Community XR: A Hands-on VR Storytelling Workshop with the Public VR Lab at the ACM-NE 2019 Conference & Trade Show on Thursday, October 31 from 1:00 – 4:00pm. Cost: $100/student

Register online here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-xr-a-hands-on-vr-storytelling-workshop-with-the-public-vr-lab-tickets-71686543381

Public VR Lab students during a recent workshop. Credit: Brookline Interactive Group

For decades, community media has provided access to media-making tools, equipment, training, and offered media literacy, youth media, and storytelling programs, and facilitated community dialogue through local media.

With new media tools emerging, how might our media centers consider extending our mission of public access into virtual worlds and into new forms of media?

Well-designed immersive reality (VR, AR, 360, MR=XR) experiences can invoke a powerful sense of wonder, embodied cognition, and empathy, and often have a transformational effect on the viewer. Community media centers across the country are learning about these new filmmaking techniques and using XR to create stories and 3D experiences, to train youth and adults, for local journalism, public safety and health, history, and on social issues. As a result, staff reports seeing new interest in their local media making programs, along with new members, volunteers, funders, and partners.

Learn steps to engage your community with Community XR and VR Storytelling!

This workshop is ideal for staff or members who focus on production, youth media, journalism, and outreach/engagement, and will cover the following:

  • Creating a framework for Community XR at your media center,
  • The basics of VR filmmaking: What you need to know to begin creating content,
  • Examples/use cases of immersive stories in XR,
  • 360 Filmmaking: Understanding equirectangular & spatial computing
  • Hands-on exercises using the Nikon Keymission 360 cameras; capturing high-quality footage,
  • Editing in 360 – learn a few simple basics to get started editing your videos, experimenting with text, transitions, etc.,
  • Uploading 360 to the web,

All participants will leave with ideas to implement in their community!