Immersive Infrastructure (or lack thereof)
Hello!
We’re halfway through the year. The days are now getting shorter (or longer depending on where you find yourself of course). Covid continues to make in-person events, and life in general, very challenging but I just returned from a trip to NYC for Tribeca which was my first in-person festival since IDFA in 2019 and it was such a delight. It was tonic for the soul to be reminded that this messy and ever-changing immersive community is out there making work, making friends, and sometimes even making money. I don’t mean to be glib on that last point because it is clear we face real challenges as the infrastructure we are slowly building continues to shift under our feet. It feels like there are still so few places to go for funding, support, and development - and some of the trailblazers are actually moving away from this space. I would love to hear about initiatives out there that are giving you hope.
In the meantime, here’s the latest on Immerse:
Dan Schindel has two new pieces on Immerse: The Art of Avatar Creation and The Eyewitness Immediacy of Protest Livestreaming.
Axe Binondo on What You Can Actually Do in the Metaverse Right Now.
What we’re reading and watching
Inside Web3 - a genuinely informative and eye-opening article on a much hyped subject.
Québec/Canada XR’s study Crafting a Market for Independent XR is now out. Given my current preoccupation with infrastructure and field-building I found this a very informative read.
This video from People Make Games on VRChat is one of the best explainers I’ve seen on how it works, both the good and the bad.
IndieWire editor Eric Kohn talks to Kent Bye about deepening critical discourse within VR and immersive storytelling.
Vice asks an AI to draw a self-portrait.
Algorithms could increasingly influence human culture, even though we don't have a good understanding of how they interact with us or each other.
Can we create a moral metaverse?
Niantic launches city-scale visual positioning system for location-based, multi-user AR.
Projects we’re eyeballing
You have a few more days to view some of the Tribeca Immersive 2022 projects in the Museum of Other Realities. Accessible until July 1.
The 22 best LGBTQ+ video games to binge-play during Pride Month.
Coming up
Festivals and events
Sheffield Doc/Fest runs June 23-28 and the Alternate Realities line-up looks thoughtful and very original. So wish I could be there in person!
The Immersive Industry Homecoming Summit takes place June 26-27 at AREA15 Las Vegas with speakers from Punchdrunk, Niantic, and more.
SIGGRAPH 2022 takes place in Vancouver August 8-11.
MUTEK takes place in Montreal August 23-28.
UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK is a celebration of creativity, taking place across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and online from March to October 2022.
Submission deadlines
IDFA DocLab has an earlier than usual deadline for entries. Deadline June 28. If you are interested in applying to the DocLab Forum with a work in progress the deadline is August 1.
Extended Reality: Dok Neuland (part of Dok Leipzig) call for entries deadline is July 1.
Geneva International Film Festival call for immersive works is open. Deadline August 18.
Immerse is an initiative of MIT Open DocLab and Dot Connector Studio, and receives funding from Just Films | Ford Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation. The Gotham Film & Media Institute is our fiscal sponsor. Learn more here. We are committed to exploring and showcasing emerging nonfiction projects that push the boundaries of media and tackle issues of social justice — and rely on friends like you to sustain ourselves and grow. Join us by making a gift today.
Publisher: Jessica Clark (Dot Connector Studio)
Editor: Abby Sun (MIT Open Doc Lab)
Associate Editor: Julie Fukunaga
Editorial Collective: Sarah Wolozin (MIT Open DocLab), Ingrid Kopp (Electric South), Kat Cizek (MIT Open DocLab)
Editorial Board:
Zeina Abi Assy, Mark Atkin (Crossover Labs) , Ruthie Doyle (Sundance Film Institute), Caspar Sonnen (IDFA DocLab), Julia Scott-Stevenson, Amelia Winger-Bearskin