Category: Industry Events

I attended the Dust or Magic panel with Jesse Schell and other speakers who discussed the future of VR, specifically its appeal towards children. I’ve had a growing interest in VR and knew quite little before attending this event. I saw it mostly as another medium through which games could be enjoyed. The panel discussed AR as well, which I’d only been exposed to through Pokemon Go before. Because of this talk, I not only have a better understanding of VR and AR, but I now know about many more applications than just games.

What struck me as most interesting was Jesse Schell’s equally educational and entertaining programs he was making at Schell Games. In the end, VR is supposed to be an exciting experience and as it is young, many people are still experiencing it for the first time. The industry is new and this leaves VR a topic for much debate of where it should head next.

Some new things I learned at the panel were the limitations of the technology. One of the main reasons why VR hasn’t taken off is because of accessibility. The Oculus Rift and other consoles that are specifically built for VR are hundreds of dollars, and out of many consumers’ price ranges. Some solutions like the Google Glass have been created, but they cannot compare to a native VR console. Another thing I learned was the view limitations with AR glasses. The field of view is only as big as the screen you have, which can lead to cutoff and an unimmersive experience. Out of VR and AR, VR is certainly further along and we will be seeing much more growth in the coming years. I was also surprised to learn that VR is on the same course as the television, something I couldn’t imagine not owning. If this takes off the same way the TV does, the future of VR sure looks bright.

Although I do not intend on using VR in my senior thesis project, this panel has definitely provided me with some insight going forth into next semester. Just because a new piece of technology hasn’t gotten big, doesn’t mean it’s not going anywhere. I’ve talked to a few people about incorporating Alexa in my project, and one of the biggest reasons for not using Alexa was privacy concerns. Voice UI is growing and is entering the homes of more and more new families. Experimentation and pioneers of the industry are the most valuable assets of new technology right now. Without experimentation, there will be no growth. This is something I will keep in mind during the development phase of my project.

A few weeks ago, I attended the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo in Orlando, Florida. This event is basically a massive convention, trade show, and networking event all in one for the theme park and attractions industry. Everyone from the CEOs of massive roller coaster companies to owners of small arcades attend this event, and even people like me of course.

There are so many incredible technologies on display here, such as the latest and greatest in VR, full ride simulators, and even a British robot that you could hold a full conversation with. I was particularly excited to visit and talk with companies who have done work with Disney, such as Birket Engineering, Aerophile S.A.S, Dynamic Dark Rides, and Doppelmayr Garaventa Group.

There was also an awesome AR/Projection mapping experience which was found in the form of an interactive sandbox. The projector was overhead pointed down onto the sandbox and you were invited to dig and create piles and alter the landscape of the sand, and that caused the projected landscape to change in real time. I considered the possibility of implementing something using technology like this into my project, but realized that my current goals are already extremely high, so this may be a bit too much at this point.

Another very exciting part of the expo was the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) mixer which I was able to attend thanks to my employment with SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment through Sesame Place. I was able to talk to and network with people from Universal Creative, Nickelodeon Universe, and even Walt Disney Imagineering. I discussed my thesis project with some of these people and received very positive feedback and some good advice. The positive feedback from these individuals that I aspire to work with one day made me even more excited to continue to work on my project and to make it as perfect as I possibly can. It was suggested that for stability and consistency of my projection alignment on such a small scale, I use short throw projectors attached to braces that hold them in place, and build a housing for them to keep them from being eyesores. This suggestion absolutely changed the way that I have been thinking about my project, because before now, the projector has always been an outside source, removed from the project, but if I build around it, my final product will be more consistent, more aesthetically pleasing, and more “magical” as they would say at Disney.

For my industry I went to the New York Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Exposition. This convention went on for three days and I was able to attend the final day. I talked to several people at their booths and got to see a lot of cool developments the industry is making in VR and AR (though there were significantly more VR booths).

For the VR booths one that stuck out to me were a VR classroom that allowed students to construct molecules in a 3D environment. Another booth was more entertainment based, a new VR bar had opened in Brooklyn and they wanted to show off a bunch of VR games and get the public used to using the equipment.

For the AR there was a set of AR glasses that allowed a person to examine and move through various scans of the human body to try and find illnesses. There was also a AR company that used iPads and paintings to educate people on the forgotten/ignored events that shaped history.

In regards to my own thesis project, this expo mainly made me think about how many ways VR/AR can be used. There were booths focused on medicine, education, social awareness, entertainment, marketing, etc. Since this is still a very new field there’s so many industries trying to figure out how it can help them advance. The VR arcade booth also reinforced how much VR and playing VR game excites people. Everyone wanted to play the wide variety of games and the games with the tightest controls were the most popular.

For my industry event I attended the Dust or Magic conference. The event was a group of adults who take technology and use it to make learning for kids more fun. While I was there I participated in a workshop event where they took cups with words the contribute to the thinking/creative written on them and stacked the cups into a pyramid based on what the groups thought was the most important flow. After that I listened to two presentations, the first one given by a woman who covered how technology and interactive storytelling can take different forms and how her group goes about providing entertainment for families through technology and storytelling. The second presentation focused on analyzing the way children think. It covered different learning methods, how children currently interact with technology, and how to hook them on technology that will not just entertain them but also educate them. Given how my thesis project will take both of these factors into account to some degree, it was great listening to these lectures as I got to hear the words of people who do this for a living.

Last weekend I attended an industry event known as PAX Unplugged hosted in the wonderful city of Philadelphia. PAX -which is more formally known as the Penny Arcade Expo, is a handle used by a number of cultural gaming festivals held across the entire country. These conventions normally consist of exhibitor booths, topic panels, gaming stations, gaming tournaments, and the like, and there are number of things to do, places to explore, and people to meet upon your visit. During my very first journey through the halls of the gaming sprawl it became abundantly apparent that the Unplugged moniker lived up to it’s very name.

Many of the games at this specific event were card or board game based which was exciting in it’s own right. It almost felt like a callback to a lesser digitally inclined age with pencil, paper, and the imagination with every step of the way. As I continued to survey every interesting booth I could find I stumbled upon one with an actual game of digital design. Sumer as it was called, was a digital board game where nobles in an ancient and mysterious Mayan like civilization attempted earn favor with the almighty goddess Inanna. Players compete to complete a set of tasks to earn a reward from this deity and much strategy and intrigue is involved in order to win. When discussing beginner accessibility with Misha Favorov -the lead programmer and designer, he emphasized the need to always simplify and symbolically visualize important information in order to properly digest information.

Breaking down the clutter of complex concepts is integral to a cohesive learning experience in his eyes and he firmly believes great artistic design and player testing can help with that. Another design director I encountered with similar sentiments was Brent Critchfield of Studio Woe. His company developed a card based battle game called Gruff where players battle with a custom team of mutated monster goats. Brent highlighted how familiar he was with renowned card games like Magic the Gathering and wanted players in Gruff to craft playable decks without worrying about the more overt technicalities of mana curve or the particulars of card synergy.

Many of the cards possesed visible symbolic iconography much like you would see in other card games but Brent expressed that many of the cards in a specific category or card type can synergize much more consistently than you would see in Magic. According to him for players to have fun playing a card game it should be simple for them to identify how to build competitive decks with the least stress possible. A lot of these insights I gathered this weekend concluded what I thought prior in my mission to developing my own educational learning module.

Disseminating information brick by brick in order to provide a bare bones understanding of complicated concepts to new users. Once fundamental understanding is garnered the user can build upon said foundation themselves. Metaphorically as a teacher you are instructing someone on the essentials of fishing only for them to later develop a number of different ways to do it you had not previously thought of. That in my personal belief is the hallmark of what quality education should always aspire to be; the blueprint of a simple house eventually built into an extensive mansion.

For my industry event I attended the Princeton “Ivy Film Fest”. The Princeton host this event for students and by students. One of the most impressive parts of this fest is that it’s a world-world festival and these films are being showcased through various parts of the world. Viewers get the opportunity to not only see films by their peers locally, but the viewers were always able to see films from, Mexico, France, China, and various other countries. Besides watching films, the Ivy Film Fest is committed to connecting today’s pioneers with the next generations of filmmakers. While the event is intended for students it’s opened to anyone. This gives students the opportunity to meet up with experienced filmmakers and even some professionals who currently work in the film industry.

The experience that I had at this event was eye-opening, informative and entertaining. One of the reasons why this event was eye-opening is because we all were watching film made by students. These directors, writers, producers, and editors are all people who are just like me; students of film. I was blown away by the professionalism and excellence that each film displayed. I can recall the moment where I was inspired by the creativity and it challenged me thinking and made me rethink, my story, and overall agenda with my film. I’m glad that my thinking and creativity were challenged because I believe it will push my project to be the very best that it can be. There were techniques and styles used in some of these films that I have never seen before. There were some stories that were absolutely captivating and kept me glued to the screen every wakening second. It’s my hope that I can get a similar reaction to my project when it’s at its completion.

Another great opportunity that I was able to have at this event was speaking with some of the student filmmakers. There was many people aiming to converse with the filmmakers so my conversations weren’t as long as I had hoped, but I was able to pick some of their minds for a moment. There were some other guest at this event who are fans of film and I was able to run my idea to a few different people and the feedback that I received was positive. The overall advice and feeling that I took away from taking with the filmmakers and even the causal guest was how the edits are nice and the having a big budget is useful, but what really makes a film great is the story that it tells. Stories can be delivered in a multitude of ways, but if your able to connect your story with someone’s emotions then it was a success.

This was my first time being at a film fest and it was a great experience. I’m glad that I chose this event for my industry event. I hope to attend some more film fests in the future to keep my creativity sharp and find some hidden inspiration. I would recommend any who choses film for their thesis project to attend a film because it allows you to have exposure to film that you can’t find on DVD or the movie theater. Not to mention the opportunity to speak with some actual filmmakers.

Early this year in September, I attended the 2018 Grace Hopper Celebration (https://ghc.anitab.org/ghc-18/) in Houston, Texas. This annual conference is a celebration of women computer scientists and women in technology. I was lucky enough to attend as a student scholar, so my advice to anyone who’s interested in attending is to apply for the scholarships! It’s so worth it.

Anyways, the conference consisted of amazing keynotes, meet and greets with powerful women in the industry, a hack-a-thon (we didn’t have time for this, but maybe next time!), workshops, talks, and the biggest career fair I’ve ever seen!

Because my event was so early, I was mostly scouting out for ideas. I split my time between the career fair and attending as many talks as I could (a difficult feat, as they took place in 2 adjacent buildings and were often at the same time). I was especially inspired by the numerous talks on technology as a tool for change. I even got to chat briefly to a UX designer from the Loon project after her panel. I mentioned that I was doing a senior thesis project and asked for any advice, and she emphasized research, especially user research.

My first thesis idea was inspired by the keynote by Jessica Matthews, but I couldn’t land on anything solid so I  moved on to a different idea for my final. But it was still an incredible and empowering experience! I my passions lie in computing, animation and design, and there were definitely a fair share of people in all those industries. Looking forward to coming back in the  near future!

Industry Event: GameStorm

The industry event I went on was the GameStorm event in Philadelphia. My trip there was the first time I went to Philadelphia by myself. But the event was a very small event. More people were supposed to come. There were only two people who also went to the event. However, the event was fun to go to. I presented my story prototype to the two people who came, Gau and Nneka. Both of them were amateur game designers, who were working on their own games. It was interesting to see the experience of other new game developers. They were at least interested in my project and saw my idea had potential.

The event was only a few hours long, but Gau and Nneka gave advice for what I should do differently with my game. They suggested making the game have more emotional connections to the player through events. They thought the prototype I wrote was interesting, and did have fun with it, but the story should have an emotional impact on the characters and the player. I do not know how to fully implement them into my story, but it is something to consider when I make my game. I also learned about the games Nneka and Gau made. Nneka was making a horror game, and Gau has made an app game with Javascript, another coding language. There was also the topic of another website called RPG Maker I could use to create my game.https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1oAwyq1wupD8Z2b4mlcXxfQRccPTG9Tj1

On November 10th, I got the chance to go to the Museum of Modern Art to see the latest exhibit, Bruce Nauman’s Disappearing Acts. I would’ve written about my experience earlier, but it has been a hectic couple of weeks, plus I wanted to keep my options open if I found another industry event that sounded interesting and that I could go to.

Anyhow, here’s a picture of my IMM friends and I on our way to the MoMA :

And here’s another photo of me in front of a painting at the MoMA (I would’ve taken one in the Disappearing Acts exhibit but the lighting in that room wasn’t very good):

What was really neat about Disappearing Acts was that museum visitors could directly interact with parts of the exhibit. There were hidden cameras and motion sensors set up around the showroom so you could see different angles of yourself on the TV monitors sitting in the middle of the room, but you couldn’t spot where the camera was.  Then, in another showroom within the exhibit, there were small transparent walls that would sense when you were near them and would begin speaking. Relating back to my thesis project, these parts of the exhibit made me want to have the users’ hand motions be projected onto a screen and have a verbal guide leading the user through the steps of crocheting.

There was also a part of it that I enjoyed that wasn’t interactive. I stumbled upon a wall of phrases in neon lights and it was timed so each different phrase would light up at a different time. Here’s a picture I took of it:

If you’d like to read more about the exhibit and artist Bruce Nauman, check out the official page on the MoMA website. It’s very interesting!  https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/3852? 

Also, the week before, on November 5th, I had the chance to attend Jesse Schell’s VR and AR seminar in Mayo Concert Hall. If you didn’t get the chance to go, that was also a really neat event because Jesse Schell talked about running his own VR gaming company and gave a lot of good insight on the future of VR and AR.

I don’t clearly remember every detail of what he said/showed (I was struggling with a serious cold and migraine that night, which didn’t help) but I do remember him talking about his experience working at Disney, showing the ad for his latest VR game called “We Want You to Die”, and showing how far video chatting and interactive toys have come, and how they’re going to change the future generations way of connecting/communicating. It made me think of how my thesis project – and also everyone else’s thesis project – will positively affect and change the future of interactive innovations and connecting.

Here are a couple of pictures I took during the seminar:

Jesse Schell was quite a fun and interesting character, too. He started the seminar off by playing harmonica for the audience! It was very entertaining.

Overall, I really enjoyed both of the industry events I went to and would suggest that other people check out the Disappearing Acts exhibit (it’s still on display through the end of February 2019) and looking into Jesse Schell’s work. My advice is to always go to conventions, interactive exhibits, and seminars if you ever get the opportunity because I’ve gotten to experience many and have had an amazing time at each and every one that I’ve attended.