Halloween events at theme parks across the country are becoming more and more intricate with incredibly detailed set design and back stories. But these haunts don’t happen overnight. We were able to catch up with Nate Mitchell, owner n8 Creative Studios, who works in themed entertainment design, and for the last six years, has had a role in Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort, the 2019 Golden Ticket Award winner (again!) for best Halloween Event.
Nate was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about himself, and just what goes into the “Spooky Season” at theme parks.
Coaster101: Hi Nate, Thanks for talking with us. For our readers who might not know the name Nate Mitchell, tell us a little about yourself.
Nate Mitchell: Hi, I’m Nate and I own n8 Creative Studios (pronounced ‘innate’, but also a play on my name), which is a massive team of just me designing, fabricating, art directing, and project managing all sorts of fun projects within the themed entertainment industry. I don’t do it all on my own though as I often collaborate with other industry friend and colleagues to build project-specific teams.
I studied civil engineering at Clemson University in hopes of one day working on the structural aspect of rides and coasters, but quickly realized that not only is the entire industry very small, that specific niche is very difficult to break into. So after college I got a “regular” job in construction management and started to work on broadening my horizons to find what I was really interested in within this business.
From Concept to Actuality.
Coaster101: How long have you worked in themed entertainment design?
Mitchell: So professionally, I’ve been in the business since 2008. My roots are in haunted attractions and I opened my first one in 1998 when I was a senior in high school. It was fairly easy for me because I grew up surrounded by other members of my extended family and by them having a little bit of land to work with, an outdoor haunt was a no-brainer. When we eventually opened on a $500 budget that year, and those fear seekers started showing up, I was hooked. I had no idea at the time if or where I’d go to college, but one thing was for sure. I was going to make a career out of this entertainment thing.
Coaster101: What are some of the past projects you’ve worked on?
Mitchell: Well besides my haunt that I mentioned, which I ran alongside my family from 1998 through 2006, I’ve worked on so many things large and small it’s hard to keep track. I first broke into the industry in 2007 designing for a company called Oak Island Creative, who at the time were working side-by-side with Busch Gardens on their Howl-o-Scream events in Tampa and Williamsburg. This was the catalyst that would send me on my way. The next year I went to work for a scenic fabricator in Jacksonville, FL designing elements for several of Jimmy Buffett’s themed restaurants and bars, amongst other small museum and theme park jobs. Since then I’ve had a hand in larger projects such as the original Wizarding World at Universal Orlando, Halloween Horror Nights, and I was the show set designer for the Cobra’s Curse queue at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
Coaster101: How did you first get involved with Halloween Horror Nights at Universal?
Mitchell: My involvement in HHN was a little skill and experience mixed with being at the right place at the right time to be honest. Back in 2013, a freelancer group of which I’m a member (SLICE Creative Network), hosted a “speed-networking” event in Orlando in which you have 5 minutes with a company to woo them and hope they end up swiping right (That’s a dating app thing for when you like someone right?). That was the very first year of the event, and I was so excited to finally get my portfolio in front of some folks there. I remember meeting with Kim Gromoll and Vicki Bowlin, and thankfully they said I was exactly what they were looking for. Later that year after HHN was over, I ended up going in for a more formal interview with Kim and David Hughes and I started a few months later on my first HHN house, Halloween. I will never forget that interview day though because as we were walking to the soundstages so they could show me a couple of the houses that were still up, crews were setting the Hogwarts Express train onto the track.
Coaster101: How many years have you had involvement with Halloween Horror Nights?
Mitchell: HHN 29 was my sixth that I have been involved in, although this year due to my availability and other work, it was probably the least I have been involved. Last year I spent 8 months in Orlando. Sometimes the timing works out.
Designs for SCarowinds. (via: N8 Creative on Facebook)
Coaster101: What are some of the things you do as it relates to Halloween Horror Nights?
Mitchell: So as many of you know, HHN is made up of hundreds of people across several teams, from the creative show directors that develop the story treatments, to the audio and lighting teams, to the production managers that keep it all moving forward. I work in the Art & Design department within Entertainment and my role is a scenic designer. Once the show directors and senior designers have figured out the story and flow of the houses, we take over from there to give each maze it’s look. I will draw every single wall in the maze and call out every finish and detail down to the nuts & bolts sometimes. This package could often be anywhere from 130-180 sheets depending on the detail that the house demands.
Ghostbusters House Under Construction at Universal Studios Hollywood. Photo: Inside Universal
Coaster101: What is a typical day like for you during Haunt set-up season?
Mitchell: No two days are the same! For HHN I’m normally only involved on the design end, though there are some occasions where I fill a role as an art director. Last year for HHN 28, I was heavily involved with the scarezones from concept through final installation. So that role went from sitting at the drawing board most days in the spring to visiting the shops as things were getting built in the summer, then finally out in the park on overnights during the install, ensuring every piece was exactly as intended.
I don’t really get involved in physical labor with HHN, but with other haunts and projects in the past you might find me working 16-hour days on end right up until the event opens, building, painting, doing whatever it takes to get it done.
Coaster101: How long does the design process take for various mazes and scare zones? How far in advance of HHN do you get involved?
Mitchell: My role with HHN typically starts in December or January depending on my involvement. When I get a maze treatment, I will generally have about 4 weeks to draw it. When I started in 2014 we were given three weeks (120 hours) for each maze. That was the thing that terrified me the most that first year I think. But once you sit down and get in the zone, it just flows out somehow and then you look back and say “How on Earth did I get all that done in three weeks?!” Scare zones are a little different as they are developed over a much longer period so the stakes aren’t as high, at least that has been my experience.
Coaster101: Do you find a way to work in “Easter Eggs” in anything you do?
Mitchell: I enjoy Easter eggs in attractions, and while it’s something I don’t normally do, occasionally I will sneak something in there, usually as a homage to a past event or memory. My first haunt was called The Nightmare on 901, in reference to the highway number we lived on. So sometimes I will put that number in things to sort of remember where I came from, even though it’s meaningless to anyone else. Last year I was the set designer for Academy of Villains – Cyberpunk at HHN 28, and the futuristic style of that set lent itself very well to popping in some subtle references, such as the 30-life Konami code from the original NES Contra game that I was raised on. I live in Charlotte, NC so I even threw in some building silhouettes from our city’s skyline.
Coaster101: What specific project that you’ve worked on – HHN-related or otherwise – are you most proud of?
Mitchell: There are so many small aspects of many projects that are special to me so it’s hard to pick one single project that I am most proud of. But you asked, so I’ll answer. Since we have been discussing HHN, I’m going to stay in that arena on this one as well. John Carpenter’s Halloween is my all-time favorite horror film, and doing the scenic design on that house my first year on the HHN team was a dream come true. When I walked through that maze for the first time, seeing it all come together with the sets, the fantastic score, and of course The Shape, was like stepping right into Haddonfield and living out the film.
Coaster101: What’s your favorite thing about working in themed attraction design?
Mitchell: I think my favorite aspect of this business is the people. That goes both ways, too. From some of the fantastic people I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside, to the hundreds of thousands (millions?) of people that might have experienced something I’ve worked on, it just never gets old. I don’t really seek out credit for work I’ve done, but there is an undeniably good feeling you get when you stand back and see all those people enjoying something you helped create. As for the people I work with, they are all as excited as I am to be blessed enough to be doing this and get paid for it. My HHN design family are some of the best people I know and we love to work hard and play hard together.
Coaster101: What’s the most challenging thing as it relates to themed attraction design?
Mitchell: There are many challenges that present themselves on every project from budget and logistics, to story and theme. In the past 4 years or so I have been more involved with the increasingly popular escape game craze and one of my main clients right now has been adding escape games to his existing venues to increase guest offerings and revenue. One of the more challenging things when working on these is how guests interact with the space and taking all that into account in the design phase. Some guests can be rather, how can I put this nicely…destructive? So I am constantly looking at new methods and materials to keep the quality of the games up to standard as the constant use from guests takes its toll. I can go further by saying this is a challenge even into other areas of themed entertainment. Designing and building sets, props, and scenery to withstand the vigorous abuse they get from guest interaction, weather, and other factors is an ongoing battle but I am always up to the challenge.
Coaster101: What advice would you give someone looking to break into the field of attraction design?
Mitchell: This is a very loaded question, as anyone in this industry will tell you. This probably sounds like a cop out, but I don’t think there is one clear cut path to a career in this field. It encompasses so many different facets, so you really have to first find out what you are interested in, what gets you excited, and go find a way to make a living doing it. My path started out in engineering school, but today I mainly focus on the aesthetic side of things. The one thing that is tried and true for me is always meeting new people. Get out there, go to mixers, go to events, go to conventions. Do one thing each day that can get you closer to that goal…and as silly as it may sound, write down your goals and be specific. I try to update my list of goals as often as possible as my life and career takes different directions, but it’s very helpful to have that guidance so you never forget where you’re going.
Coaster101: The final question I ask every interview, just because we are a roller coaster website. What’s your favorite roller coaster, and why?
NM: As much as I love roller coasters, surprisingly, I haven’t ridden all that many coasters in my life. I think my count is just a shade under a hundred, but it’s still hard to pick a favorite. I think based on pure out of control fun, Lightning Rod probably has the top spot for me right now. That launched hill on a wood coaster and the balls-to-the-wall madness is just perfect. Plus I love Dollywood. It’s the only RMC I’ve ridden (I know!) and I plan on getting out there and seeing some more of them as soon as I get the chance. I have Fury 325 right in my back yard so that one is obviously high on my list as well!
Thanks to Nate for his time. You can follow him on twitter at @n8creative
Cover Photo: Orlando Informer
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