ScareLA write up

@jeffheimbuch: I have a dilemma. One the one hand thank you for taking the time to write something about Tension. On the other hand, it is unnerving to read what you’ve wrote and see various factual details that are completely incorrect. We are all allowed our opinions, but facts aren’t really up for debate. I’d suggest a tad more due diligence next time. No disrespect intended.

Of course @jeffheimbuch and thank you for being so reasonable. A few things that come to mind off the top of my head: The FOUR murder didn’t occur on a periscope, Tom has appeared only 3 times (including ScareLA) thus far and that is all, it is pure assumption (and very likely incorrect) that the participants on stage didn’t know they’d be called on stage. These may seem nitpicky as none of these points matter a lot in the larger scheme of things. It’s just that journalism that doesn’t concern itself with fact checking worries me.

Again, thank you for being open to this dialogue.

I can empathize with what Jeff is saying as, honestly, I’ve been doing a bit of unofficial promoting of Tension where I can in the theatre world and it’s taken some convincing due to its denseness. The initial response from one person who I *think* is now going to cover it was literally “I don’t have the bandwidth for that.” I also handed in an article last week and one of my readers told me I needed to make it several thousand words longer and shop it elsewhere as an academic paper, because 1000 words was too short to cover Tension.

I wondered today – for those who watched LOST, do you remember those videos that they did to catch people up before each season? Could we do one to catch people up on the main points – Tension in 60 seconds – before Ascension? It might be fun(ny).

OMG, I just realized we are a cult! I am sitting here furious and defending a group of people I don’t truly know! hahaha

Maybe I am wrong here, but why do the creators owe you anything @jeffheimbuch? I am not saying that to be rude, I am asking because I am in fact curious?

I emailed them and then facebooked them about 20000 times since I joined. I finally received one response from their facebook about a month back.

“We are not here to hold your hand, or guide you. This is in fact whatever you want it to be. In time, our intentions will become clear, in the mean time, tip toe, or dive in, either way, we are waiting.”

Also, you might want to interview our good friend and Gatekeeper-slayer, @thebuz. He joined up late in the game and recently became a full-fledged participant.
Might be able to give you another insight.

i just think it’s awesome they aren’t even open yet and they are causing this much disruption.

@jeffheimbuch Hi there, we met once and you probably don’t remember my face or my voice, but I wanted to add something here.

At the Donut mixer, I loved meeting you and have one particularly awesome memory of you. When the O.O.A. left the building, I started curiously looking at things around the room, and I bumped into you, where you (or one of your friends) told me you’d immediately gone into escape room mode, and you were ravenously hunting for any detail you could find, looking behind every picture, staring at everything with ‘we don’t have much time left’ eyes. I immediately wanted to join you in that mission, and even though we found nothing, I loved that we both were in that mode.

That’s how a lot of this experience has been for me, the most amazing moments have often been wandering down blind alleys with friends, sometimes in search of clues that didn’t exist, but going on the adventures together.

Even though you’ve found parts of this frustrating or confusing, I hope you continue to get involved and that we get to hunt around another room one day.

– Morgan

Hey @jeffheimbuch.

I read your write up and first off kudos for taking the time to even do so.

A few things I’d just like to say in defense of some of things you said. Personally I feel like “convoluted” is being substituted for “dense.” I am someone who came in almost at the same time as you (the mixer was both of our first events and I had only joined a week or so before that).

Personally the thing I love most about The Tension Experience is it assumes that I am smarter than I actually am, and thus makes me really put in the time and effort to go in as deep as I can go.

I love that there is a deep mythology here, and the lines of reality blur often making me question my own sanity and personal reality. Causing… TENSION.

They turned me into a murderer so maybe I shouldn’t be defending the experience, but personally having a great time and looking forward to more.

I think that maybe what’s missing is that those of us who are here are the people who DO want this experience, but there is a large number of people who are NOT here. When you’re marketing something to the masses, there are a LOT of people out there that DON’T want to do the work necessary to catch up on a story and get involved in a mythology. Lots of people think Sleep No More is too much work, and at this point Tension is 97 times as much work. The point isn’t to necessarily appeal to the minority that’s already here, but to the majority that doesn’t think they want this experience because of the level of work that appears to be involved.

On the tickets page, it says “The direction, writing, special effects and production design come from the film industry’s top talent who feel that now is the time to revolutionize what interactive entertainment can be.” That says to me that there is some money that’s being spent on this, but the “sold out” shows haven’t spread beyond the first four, which sold out within the first week of tickets being on sale. No matter how pure of heart any artist is, no one wants to lose their shirt on a production. They want to sell tickets. I think that Jeff is only trying to offer constructive criticism of what may be going wrong on that front. He can be right, and we can be right at the same time about how much we love Tension.

Firstly, I appreciate this dialogue. I am humbled that Participants have become family, and continue to support, and defend what this is.

@jeffheimbuch, I also appreciate you keeping an open dialogue, and bringing exposure to Tension, albeit in a negative light. Jeff we are fans of your sight, and glad to see you still engaged, even if you are confused by our “convoluted storyline”.

As an artist, I never want to explain my art, but it appears by your numerous posts you and public at large are confused by who we are, and what this is.

I need to start off by addressing your concern over our business. That is generous of you to be worried but lets keep our business, just that… ours. If Tension fails because we only sell one ticket, or succeeds because we sell out nightly, this should have no impact on you, or your time with us.

I had thought we were clear, but now is as good as time as any to state again.

what is 
THE TENSION EXPERIENCE: INDOCTRINATION? 

The Tension Experience: Indoctrination is a FREE online, fractured narrative that reveals the story through various platforms including internet forums, social media posts, live Periscope feeds, and occasional in person events.  The concept behind The Tension Experience is to tell a compelling and detailed story without the use of conventional linear constraints.  

what is
THE TENSION EXPERIENCE: ASCENSION

The Tension Experience: Ascension is a site specific, walk through, theatrical immersive experience in which the Participant will have to interact with dozens of characters and make decisions that will alter their time within our walls.  Ascension puts you in the center of your own personal conspiracy in which you control the narrative through your actions.  

what is the difference between
INDOCTRINATION vs. ASCENSION

Indoctrination’s storyline is a free supplemental add on that any person, regardless of financial stability or geographical location can participate in. It is the Batman comic book that releases before the Batman movie. It is the prologue to novel…

Ascension has its own unique story, with its own unique narrative.  The degree to which you were previously involved yourself within Tension Indoctrination will have no impact upon your experience in Tension Ascension.  Indoctrination is a prologue.  A prologue that if skipped will not harm the outcome of the story that is being told. (however if you have been keeping up, you will be rewarded with certain understandings)

Jeff, you mention that we are not winning any favors within the haunt community. Again, this comment greatly saddens me. We have done nothing that should offend, or upset any other haunt, theater, arg, etc. We have great respect and admiration for them all. But, we are our own thing. This, is its own thing. We are not Alone, or Blackout, or Heretic, or Delusion, or… Nor do we aspire to be them. They are all wildly successful in what they do and I personally will continue to be a fan of them, and support them. Again, we are not them, so please try to not lump us with them, the last thing this is a carbon copy of something already out there.

Come to Ascension, you have been invited, we provided you tickets. But if you do come, we hope you can keep your critique on the Experience itself, not our business practices, or the dense nature of a narrative of Indoctrination which you have admitted time and time again you haven’t been keeping track of.

You are an artist Jeff, and a talented one… Imagine if Return Home decided to create a TV show, but instead of it being set in Melancholy Falls, NJ, it was set in the town next door. Some characters might cross over. hell Mason Barker might even make an appearance (who wouldn’t want to see Russell Eaton on the tele) both exist separately, but are companions to each other.

Until we meet in the dark,

The Tension Creators

Firstly, I appreciate this dialogue. I am humbled that Participants have become family, and continue to support, and defend what this is.

@jeffheimbuch, I also appreciate you keeping an open dialogue, and bringing exposure to Tension, albeit in a negative light. Jeff we are fans of your sight, and glad to see you still engaged, even if you are confused by our “convoluted storyline”.

As an artist, I never want to explain my art, but it appears by your numerous posts you and public at large are confused by who we are, and what this is.

I need to start off by addressing your concern over our business. That is generous of you to be worried but lets keep our business, just that… ours. If Tension fails because we only sell one ticket, or succeeds because we sell out nightly, this should have no impact on you, or your time with us.

I had thought we were clear, but now is as good as time as any to state again.

what is 
THE TENSION EXPERIENCE: INDOCTRINATION? 

The Tension Experience: Indoctrination is a FREE online, fractured narrative that reveals the story through various platforms including internet forums, social media posts, live Periscope feeds, and occasional in person events.  The concept behind The Tension Experience is to tell a compelling and detailed story without the use of conventional linear constraints.  

what is
THE TENSION EXPERIENCE: ASCENSION

The Tension Experience: Ascension is a site specific, walk through, theatrical immersive experience in which the Participant will have to interact with dozens of characters and make decisions that will alter their time within our walls.  Ascension puts you in the center of your own personal conspiracy in which you control the narrative through your actions.  

what is the difference between
INDOCTRINATION vs. ASCENSION

Indoctrination’s storyline is a free supplemental add on that any person, regardless of financial stability or geographical location can participate in. It is the Batman comic book that releases before the Batman movie. It is the prologue to novel…

Ascension has its own unique story, with its own unique narrative.  The degree to which you were previously involved yourself within Tension Indoctrination will have no impact upon your experience in Tension Ascension.  Indoctrination is a prologue.  A prologue that if skipped will not harm the outcome of the story that is being told. (however if you have been keeping up, you will be rewarded with certain understandings)

Jeff, you mention that we are not winning any favors within the haunt community. Again, this comment greatly saddens me. We have done nothing that should offend, or upset any other haunt, theater, arg, etc. We have great respect and admiration for them all. But, we are our own thing. This, is its own thing. We are not Alone, or Blackout, or Heretic, or Delusion, or… Nor do we aspire to be them. They are all wildly successful in what they do and I personally will continue to be a fan of them, and support them. Again, we are not them, so please try to not lump us with them, the last thing this is a carbon copy of something already out there.

Come to Ascension, you have been invited, we provided you tickets. But if you do come, we hope you can keep your critique on the Experience itself, not our business practices, or the dense nature of a narrative of Indoctrination which you have admitted time and time again you haven’t been keeping track of.

You are an artist Jeff, and a talented one… Imagine if Return Home decided to create a TV show, but instead of it being set in Melancholy Falls, NJ, it was set in the town next door. Some characters might cross over. hell Mason Barker might even make an appearance (who wouldn’t want to see Russell Eaton on the tele) both exist separately, but are companions to each other.

Until we meet in the dark,

The Tension Creators

@thecreator ❤️

@thecreator I just want to take an opportunity to say thank you. Thank you for all you’ve done with this so far. I love it and everything that has come with it. If for some reason it ended today as much as I would be sad, it would still be a success to me. I’ve gotten more out of this than I ever would have imagined, so thank you.

@jeffheimbuch it can be a bit much to take in. I didn’t come in until the3rd week in July. I was able to catch up.

The thing to understand is this… The tension experience is just that. Not a one off haunt walk through. Not an immersion theater dinner who done it.

The experience is yours. Your journey.

I am in Florida and as such will never get to have the in person experience many here have.

I enjoy it though and it is my experience