The tech behind spooky season
Summary
Marketplace Tech explores the sophisticated engineering behind modern Halloween attractions, featuring Kip Paley, Technical Director at 13th Floor Entertainment. The episode details how motion sensors, DMX lighting, and animatronics create immersive scare experiences like the Hollywood Haunted Hay Ride. Paley discusses the technical challenges of these temporary installations and shares his journey from a Midwestern upbringing to designing complex, story-driven haunted environments.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: University of Illinois MBA Program
Intro: The tech behind modern Halloween haunts
Meet Kip Polley and the 13th Floor Entertainment
How motion sensors and show controllers trigger scares
Designing immersive sound and lighting experiences
The story of the town stuck in Halloween 1985
Balancing artistic vision with engineering practicality
Sponsors: Pega Blueprint and Odoo
Kip's background: From coal miner's son to engineer
Starting a prop business with family savings
The joy of creating memories for families
Outro and sponsor: Capital One AI
Listen ad-free on Castria