatis Vilaks. The central mark is the letter “A” adapted to resemble the tripod formation of the Campfire structure, complete with somewhat exaggerated flames atop. To a lesser extent, the letter “C” gives the impression of a crescent moon.

REFERENCES AND IMAGE CREDITS “A Small Campfire...” by Kristina Postnikova, via Shutterstock.

Besom font by Krisijanis Mezulis and Gatis Vilaks, via Behance.

Bronx Shoes font by Cruzine, via CreativeMarket.

“Burning Sparks...” by HappyTime19, via Shutterstock.

“Dark Brown Wood...” by Guenter Albers, via Shutterstock.

“Native Dance” courtesy of Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“Roman-styled amphitheater” by Min C. Chiu, via Shutterstock.

“Sasquatch Preservation Society” pin by Little Bay Root.

“Sheriff Badge” by Photogal, via Shutterstock.

“Winter Dreams” courtesy of In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Logo package, sketches and concept art by Jacob Flores-Popcak at ArtSoulandMind.com.

End of the World Moodboard Phase

PROCESS End of the World: An Antarctic Museum Adventure is a hypothetical immersive museum experience meant to educate and inspire families with the incredible story of Ernest Shackleton’s daring explorations of Antarctica.

What could be depicted as a frigid story of survival is instead depicted as a colorful adventure, meant to inspire scientific curiosity in children even as it avoids the colonialism which tragically so often casts a shadow over the kinds of adventure stories traditionally aimed at children (Antarctica has never had a native people).

Focusing particularly on the 1915 loss of the ship Endurance and the subsequent incredible survival and teamwork of her crew, the 1,960-square foot circular exhibit would have projected onto its floor a map of Antarctica. This would enable guests to mimic the planned route of the crew even as they make their way from one end of the exhibit to another. Dividing the exhibit in half would be an “ice” wall. This would serve as a place to depict exhibits, shown in shadowboxes fabricated to look like the ship’s cargo crates. Most importantly, though, it would support a quarter-scale model (36 feet) of the Endurance herself.

Touch screens could also be placed within precariously stacked crates, allowing opportunities for further interactivity.

Atop these stacks could be placed simple animatronics of various Antarctic animals. These would serve not only as weenies to guide guests through the space, but also as exciting visual tools to educate guests about Antarctica’s diverse ecosystem, as documented in the writings of Sir Ernest Shackleton himself.

End of the World Initial Sketch

End of the World Refined Value Sketch

End of the World Final Concept Art

BRANDING PHASE Since most guests will be unfamiliar with Sir Ernest Shackleton or the Endurance adventure, the brand, title, and accompanying logo for the exhibit avoids direct mention of him. Instead, the branding focuses on the dramatic nature of Antarctic exploration itself, identifying the frozen continent - as many in Shackleton’s day did - as “the end of the world.”

The logo evokes the types of swooping, illustrative text seen in many of the signs and logos of the early 1900s, utilizing an adapted version of the font VictoriaCat (by Peter Wiegel, inspired by font Victoria which was issued before 1903 by the font foundry Flinsch) and Alegreya (designed by Juan Pablo Del Peral for Huerta Tipográfica).

In large scale print and digital uses, the logo can include the subtitle, “An Antarctic Museum Adventure” but this subtitle can be removed for smaller usages.

REFERENCES AND IMAGE CREDITS Alegreya font by Pablo Del Paral.

“Blue Ice Cave...” by Volodymyr Goinyk, via Shutterstock.

“Group of Six King Penguins...” by Ondrej Prosicky, via Shutterstock.

“Husky Sled Dog Trinket Box” by The Russian Store.

Shackleton Route Map courtesy of The National Library of Scotland.

The Endurance – Occre (12008) courtesy Premier Ship Models.

VictoriaCat font by Peter Wiegel.

Logo package, sketches and concept art by Jacob Flores-Popcak at ArtSoulandMind.com. Moodboard text

by Sir Ernest Shackleton.

A Note from the Artist: Thank you so much for taking the time to review this ideation packet. I hope you enjoyed viewing the work as much as I enjoyed creating it. If so, please be sure to check out more of my work at JacobPopcak.com or at ArtSoulMind.com. If what you see inspires you, perhaps it’ll lead to us working together! I’d love to help make your vision a reality.

To contact me, please visit my website, or email me at: jpopart@gmail.com.

All concept art, sketches, and logos featured in this packet were created by Jacob Flores-Popcak, all rights reserved, 2021. The Wall Mood Board Scene Creator was designed by Ruby and Heart Collective, customized by Jacob Flores-Popcak for the explicit personal purposes of the projects described in this document.