What’s in a story? Do the traditional elements of the story change in a mixed-reality setting? And, how can storytelling evolve to deliver compelling narrative experiences on new technical platforms? A deep dive into the mechanics of building immersive environments was the agenda at Reinventing Storytelling, produced by Ron Martinez of Headcanon and partner Schoolab San Francisco. Guest speakers Nicole Lazzaro, a game industry thought leader and fearless innovator, and David Fox, designer of a generation of beloved games for LucasArts and Disney, and a pioneer in location-based immersive design, tantalized us with the latest developments.
Nicole Lazzaro grounded the audience with the traditional definition of story: character, world, and narrative. Then she took us behind the scenes of immersive storytelling, which breaks traditional limitations by offering agency, the ability to affect the world. Today’s interactive virtual stories can trigger powerful emotions, pushing you from wonder to laughter to even fear. And how you respond and act changes your world.
David Fox followed Lazzaro on the stage with an in-depth look at his career in immersive game design, simulated environments, and theme park experience production. Can longform immersion, theme park overlays, and simulator pods be combined into a single unified experience? Watch our video recap to find out!
