NIGHTMARE ALLEY: 1950s CARNIVAL

Stan is a barker in a late 1950s traveling carnival. An ambitious man, he learns a few tricks from the carnival’s mentalist-cum-psychic, Zeena, which leads him to succeed in the showbiz, finally landing him in Las Vegas as a conman. Here he meets Lilith, a psychiatrist who ultimately cons our con-man and robs him of his money and dignity. Almost a decade later, Stan ends up as a Geek in yet another traveling carnival, coming full circle.

For this concept design, I conducted research into 1950s carnival layouts, visual design, and cultural context, alongside an analysis of traveling carnival programming and visitor flow. This research informed a series of layout and design exercises that explore spatial organization, attraction hierarchy, and the relationship between spectacle and circulation. The following drawings illustrate how historical references were translated into contemporary design explorations

Original Screenwriter – Jules Furthman
Concept Designer – Dazzy Shah