Embrace the Reality of Virtual Reality: An Interview With Taylor Johnson
Taylor is the newest editor at Compass Light, the affiliate company to Conservation Media Group. He is a techie and an outdoorsman. He sits in a small dark room to work, but fills his home with camping and outdoor gear. So when he said that the latest developments in technology will be used, “for people to connect with nature,” I had to ask more questions. Here is what Taylor had to say:
Q: A lot of people think that technology distracts us from the real world, that it pulls us away from nature and an appreciation for it.
A: Sure, some may think that all this technology is blinding us and distracting us from reality, but we could go into a real philosophical wormhole about that. Simulation is as much a part of the human condition as breathing. It is not something that will suddenly cut us off. The evolution started as long ago as when we were drawing cave paintings, or making books. We are all in a great mimesis because we are blown away by what we see that we want to experience it in some other way. I’ll never say there isn’t a down side to technology. Culture always wrestles with technology, and, of course both keep evolving. Embrace the technology and the reality of it - even if it’s virtual reality.
Q: There are some people aren’t able to go out and see the Grand Canyon, for example. They don’t have the resources to get there, or the time. Will this give them that opportunity?
A: It’s more than just an opportunity to see it. It is an engaging experience. For example, an interactive website acts as a centralized place, but is ironically decentralized. Interactive websites have been around for a while. But they are getting better with more fluidity. For example cursor motion will determine how we go between hyperlinks. With less clicking and hyperlinking there becomes an ability to form a narrative in a website. There are websites on which children all over the world can collaborate to solve scavenger hunts, bringing in their local geography and sharing that with other children. So it’s educational too.
Q: What about the value of interacting with each other? Person to person? Is that lost?
A: I just learned of an interactive piece based in a museum hall that can hold a large group. They were using motion capture and sensor technology, the same used in X-Box games, to read and capture movement. One way people interact in this museum exhibit is by managing the water cycle. There is a finite amount of water and if one component of the system goes out of whack there are ramifications throughout the virtual world. Users learn about checks and balances that are very real. I liked how they were able to use digital technology and still get people walking around to congregate in the flesh and interact. That is happening less and less. Except at Red Sox games. That will never change.
Q: The buzz in the virtual reality technology world right now is the Oculus Rift.
A: Yes, what I think is great about the Oculus Rift is that you get a full dome presentation. It’s the same technology as that which creates planetarium and iMax films. You are getting something you can broadcast both in the Oculus Rift and in theaters for a large congregation. The question becomes, “Do you want it in your head, or do you want to be with people?” Planetarium and iMax shows are amazing works of filmmaking because they are often filmed in extreme places with state-of-the-art equipment. Unfortunately, there aren’t many iMax theaters, are there? With the Oculus Rift you have another way of viewing the program in the best way possible. If you can’t build an iMax theater, watching on a flat screen is ok, but it isn’t the intended experience. With the Oculus Rift you can sample it in a way that is as close to the intended experience as possible. iMax films are typically a smaller market, but the Oculus Rift might expand that market. Yes, it is ideal for the gaming industry, but there is no reason why conservation and education can’t be a part of that.
Q: Do you think this will open up new ways of communicating a message of conservation?
A: There is something about simulation and the spectacle that we love. There is no reason why that spectacle can’t be based around something rooted in conservation. It is worth it to dive in headfirst. When the floodgates open - I’m assuming they will - then there will be demand for this type of content. Why not produce conservation content? We should be visiting our national parks and enjoying them, but sometimes we can’t go. Maybe virtual reality content will inspire you to go. That is why we create media like this, because we are so moved by the real that we want to hold on to it. We create conservation media to instill a feeling in someone to make them act. If it can at least give an appreciation for the “real” even though we are watching a representation of it, then there is some form of emotion that it can inspire. Isn’t that the base level point of all media?
Taylor recently finished his Master’s in the Science and Natural History Filmmaking program at Montana State University. He has produced media for various NGOs and NSF projects, in addition to working on the show America the Wild for Nat Geo Wild TV. This fall, Taylor was a judge at the Science and Media awards.
Taylor is the newest editor at Compass Light, the affiliate company to Conservation Media Group. He is a techie and an outdoorsman. He sits in a small dark room to work, but fills his home with camping and outdoor gear. So when he said that the latest developments in technology will be used, “for people to connect with nature,” I had to ask more questions. Here is what Taylor had to say:
Q: A lot of people think that technology distracts us from the real world, that it pulls us away from nature and an appreciation for it.
A: Sure, some may think that all this technology is blinding us and distracting us from reality, but we could go into a real philosophical wormhole about that. Simulation is as much a part of the human condition as breathing. It is not something that will suddenly cut us off. The evolution started as long ago as when we were drawing cave paintings, or making books. We are all in a great mimesis because we are blown away by what we see that we want to experience it in some other way. I’ll never say there isn’t a down side to technology. Culture always wrestles with technology, and, of course both keep evolving. Embrace the technology and the reality of it - even if it’s virtual reality.
Q: There are some people aren’t able to go out and see the Grand Canyon, for example. They don’t have the resources to get there, or the time. Will this give them that opportunity?
A: It’s more than just an opportunity to see it. It is an engaging experience. For example, an interactive website acts as a centralized place, but is ironically decentralized. Interactive websites have been around for a while. But they are getting better with more fluidity. For example cursor motion will determine how we go between hyperlinks. With less clicking and hyperlinking there becomes an ability to form a narrative in a website. There are websites on which children all over the world can collaborate to solve scavenger hunts, bringing in their local geography and sharing that with other children. So it’s educational too.
Q: What about the value of interacting with each other? Person to person? Is that lost?
A: I just learned of an interactive piece based in a museum hall that can hold a large group. They were using motion capture and sensor technology, the same used in X-Box games, to read and capture movement. One way people interact in this museum exhibit is by managing the water cycle. There is a finite amount of water and if one component of the system goes out of whack there are ramifications throughout the virtual world. Users learn about checks and balances that are very real. I liked how they were able to use digital technology and still get people walking around to congregate in the flesh and interact. That is happening less and less. Except at Red Sox games. That will never change.
Q: The buzz in the virtual reality technology world right now is the Oculus Rift.
A: Yes, what I think is great about the Oculus Rift is that you get a full dome presentation. It’s the same technology as that which creates planetarium and iMax films. You are getting something you can broadcast both in the Oculus Rift and in theaters for a large congregation. The question becomes, “Do you want it in your head, or do you want to be with people?” Planetarium and iMax shows are amazing works of filmmaking because they are often filmed in extreme places with state-of-the-art equipment. Unfortunately, there aren’t many iMax theaters, are there? With the Oculus Rift you have another way of viewing the program in the best way possible. If you can’t build an iMax theater, watching on a flat screen is ok, but it isn’t the intended experience. With the Oculus Rift you can sample it in a way that is as close to the intended experience as possible. iMax films are typically a smaller market, but the Oculus Rift might expand that market. Yes, it is ideal for the gaming industry, but there is no reason why conservation and education can’t be a part of that.
Q: Do you think this will open up new ways of communicating a message of conservation?
A: There is something about simulation and the spectacle that we love. There is no reason why that spectacle can’t be based around something rooted in conservation. It is worth it to dive in headfirst. When the floodgates open - I’m assuming they will - then there will be demand for this type of content. Why not produce conservation content? We should be visiting our national parks and enjoying them, but sometimes we can’t go. Maybe virtual reality content will inspire you to go. That is why we create media like this, because we are so moved by the real that we want to hold on to it. We create conservation media to instill a feeling in someone to make them act. If it can at least give an appreciation for the “real” even though we are watching a representation of it, then there is some form of emotion that it can inspire. Isn’t that the base level point of all media?
Taylor recently finished his Master’s in the Science and Natural History Filmmaking program at Montana State University. He has produced media for various NGOs and NSF projects, in addition to working on the show America the Wild for Nat Geo Wild TV. This fall, Taylor was a judge at the Science and Media awards.