The code name for the 1st maze is “Malcolm” Why? Well the hint is specific to a famous Malcolm…it will all make sense later. Stay Tuned
— Horror Nights (@HorrorNights) March 1, 2014
We’ve been slacking in our coverage of HHN Hollywood’s oft-updated Twitter feed. We’ll try to summarize the last couple of months worth of tweets below.
Mid-to-Late January:
It’s always a challenge when we’re considering an upcoming movie for HHN…its like gambling…trying to pick a winner before the race is run. Spent the day breaking down a script..dozens of tabs with notes that correlate to images we’ve seen. Imagining the film before we’ve seen it. Just got done screening another upcoming horror movie… Taking another script home to read over the weekend. 1 more week to try to figure out the slate for Halloween horror nights 2014 then I’m out of the country for 2 weeks…decisions decisions. Just committed to a property for one of our mazes, starting concept design on another one tomorrow. #HHN2014 is on!
January 30:
It’s been an eventful 48 hours for HHN, more plot twists than a soap opera, but some very exciting developments. Here’s a quick update…For the last few months we’ve been in dealmaking mode trying to determine what the mazes are going to be. That work is nearly done…Here’s what I can tell you. Today we started concept development for one of the mazes. It’s something we’ve never done before. New to HHN. I will end this tweetfest by saying some of the choices are going to make you very very happy because I know you want them…
February 19:
It’s “let’s make a deal” time for HHN. Just closed a big deal for 2014! Now to make the rest of the deals and move into design! It’s on!
After a two-week out-of-the-country trip, John Murdy returned with a story about losing a stack of important maze notes. They were later discovered in his passport, but he went on to tease the maze they specifically involved:
It’s a damn good thing I found the maze notes. Have to pitch it next week. Since I put you through all this drama, should I give you a hint? Okay here’s a hint. Every maze has its own unique challenge. For this particular maze there are several challenges… costumes is one. This maze also has challenging scenic environments and a complicated story to communicate without using dialogue. Sound effects will be key. You may think you know it but you don’t. It’s something we’ve never done before. Normally I wouldn’t do it but I felt like a challenge…Confused? Of course you are. That is the carny way, my friends. Tricks before treats. All will be revealed in time. Stay tuned.
February 26:
Have to finish concept design for a maze today that I’m going to pitch on Friday. Still closing deals but we’ve moved officially into design. My art director Chris & I designed the 1st maze for HHN 2014 today. At least the Post-It note version. Thus begins a 10 week design process. We pitch the maze this Friday and if it goes well I’ll start writing the treatment next week. One week to bang that out then on to the next! All of HHN will get designed in these 10 weeks…a ridiculous amount of work for 2 people and a few set designers producing drawings. We front load the design schedule with the mazes we know are done deals and leave the ones that are still being worked out for later…While the creative director side of me is designing with Chris, the producer side is deal making, reading scripts, considering opportunities. Even though we know exactly what we want to do, sometimes things change… So you keep your options open…& people are still calling me.
February 28:
After today’s successful maze pitch, going to start writing the 1st treatment…so I need to come up with a code name for this one…hmmm. A code name is basically a fake name for the maze but it always has some tenuous, complicated connection to the real maze theme…People always try to figure out what my maze code names mean and it always frustrates them…they should…they are designed to drive u mad! So, before I release the code name for the first maze be ye warned, you will never figure this out! Never! Never! Never! Mwa Ha Ha. The code name for the 1st maze is “Malcolm” Why? Well the hint is specific to a famous Malcolm…it will all make sense later. Stay Tuned.