Discussion
Why is virtual reality suddenly back in the media? Is it really real this time? What exactly is ‘presence’? Technologists, game designers and filmmakers will lead this panel discussion on possible futures of the new generation of virtual reality. New forms of gaming, filmmaking and consciousness are all up for grabs.
Facilitated by Eoghan Kidney, this expert-panel features a cross-section of filmmakers, virtual reality experts, game developers and creative technologists. Each speaker will introduce their areas of expertise, their view of the evolution of virtual reality and its imminent development in the gaming, filmmaking, storytelling and creative fields.
Facilitators' Biographies:
Eoghan Kidney
Kidney studied in IADT, and is one of the founding members of the pioneering Irish animation collective, Delicious 9. During the four years working with this group he collaborated over 50 different projects, ranging from video installations, design, live audio-visual performances, visual sets, curation, children's workshops and 25 experimental music videos. With multiple screenings and specials on RTE, Delicious 9 is considered part of the first wave of DIY broadcast digital animation in Ireland. In 2005, Eoghan wrote and directed his first short film 'Stars,' which picked up Best Animated Film at the 2005 Galway Film Fleadh, and a further 10 awards on the festival circuit. Further work continued on commercials for Coca Cola, Hard Working Class Heroes Festival & The Den/The Ark co-production Save That Robot. Eoghan left the Delicious 9 collective in 2006, freelancing as a compositer and 3D artist in Dublin. From 2008 Eoghan successfully directed several music videos and shorts and became an active visual artist, receiving funding from the Irish Arts Council to develop his live video performance practice. Eoghan developed feature films as writer/director (Irish Film Board & Still Films), continued to create acclaimed and award winning music videos and short live action pieces, held animation workshops in Palestine and toured his live animation visual performance with frequent collaborator Neil O'Connor aka Somadrone. After attending Werner Herzog's Film School in 2010, Eoghan received his second Frameworks grant to collaborate with a fellow student to produce the short “We, The Masses” which went on to win the Spirit Award for animation at the Brooklyn Film Festival and Best Horror as the Dallas Film Festival. It also screened at Fantastic Fest in Austin and Toronto. He is currently the creative director of video software startup Rotor and continues to be try to be involved with the edge of technology in film.
Owen Harris
Owen is a game designer and studio head at bitSmith Games as well as a VR maniac. He believes that we are entering a world of deliciously hallucinatory VR tapas that will make the world a more playful and joyous place. He is currently working on a game for Oculus Rift. John Buckley: Lecturer in Modelmaking, Design & Digital Effects at IADT: Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology with a masters in Eyewitness Memory and Virtual Reality. Michael Kinirons: Director, Michael Kinirons, studied directing at the National Film and Television School in London. Prior to that, he studied English and Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin. Kinirons is an award-winning writer and director for a number of short films and a series for TG4 which ran for four series. The Irish Film Board is a keen supporter of Kinirons, having awarded his latest script ‘Come Monday, We Kill Them All’ (co-written with Jamie Hannigan) with the IFB’s ‘Untitled’ pitching award.
This event is supported by Screen Training Ireland
