“Serial Killer Speed Dating” was never supposed to exist. It was the product of a conversation between myself and Lora Ivanova, co-founder of ScareLA, at a party in 2015 (Remember 2015? Remember parties?).
I mentioned seeing the schedule for that year’s Star Wars Celebration, and how they had a speed dating event, and how clever of an idea it was because you’re already surrounded by like-minded people. I told her I could do a speed dating event at ScareLA.
“I like it,” Lora said, “But it needs a twist.”
“Oh! Throw in a serial killer,” said my friend Jackson Birnbaum, who was standing next to us.
To which I replied, “…I can do that.”
For the next two years I waded into the world of fake blood, plastic rats, and single people looking to mingle. The addition of a serial killer gamified the whole event, and I noticed that daters would lean into the conversations a little bit more. “I’m not a serial killer because…” became an opening line (the inverse worked just as well, apparently. Serial Killers get a lot of “likes”.)
In 2017 I put the event to the side to work on other creative projects, but my little dating game was never too far from my mind.
When we went into quarantine in mid-March of this year I did what most everyone did at the time: I made and took a lot of phone calls with friends and family to check-in, I did a lot of exhausting Zoom meetings and we all joked about the novelty of staying indoors and how fun it’d be when we could all go out and party again. I recall having conversations with my coworkers about what we’d all wear in our office’s Halloween costume contest. Oh, how naïve we were…
One of those phone calls was from Jacob Patterson, who runs Think Tank Gallery, where I’d done several “Serial Killer Speed Dating” events and we had struck up a friendship over the years.
He noted how he had watched six months of his business disappear in the course of six minutes, as every event he’d booked was forced to cancel. He was stunned and scared. “I’m wracking my brain trying to think of how to move forward,” he told me. “What could work during quarantine that will also work post-quarantine as well?”
This was followed by a pause in the conversation.
“…you know,” he said, “I think ‘Serial Killer Speed Dating’ might work.”
I thought about it overnight, and the next day gave him a call back to tell him I was in.
That initial phone call turned into months of learning the Zoom platform inside and out, hiring an illustrator to give the brand a unique feel (“More Addams Family than Manson Family,” I instructed her), playtesting, writing scripts, hiring actors, and making the partnership official: Jacob and I are now the proud parents of an LLC.
We’ve entered the spooky season, and it’s time for our little business baby to crawl out from the shadows and start to terrorize singles and those looking to mingle.
Another big difference is how to convey the tongue-in-cheek attitude of the event. Back when it was live, an actor covered in fake blood “dying” at my feet was all it took to set the tone for the event. Well…now that isn’t an option. So this time around there’s a lot more story involved, seeding clues throughout the event as to who the “killers” are and what their motivation is.
We’ve added categories to incentivize people to dress up (Best Business on Top, Party on Bottom), light themselves well (Best Framing), and make a fun drink (Best Killer Cocktail). I also didn’t anticipate the amount of sex toys we’d see when we offered a Show N’ Tell category. Keep ‘em coming, people!
I couldn’t be prouder of “Serial Killer Speed Dating”, and Jacob and I cannot wait to debut our little monster during this motherf*ker of all Halloween seasons. We’ve got some killer surprises in store and you’re gonna walk away from our event buzzing. Dating, especially speed dating, is nerve-wracking, but throw in a serial killer and some silly games and you’ll have a good time.
If you’re the kind of person who thinks attending an event titled “Serial Killer Speed Dating” sounds like fun…then we’ve got some like-minded people for you to meet.
We are offering a BETA for any and all to check out on Saturday, October 3rd at 6 pm PT, regardless of dating status or sexual preference, before we announce our October run. Type in HORRORBUZZ at checkout to get $5 off!
