I finished up “My Black Lodge,” a “Twin Peaks”-inspired VR experience.  I attempted to create my own personal “Black Lodge” in VR.  Here’s how it turned out:

I used the following elements to create this project:

-Unity + Oculus

-Gaze-initiated actions

-Greenscreen alpha video + 3D models

-Conditionals for only triggering certain events after others have already been triggered

Successes/Failures/Lessons

–effective vibe/ambience— used black lodge to establish “world rules.”  Visuals, lighting, audio worked as I’d hoped.

–user is unpredictable— he might trigger an object but then immediately look away, etc

–timing, framing are incredibly difficult to control in vr— but a huge tool for lynch– the realities of vr limit the possibility of creating a truly lynch-style piece. Moreso than i expected.
–comment code, organize better to avoid headaches as project expands

If I Continue This Project…

-Polish timing, triggers

-Add automated player movement through environment

-Particles/transitions for asset-swaps?

-Trigger lighting and/or audio changes.

Overall, this was a fun & valuable learning experience!  I got to experiment with VR storytelling, getting a grasp on what work and what doesn’t in VR, and finding out firsthand how different VR is than on-screen mediums.  Particularly in attempting to emulate David Lynch, who leans heavily on filmmaking tools that do not exist in VR, I discovered VR’s limitations, weaknesses, and strengths.  I believe I can leverage this knowledge moving forward as I evolve my craft.

Thank you for a great semester!