From Friday July 5 to Sunday July 7, Novagoers will be able to experience beloved and cult movies like never before as Scented Storytelling presents a program of films accompanied by sensory supplements in a weekend of ‘Whiff and Wonder’. To learn more about Scented Cinema, we sat down with Scented Storytelling’s Tammy Brunstock and Jas Brooks.
What was your first introduction to scented cinema?
Tammy: Experiencing John Water’s Polyester in Odorama (Scratch & Sniff), closely followed by Scent of Mystery in the quite remarkable Smell-O-Vision! system. Then, in collaboration with the Institute of Art and Olfaction and others, re-imagining Scent of Mystery to create a participatory scented experience at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood!
Jas: My first whiff of scented cinema was likely during a childhood screening of Rugrats Go Wild. This quirky crossover film featured the Rugrats and the Wild Thornberrys colliding on a remote island. Armed with a scratch-and-sniff card, I sniffed along with the young tykes, including all the dubious odors a 2000s Nickelodeon production could conjure (feet and fish, anyone?).
How can a scent enhance a cinematic experience?
Tammy: Scent, memory and emotion are intimately intertwined. Like music in a soundtrack, scent can bring a (sometimes invisible) layer of emotional resonance to a film. In Scent of Mystery, scented clues drove the narrative, creating a sense of place and character. There was even a scent joke!
Jas: Smell hits deep - it's not just sensory, but visceral and emotional. A rose in a film may evoke the fresh dew at dawn or the heavy, suffocating atmosphere in a room. Scents have this power to transcend the screen and transform how you feel, whether to underline the film’s dramatic shifts or empathise with a character’s experience.
Is there an obscure tale you can share about the invention of the process?
Tammy: The discovery of Scent of Mystery, the one and only film presented in ‘Smell-O-Vision!’, in which a ‘Smell Brain’ pumped scents through a system of pipes to every seat in a cinema. Many have smelled John Water’s Polyester, but few know about this gem featuring an all-star cast (including Elizabeth Taylor). I had the honour of interviewing the film’s director, celebrated cinematographer Jack Cardiff (via cassette tape) in 1984.
Excerpt:
“Hello Miss Burnstock. By some ironic fate you have chosen a subject, the film I directed: “Scent of Mystery”, which is the one film I want to erase from my memory. The reason for this is that, through no fault of my own, the film was a complete disaster…."
For the record many (including me) disagree - the film and scented experience was fantastic!
Jas: Absolutely, let’s rewind to 1910 (from my ongoing research). Samuel “Roxy” Rothafel, a name now synonymous with cinema magnificence (Roxy of THE Roxy Theaters), ingeniously wafted rose perfume into the audience during a screening of Flower Parade at Pasadena, California. This early trial in scented cinema left such an impression that Rothafel recalled a viewer exclaiming, “Why, Mr. Rothafel, those rose pictures looked so natural I honestly thought I could smell the perfume of the rose!” This moment marked a shift in Rothafel’s exhibition techniques, and he would go on to include smell in many of his future film exhibitions, even budgeting almost a million US dollars in today’s money for his cinema’s fragrances every year.
What can audiences expect at July’s Scented Cinema sessions?
Tammy: A veritable smorgasbord of sensations! Participatory fun with Willy Wonka accompanied by goodie boxes offering smells, tastes, and surprises. Bespoke fragrance infused ‘blood vials’ immersing you in the world of Only Lovers Left Alive, a live score and smells bringing to life the original Nosferatu, an opportunity to Scratch & Sniff alongside Werner Herzog as he cooks and eats his shoe, and lots more!
Jas: Imagine diving into a Jim Jarmusch film as a vampire and feeling the magnetic pull of Type O blood, or standing so close to Werner Herzog that you could almost taste his shoes. Or, perhaps, you’d like to not just see but savor the delights of Willy Wonka’s world? This July, our Scented Cinema sessions are set to whisk you away into these vivid experiences. We’re rolling out everything from bespoke fragrances trapped in blood vials, to scratch-and-sniff adventures, to boxes filled with edible treats.
How do you perfect the scents that are aligned with the movies and how much time does that process take?
Jas: Crafting the perfect scent track for a film is both an art and a meticulous process. Tammy and I immerse ourselves in each movie, watching it at least 10 times while exploring the smellscapes intrinsic to each scene. Both of our offices brim with a wide range of smell samples, from which we create our initial drafts. We carefully time each smell to ensure it complements the film’s rhythm, allowing the audience to fully scrutinize the fragrance or flavor before moving on. We then refine these scent tracks through rounds of from friends and family. This labor of love can span weeks to months, as we try to weave the scents seamlessly into the emotional and aesthetic fiber of the film.
For our sessions, we’re also drawing on the expertise of stars in our field. For Only Lovers Left Alive, we’re featuring bespoke indie fragrances crafted by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, designed specifically for the film. For Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, our goodie boxes are inspired by a legacy of scented screenings, originally pioneered by Megan Dickerson & Bridget Matros and later refined by Clinton McClung during his tenure at the Seattle International Film Festival.
Tammy: Each film demands a unique approach. We think about what the audience will experience – how to intrigue and delight! We want cinema goers to be active participants in our screenings. We work with an international community of talented perfumers who source and craft bespoke fragrances to a brief, whether that be a rich broth with a hint of leather, a hit of chocolate or Running of the Bulls in Spain. We hope this Scented Weekend of Whiff and Wonder will be a window into what is possible.
What was the most challenging smell to craft for July’s Scented Cinema sessions?
Jas: Crafting scents for film involves mastering their medium, and each shift - from automatic diffs and sprays to scratch-and-sniff cards - demands a fresh formulation. This July, the standout challenge for me was capturing two particularly sinister scents for Nosferatu: Count Orlok’s accursed dirt and the plague-ridden rats he carries. It was a complex task to balance these odors, making one more daunting than the other, yet ensuring each evoked a visceral reaction that mirrored the film’s darkening tones. These scents are not just smells; they are a sharp reminder of Orlok’s grim procession. I challenge anyone to experience them more than once - it’s a daring feat!
