THIS BOOK IS PROPERTY OF CAPSTONE 2024
DEDICATION T h is p roject a n d , l i kew ise , the H ea rtsto p pe r se r ies , ex ists beca u se of th ose w h o fou g ht fo r the re p resentati on we see tod a y . To th ose w h o ca me befo re , a n d th ose w h o conti n ue the fi g ht i n the p resent , y ou r effo rts a re revo l uti on a ry and you r w ins deserve celebration . Specia l thank you to m y friends, fam i l y , and an yone I ’ve ever come out to w ho made me feel as wa rm and safe as I hope th is project makes others feel . To m y pa rents, w ho have su pported both me and m y pass ions and w ho accept me as I am , I am forever g ratefu l for you r su pport and uncond itiona l love. F ina l l y , th is project is for an yone w ho has ever felt l ike they can ’t embrace the i r true selves. Ma y the representation you see in shows l ike Hea rtstopper insp i re you to l ive in you r truth , and a l low you rself to embrace the joy that comes from an authentic l ife.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 0 1 - 36 Creative B rief 79 - 88 Marketing 37 - 68 Concept 89 - 96 The Fi nal
01. CREATIVE BRIEF
PROJECT THESIS | 1 ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE The Hea rtstopper Project is a Netfl ix experience centered a round the book/Netfl ix series Hea rtstopper. The experience w i l l prov ide fans of the show w ith an immers ive experience based a round the show sets, s im i la r to prev ious Netfl ix experiences for series such as Stranger Th ings, w h i le a lso includ ing resou rces for the queer commun ity and serv ing as a space to u pl ift queer vo ices and celebrate the i r joy . See ing as Hea rtstopper is a series gea red towa rds younger aud iences, it is the perfect cho ice for a safe experience centered a round queer identities. Its fam i l y friend l y , joyfu l a pproach to the queer perspective of com ing of age makes it a pos itive sou rce of representation in med ia that deserves more attention .
PROJECT THESIS | 2
PROJECT THESIS | 3
PROJECT THESIS | 4 WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Queer med ia often doesn ’t get the same amount of advertis ing attention that other med ia gets. Add itiona l l y , a lot of queer representation in TV portra ys the i r cha racters as e ither a wa lk ing stereoty pe or a vessel for trauma . Newer TV shows such as Hea rtstopper, w h ich showcase representation in a l l aspects in a safe, a pproachable wa y , have rece ived a lot of attention recentl y thanks to socia l med ia . H owever, they have not rece ived proper advertis ing in ma instream med ia , and have been l im ited by them ex isting solel y w ith in the queer commun ity . A queer-centered activation backed by a com pan y as la rge as Netfl ix wou ld set a precedent for proper advertis ing in the futu re.
PROJECT GOALS | 5 Create a space that both educates on the h istory of queer med ia representation and spotl ig hts Hea rtstopper as an exam ple of a pos itive sou rce of representation . U se the platform that a Netfl ix Experience enta i ls to u pl ift and su pport queer-owned and produced bus inesses. Create an experientia l destination that a ppea ls to the publ ic w h i le prioritizing queer vo ices and stories. Strike a ba lance between an immers ive experience and an en rich ing educationa l exhibit.
PROJECT IMPACT | 6 TICKET PROCEEDS PROJECT IMPACT QUEER VENDORS SUPPORT RESOURCES The Hea rtstopper Project NYC location w i l l pa rtner w ith The A l i Forney Center, a youth shelter and commun ity space gea red towa rds LG BTQ+ ind iv idua ls. A portion of a l l ticket proceeds w i l l go towa rds the add ition of more beds and v ita l resou rces that the center needs. As pa rt of the m iss ion of th is experience is to prov ide d i rect commun ity su pport, a l l vendors in both the food cou rt and the g ift shop w i l l be queer-owned bus inesses and a rtists. V is itors to the experience w i l l be able to take home information about va rious resou rces ava i lable to members of the queer commun ity .
ABOUT THE SERIES | 7 Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love.
ABOUT THE SERIES | 8 Cha rl ie and N ick a re at the same school , but they’ve never met. . . unti l one da y w hen they’ re made to s it together. They qu ickl y become friends, and soon Cha rl ie is fa l l ing ha rd for N ick, even thoug h he doesn ’t th ink he has a chance. But love works in m ysterious wa ys, and N ick is more interested in Cha rl ie than e ither of them rea l ized . Hea rtstopper is about love, friendsh i p, loya lty , and menta l i l lness. It encom passes the sma l l stories of N ick and Cha rl ie’s l ives that together make u p someth ing la rger, w h ich speaks to a l l of us.
ABOUT THE SERIES | 9 HEARTSTOPPER’S ORIGINS 2014 2015 2016 2019 N ick & Cha rl ie, the ma in cha racters of Hea rtstopper, make an a ppea rance in A l ice Oseman ’s novel , Sol ita i re. Two novel las, N ick & Cha rl ie and Th is W inter, a re released , the i r stories focus ing solel y on N ick and Cha rl ie’s relationsh i p story . A uth o r A l i ce O se m a n publ ishes the fi rst volume of the Hea rtstopper com ics on the Tumbl r and Ta pas platforms. T h e H ea rtsto p pe r se r i e s i s p u b l i s h e d a d d iti o n a l l y o n th e We bto o n p l atfo rm , a m a s s i n g a l a rg e o n l i n e fo l l o w i n g .
ABOUT THE SERIES | 10 GRAPHIC NOVEL PUBLICATIONS & NETFLIX ADAPTATION FEBRUARY 2019 FEBRUARY 2020 APRIL 2022 JULY 2019 MAY 2021 DECEMBER 2023
ABOUT THE SERIES | 11 The Heartstopper series is heavily praised for its authentic portrayal of LGBTQ+ relationships and its ability to resonate with audiences of all backgrounds, offering a heartfelt and relatable narrative that explores the challenges and joys of growing up and falling in love.
ABOUT THE SERIES | 12
TV & COMIC : LOOK AND FEEL | 13
TV & COMIC : LOOK AND FEEL | 14
GRAPHIC PALETTE | 15 LEFTOVER CRAYON TYPOGRAPHY PARENT MARK NABANA Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg H h I i Jj Kk Ll M m N n Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt U u Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
GRAPHIC PALETTE | 16 COLOR PALETTE
VISITOR PERSONAS | 17 CODA, 17 he/they she/her EVA, 26 I ’m go ing w ith m y boyfriend . We both watched Hea rtstopper and loved it, and saw a lot of ou r own stories reflected . I want to v is it th is experience because of its d i rect su pport for the queer commun ity . I ’m rea l l y into the socia l justice s ide of the event. OUR VISITORS
VISITOR PERSONAS | 18 she/her he/him KATHRYN, 38 GEOFF, 62 I ’m go ing w ith m y younger ch i ld ren . I want to show them that they can be accepted no matter how they identify . I ’m interested in the h istorica l element of th is experience. I want to see how times have changed for queer youth s ince I was young .
PROJECT ELEMENTS | 19 One ma in theme of Hea rtstopper is joy , w h ich the queer cha racters experience as they nav igate the i r wa y throug h h ig h school . Th is benefits the commun ity because it a l lows for celebration of ou r trium ph and res i l ience, as wel l as open ing the door to the queer commun ity to l ive the joys of l ife. To elevate th is, v is itors to the experience w i l l be prom pted w ith interactives throug hout to reflect on and celebrate the i r own w ins and joy . QUEER JOY
PROJECT ELEMENTS | 20 Interactives to prom pt reflection . Experience ends w ith open space for celebration & commun ity building. Qu iet Spaces to B reak U p M ore H ig h Energ y Spaces CELEBRATION & REFLECTION SPACES
PROJECT ELEMENTS | 21 Throug hout the Hea rtstopper series, the ma in cha racters find man y safe spaces in w h ich they a re able to foster the i r commun ity of friends and a l l ies. Therefore, the experience w i l l featu re immers ive set recreations of these safe spaces (Cha rl ie & N ick’s bed rooms, the a rt classroom , etc.). Th is is an im portant top ic in the queer commun ity , as man y feel safer be ing in a space that open l y accepts them and the i r identity . SAFE SPACES
PROJECT ELEMENTS | 22 A rt Classroom Cha rl ie’s Classroom H omeroom Classroom N ick’s Bed room Reconstruct safe spaces from series. SET RECONSTRUCTIONS
PROJECT ELEMENTS | 23 One of the most im portant th ings for the res i l ience of the queer commun ity is the abi l ity to preserve and control the tel l ing of ou r h istory . The Hea rtstopper Experience w i l l enable th is w ith exh ibits throug hout that teach aud iences about h istorica l queer events and figu res related to the themes present in Hea rtstopper. Th is w i l l hel p v iewers understand w hy representation such as that present in Hea rtstopper is so im portant. REPRESENTATION
PROJECT ELEMENTS | 24 H istory of queer commun ity building. T imel ine of Hea rtstopper’s creation Ga y Ba rs O rig ins of Queer pop-u ps Ba l l room Queer med ia history/timel ine HISTORY EXHIBITS
POSITIONING ANALYSIS | 25 CELEBRATORY STORYTELLING INFORMATIONAL SERIOUS The goa l of th is experience is to enterta in fans of the series, w h i le a lso prov id ing safe education on matters perta in ing to the queer commun ity , as wel l as u pl ifting the vo ices that have a l lowed for th is representation of th is k ind , throug h activ ism both toda y and in the past.
PROJECT MENTORS | 26 CU LTU RAL CO NSU LTANT EXPERIENTIAL CO NSU LTANT EXPERIENTIAL CO NSU LTANT SU BJECT CO NSU LTANT DR. MARCUS BROCK EVAN PETRAGNANI MADDIE VELLER CLAIRE CAVERLY he/him he/him she/her she/her FIT Professor Depa rtment of Eng l ish Sen ior Experientia l Des igner T insel Experientia l Des ign Experientia l Des igner The Ba it Shoppe Masters Student Exh ibit & Experience Des ign
SURVEY DATA | 27 18 - 24: 50% Yes: 94.1% Yes: 54% 55 - 64: 8.7% 25 - 34: 17.4% No: 2.9% No: 41.3% 65 & u p: 6.5% 35 - 44: 8.7% Prefer not to answer: 2.9% Prefer not to answer: 4.7% 4 5 - 54: 8.7% WHAT IS YOUR AGE? DO YOU IDENTIFY AS LGBTQ+? DO YOU HAVE FRIENDS OR FAMILY WHO IDENTIFY AS LGBTQ+?
SURVEY DATA | 28 The fol low ing is data gathered from a su rvey sent out to ind iv idua ls both ins ide and out of the LG BTQ+ commun ity . Th is is an a la l ys is of data rece ived from a tota l of 50 respondants. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS MOST IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE IN A QUEER-CENTERED EXPERIENCE? Placema ki ng (Safe Spaces): 28.3% Comm u n ity Support: 28.3% Ed ucation: 30.4% Celebration: 8.7% Activism: 2.2%
COMP 1 : COMMUNITY-BASED EXPERIENCES | 29 Dancing , food & beverage, commun ity spaces, h istory exh ibits, l ive performances, a rt ma rkets, etc. COMPONENTS:
COMP 1 : COMMUNITY-BASED EXPERIENCES | 30 Pop-u p events have taken on a prom inent role in queer placemak ing efforts. W ith some decl ine and gentrification of ga y ba rs in recent yea rs, the commun ity has instead looked to popu p spaces and tem pora ry celebrations as a wa y to create queer spaces that celebrate the i r h istory . Accord ing to Ryan Sti l lwagon , sociolog y depa rtment member at the U n ivers ity of B ritish Columbia , “Pop-u ps a re ephemera l , lack ing specific geog ra ph ic anchors, but they sti l l sha pe an endu ring sense of self and commun ity ”. These pop u ps can be an yth ing from dances, to exh ibits, to book fa i rs, and they tend to be gea red to m inorities w ith in the queer commun ity w ho ma y not feel welcomed at w h ite, wea lthy , & ma le-dom inated ga y ba rs. These pop u ps range in sca le from backya rd cookouts to commercia l l y produced events and ty p ica l l y have some sort of mutua l a id that they prov ide to the commun ity , w hether they a re acting as fund ra is ing for commun ity members or offering access ible serv ices to v is itors at sl id ing sca le rates. The pop-u p system a l lows queer spaces to be access ible and rema in in the hands of the commun ity . QUEER POP-UP INITIATIVES
COMP 2 : NETFLIX EXPERIENCE | 31 3D wa lkthroug h , exh ibit, food & d rink from show , immers ive new storytel l ing , themed g ift shop. COMPONENTS:
COMP 2 : NETFLIX EXPERIENCE | 32 Th is immers ive experience puts aud iences into the Stranger Th ings U n iverse, beg inn ing w ith a 1 - hou r interactive m iss ion w ith the Hawk ins Lab, featu ring a new story l ine for v is itors to pla y throug h and letting them experience the world of the show fi rsthand . After wa lk ing throug h th is experience, v is itors end u p in an open flow a rea , the “80s M ix Ta pe” room . W ith in th is space, there a re food , merch , and photo-op a reas themed after elements of the show , w ith an 80s pla y l ist in the backg round and actors m i l l ing a round . STRANGER THINGS: THE EXPERIENCE
COMP 3 : TV SERIES EXPERIENCE | 33 Themed exh ibit, photo ops, show themed merchand ise, interactive cafe, beh ind the scenes, set recreations. COMPONENTS:
COMP 3 : TV SERIES EXPERIENCE | 34 Th is experience, made for fans of the h it s itcom Friends, combines an exh ibit of some of the show ’s most notable props w ith a wa lkthroug h experience fu l l of photo ops and interactives. It conta ins some of the most icon ic sets from the show , includ ing M on ica’s a pa rtment and Chand ler and Joey’s a pa rtment. Two rooms in the experience d ispla y props and costumes, as wel l as orig ina l concept a rt and sketches from the show ’s development. V is itors end the experience at a rea l - l ife Centra l Perk cafe and g ift shop. THE FRIENDS EXPERIENCE
COMP 4 : NETFLIX EXPERIENCE | 35 Immers ive rega l ba l l , show them ing , food & d rink, l ive performance and dancing . COMPONENTS:
COMP 4 : NETFLIX EXPERIENCE | 36 Th is immers ive ba l l brings guests into the world of Regency -era series, B ridgerton . V is itors a re encou raged to d ress in fancy “ba l l room ” atti re, and present themselves to the Queen . At the end of the n ig ht, one v is itor is crowned the D iamond of the ba l l . After th is, there is a dance in the ba l l room , featu ring l ive orchestra l a rrangements of the B ridgerton soundtrack and theatrica l and acrobatic performances. Throug hout the n ig ht, Treats Boxes and specia lty cockta i ls a re ava i lable for pu rchase. THE QUEEN’S BALL: A BRIDGERTON EXPERIENCE
02. CONCEPT
TYPICAL INTERPRETIVE PANEL | 37
TYPICAL INTERPRETIVE PANEL | 38
LOCATION | 39 - Nea rby Subwa y L ines - 7 (34 St. - H udson Ya rds Trans it Stop) - A C E (50 Street, 4 2 Street - Port Authority ) - N R (4 9 Street Trans it Stop) - 1 2 (50 Street) - Wa lkable from M idtown/T imes Squa re - 1 2,500 sq. feet - 1 2’ - 14 ’ ce i l ings - Centra l location - Renovated in 2013 into a h ig h end event space. - M ostl y open floor plan - Elevator access 639 W 46TH ST , NEW YORK, NY ACCESSIBILITY SPECS
LOCATION | 40 ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS: LOS ANGELES MIAMI WASHINGTON, D.C. SEATTLE ATLANTA TORONTO PARIS LONDON BRIGHTON The Hea rtstopper Project w i l l travel to numerous big cities after com pleting its in itia l run in New York C ity .
FLOOR PLAN | 41
FLOOR PLAN | 42
EXPERIENCE MAP | 43 Wayfind ing: - Transportation - S ignage on Building Ma rketing : - Socia l Med ia - Commun ity Pa rtnerships Set 02: A rt Classroom Entry Log istics: - T icket Taker - Bag & Coat Check Set 01 : H omeroom Classroom Set 03: Cha rl ie’s Bed room Set 04 : N ick’s Bed room BEFORE VISIT SAFE SPACES