Интерактивный хоррор-сериал Shadow Peak: зрители решают судьбу главной героини

Shadow Peak: The Horror Series Where The Audience Decides What Happens Next What if the audience didn’t just watch the horror unfold, but had the chance to decide what happens next? Shadow Peak, the experimental interactive horror series from Trail 3 Films in collaboration with Gecko Films, asks the audience to do just that. Episodes are released every 48 hours, each ending with two choices for the audience to vote on. But unlike traditional branching narratives, viewers don't receive their own individual paths through the story. There is one story. One outcome. One collective decision. The choice receiving the most votes determines what happens in the next episode, meaning the audience must live with the consequences of the decision they made together. This format was first tested through a six-episode pilot season, with each episode running for one minute and released exclusively on Instagram. The first season was deliberately experimental, designed to discover whether audiences would care enough about the characters and narrative to actively participate in shaping the story. They did. The pilot demonstrated that audiences weren't simply watching and moving on. They were voting, discussing the choices and becoming invested in the characters and the direction of the story- creating an engaged community. For Season 2, Shadow Peak takes the experiment further. The world has expanded, alongside its locations, characters and story, with 12 episodes running between three and five minutes, released across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. The same voting mechanics will be applied with episodes continuing to be released every 48 hours, with two choices at the end. The season was filmed on location in Auckland, New Zealand, as part of the UK–New Zealand collaboration between Trail 3 Films and Gecko Films. A HORROR STORY WITHOUT A FIXED PATH “The exciting- and slightly terrifying- thing for us as the creators is that we don’t have complete control over how the story will unfold. We’ve created the world, the characters and choices but the community ultimately decides the fate of our main protagonist, Casey. They influence her reactions, her decisions and her motivations, shaping who she becomes as the story progresses. And with just over 2,000 possible pathways, we essentially get to discover the story alongside the audience.” THE STORY DOESN’T STOP WHEN AN EPISODE ENDS Between episodes, the audience can explore the wider world of Shadow Peak, discuss character motivations, share theories and debate the choices through the various social platforms. Drawing on the immersive qualities of gaming, the project encourages audiences to understand its characters, explore their motivations, develop theories and consider what they might do before making their collective decision. EXPERIMENTING WITH THE AUDIENCE The project forms part of the filmmakers’ wider interest in audience-led and participatory storytelling. With audiences increasingly fragmented across platforms and formats, the project explores how independent filmmakers can build communities around original screen content to develop new relationships between creators and audiences. “We’re not just trying to find an audience for our story but experimenting with what happens when you build them into the story”. - Sarah Dawes, Founder and Producer, Trail 3 Films Season 2 is designed as a foundation for a larger Shadow Peak world, with the potential to expand the story, characters and ways for audiences to participate as the community grows. SHADOW PEAK SEASON 2 Launch: Sunday 30 August 2026 Format: 12 x 3-5 minute episodes Release: Every 48 hours Platforms: YouTube, Instagram and TikTok CREDITS: Director: Jordan Rivers Producer: Sarah Dawes Co-Producer: Melanie Swears Production Companies: Trail 3 Films in collaboration with Gecko Films Website: www.trail3films.com/shadowpeakseries