Ep 129: Bringing Moulin Rouge & Abandoned Warehouses to Life?! | Fabien Riggall (Founder, Secret Cinema)

What does it take to bring a movie to life & have the general
public participant as actual characters in said movie?!


You need only ask Fabien Riggall - founder of Future Shots and
Secret Cinema.


Fabien has always loved films and began his career working as a
runner before becoming an assistant producer of short films.


In 2003, he set up Future Shorts: A series of mini pop-up film
festivals that took off in 2003.


That eventually evolved into the creation of a skate park under
London Bridge, where around 400 strangers showed up to become
part of the skating community & be part of the murder mystery
story!


Secret Cinema is premised on the idea that films can be turned
into large-scale real life, cultural experiences in abandoned
spaces.


The location and details of each World are never reveled and the
film title is often kept secret (the reason for this was that it
was entirely by accident!).


Secret Cinema grew into such a phenomenon that it eventually sold
to TodayTix in 2022 for £89 million!


And some of its most famous works include: The Great Gatsby, Star
Wars The Empire Strikes Back, Blade Runner and Moulin Rouge.


If you're curious in learning what it takes to build a whole
movement & transform the way people see and use abandoned
spaces while bring film to life on an epic scale, then this is
certainly the episode for you!


Highlights:


4:31 Morocco

6:41 Becoming a farmer and an actor?!

7:43 I don't want permission!

11:23 Running festivals

12:13 Soul-destroying work

15:45 Leveraging the internet

16:57 Selling out a murder mystery event at a secret skate
park under London Bridge

19:47 Finding the right people

23:45 Pushing the boundaries

30:14 Building trust via newsletters?!

32:59 A limit to provocation

36:54 Maintaining your voice

39:28 Biggest battles waged & won

43:32 Stepping away from Secret Cinema?!

47:01 Achieving everything that Fabien wanted?






Show notes: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/129 


 Weekly STIMY Newsletter that deconstructs how you build a
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