Tom Mowchan, owner of Immagix Media, has been coordinating with the Placer County Film Commission on a new creative endeavor. Operating out of Grass Valley, he’s filming self-described “interactive media adventures,” meaning the viewer can help control the story.
The premise of Immagix Media is this: create a video series released in 10-minute episodes, allowing viewers to vote on, and decide, the next installment. As the series continues, viewers can earn points by following along, ultimately leading to a grand prize. The main idea is that fans play along and solve the mystery.
Mowchan has a varied background of technical expertise, having worked in military intelligence and engineered software for clients that included Apple and Visa. He said he always loved writing and filmmaking but never saw them as viable ways to make a living. However, rapid new changes in the way media is distributed caused Mowchan to reconsider.
“The audience has always been this passive element… They consume what the filmmaker does but they never have really had any input into that. The Internet changed that to an extent,” he said. “The audience was now interactive and talking about the content, and they were sharing things about that and speculating, and I took that a further step.”
He added, “I want to change that even more. Why don’t we take that narrative arc and insert the audience into that?”
One way to think about Mowchan’s idea is through comparisons to alternate-reality gaming or multi-branch gaming storylines, like old choose-your-own-adventure storybooks.
“What hasn’t been done is to collectively experience that story,” Mowchan observed. “Why don’t we tap into social media and allow that collaboration in that storytelling? So, we’re giving the audience the ability to watch our episodes, and then based on information gained in the episode, they can determine where it goes next.”
Due to dark-minded individuals and Internet “trolls,” Immagix Media charges admission to the site to fully participate in its storytelling. The company’s first series, “The Treasure Chronicles,” is being filmed in Auburn and other parts of Placer County. The show recreates scenes from the Gold Rush, weaving real figures and specific moments in history with a fictional storyline about a treasure hunt. Every season will run eight to 10 episodes, each of which will run about 10 minutes. So-called “binge watchers” can immerse themselves in a span of two hours per season. As viewers vote, they’re scored on their choices for guiding the film’s path.
Beverly Lewis, head of the Placer Film Commission, assisted Immagix Media in getting its project started.
“We worked with Tom early on, and I really appreciate the innovation and conceptualization of what he’s doing,” Lewis said “We were happy to help him find resources for the production. I appreciate that we have such talent pushing the envelope here in Placer County, outside of Hollywood.”
“The Treasure Hunt” is still in the early stages of filming, with only three episodes complete.
Mowchan is working with local talent, including director Heidi Boucher, local theater actor Diana Mandujano and veteran actor Jeffrey Weissman, who’s appeared in “Pale Rider” and “Back to the Future II.”
Casting director Patrick Allesandri said he was excited to be working on “The Treasure Hunt.”
“It’s great to be on the ground floor of a project that has all the hallmarks of being disruptive,” he said.
The first episode of “The Treasure Hunt” is available to watch through Immagix Media at www.Immagix.com. Immagix will also be working with Huntzz, a treasure-hunt phone app, to host a real treasure hunt in the Sacramento area between now and Aug. 22.