The University’s College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering and Creative Campus hosted a lecture Thursday titled “Immersive Technology: Past, Present and Future.”
Michael MacKay and Michael Van Hembergen of Mysterious Enterprises spoke to students and faculty, encouraging them to submerge themselves into the technical, creative and business aspects of digital media.
MacKay and Van Hembergen explained the evolution of technology. MacKay said Blu-ray software will be the last of its kind, as future technology will bring us out of what Van Hembergen called “the dark ages.”
“Your generation gets more information through handheld devices,” MacKay said.
MacKay and Van Hembergen also talked about some current technological projects, such as Goolge SketchUp, a virtual modeling system that can be superimposed onto Google Earth for an accurate sense of placement.
There is even a contact lens that can defer the eye between the virtual and the real world, they said.
“I never knew anything like that was possible,” said Naomi Thompson, a sophomore majoring in psychology and a Creative Campus intern. “It’s enlightening, and a little bit scary, but it’s cool.”
Van Hembergen emphasized the technological capability to transform storytelling into “story dwelling,” or having consumers actually being a part of the virtual world themselves.
“It’s not about watching a video, it’s about sharing a space,” MacKay said.
Hank Lazer, executive director of the Creative Campus Initiative, said he’d heard about some of the new technology Van Hembergen and MacKay mentioned, but was impressed to hear the latest news.
“We’re headed toward a hugely changed world,” Lazer said as he noted the consequences of the nature of being human.
MacKay said that the intent of Second Life, a virtual world computer game, is to manage time-consuming projects in order to prioritize more important aspects of everyday life, while Van Hembergen said virtual worlds are becoming more dominant in the area of education.
According to Lazer, the College of Education at the University has created its own Second Life.
The presentation raised concern for some audience members regarding “how far is too far,” with the idea that people can dwell in the virtual world more than the existing world.
“Your generation has a lot of decisions to make about the leverage of the virtual and real worlds,” MacKay said.
MacKay and Van Hembergen spent the majority of their time talking about Stereoscopic 3D, technology that has been around for a few years but has been recently renovated to enhance audience experience. Van Hembergen mentioned the IMAX theater as an example of how S3D is allowing people to be more than passive observers.
“We’re not specialists. We’re media generalists,” Van Hembergen said as he and MacKay explained their 1982 drawings for an integrated media facility, which was later bought by Sony.
MacKay and Van Hembergen met in the 1990s and have been developing Mysterious Enterprises since that time.
There’s a difference between “smart” Americans, those who use resources and develop a lifelong love of learning even after graduation, and “cool” Americans, who merely learn what they need to know to do their job, MacKay said.
The men said the faculty and the administrators at the University think progressively.
“You’ve got teachers, deans and administrators that are trying to future proof your school,” Van Hembergen said.
John Virciglio of the department of theatre and dance said he’s producing a show in January entitled “The Realm,” and it will involve S3D technology and live performance.
“I think it will bring a great audience to dance,” said Colleen Frake, a sophomore majoring in dance and a dancer in “The Realm.” “Not as many people go out to shows, but I definitely think that having film involved will help fill the seats.”
Such a performance produced on a university level is unprecedented, Van Hembergen and MacKay said.
“I feel really blessed to be at this university that is doing this innovative project,” Thompson said.
