Roy Midas Experience: A BLCK UNICRN Use Case

Overview The Roy Midas Experience was a groundbreaking one-hour immersive journey in Silver Lake that brought visitors face-to-face with the darkly satirical legacy of Roy Midas, the most successful (and morally dubious) venture capitalist of all time. Created using the BLCK UNICRN platform, this experience captivated audiences with its innovative use of storytelling, technology, and audience engagement.

Designed for small, intimate groups of up to 10 people, the experience combined physical, augmented, and virtual realities to explore themes of greed, power, and technology, all centered around Roy Midas’s infamous “7 Deadly Sins Thesis.” The project was a collaboration between SPIDR and Fever, showcasing the power of BLCK UNICRN’s tools to create, monetize, and scale immersive experiences.

The Story

Visitors entered Roy Midas’s lair, a shadowy and opulent space filled with relics of his dubious investments and larger-than-life personality. Known for investing in "the worst in people" through his Seven Deadly Sins Thesis, Roy’s final act before his mysterious disappearance was backing an AI company that combined all seven sins into one ultimate creation.

The story was conveyed by Yor, a spirit guide with a flair for theatrics and a distinctive green mask. Through the medium of hip hop, Yor led visitors on a lyrical journey through Roy’s rise, fall, and the chilling implications of his final investment.

The Experience

Room 1: The Safe

• Objective: Uncover Roy’s secrets.
• Visitors entered a dimly lit vault containing clues about Roy’s investments and moral compromises.
• Using the BLCK UNICRN platform's storytelling tools, visitors pieced together hidden messages and artifacts to unlock the deeper layers of the story.
• Highlights:
  • Interactive puzzles designed using BLCK UNICRN’s Spaces platform.
  • Clues seamlessly integrated with the physical environment and augmented by digital elements.

Room 2: Augmented Reality Exhibits

• Objective: Experience Roy’s 7 Deadly Sins Thesis firsthand.
• Visitors used their smartphones to activate augmented reality displays that brought Roy’s portfolio to life.
• Each sin was represented by an exhibit showcasing how Midas’s investments exploited human weaknesses for profit.
• Highlights:
  • Immersive storytelling powered by the BLCK UNICRN Augmented Spaces feature.
  • Dynamic animations and voiceovers tied to each exhibit.

Room 3: Virtual Reality Room

• Objective: Witness Roy’s final investment.
• Visitors donned VR headsets to explore the AI company that embodied all seven sins in a chillingly lifelike simulation.
• The AI’s vision of the future blurred the lines between dystopia and reality, leaving visitors questioning the ethics of technological innovation.
• Highlights:
  • Virtual worlds crafted using BLCK UNICRN’s integrated VR tools.
  • A climactic reveal that tied the experience together, leaving a lasting impression on attendees.

Impact and Expansion

The Roy Midas Experience was a resounding success, hosting over 3,000 visitors during its initial run in Silver Lake. The combination of an intimate setting, cutting-edge technology, and provocative storytelling resonated deeply with audiences, earning rave reviews and strong word-of-mouth buzz.

Key Outcomes:

• Iteration & Scaling: The experience evolved into 10 iterations, each exploring new facets of the story and integrating audience feedback.
• Digital Expansion: A digital version debuted at Andreessen Horowitz’s LA Tech Week, reaching an even broader audience and showcasing how the BLCK UNICRN platform could seamlessly transition between physical and digital spaces.
• Monetization: The project leveraged BLCK UNICRN’s monetization tools, optimizing ticket pricing, audience targeting, and operational efficiency.

The Role of BLCK UNICRN

The BLCK UNICRN platform played a pivotal role in every stage of the Roy Midas Experience, from ideation to execution:

• Spaces: Enabled creators to design and manage the three rooms with seamless integration of physical and digital elements.
• Storytelling Tools: Brought Roy Midas’s narrative to life with engaging scripts and interactive storytelling.
• Revenue Optimization: Maximized profitability through advanced ticketing and marketing features.
• Scalability: Provided the tools necessary to iterate, expand, and adapt the experience for new audiences and formats.

Why It Matters

The Roy Midas Experience exemplifies the power of immersive storytelling to provoke thought, entertain, and innovate. By leveraging BLCK UNICRN’s platform, SPIDR and Fever created a project that was not only engaging but also scalable and highly profitable. This use case underscores how BLCK UNICRN empowers creators to push boundaries and redefine what’s possible in immersive entertainment.

Takeaway: The Roy Midas Experience isn’t just a story—it’s a testament to the transformative potential of technology, creativity, and human connection.