How XR and AI Can Deliver True Transmedia Storytelling

NAB

Rachel Joy Victor aims to explore how AI can revolutionize storytelling in the digital age, particularly in terms of content creation efficiency.

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“Traditional formats will always have their place, but immersive storytelling offers unique opportunities for audience engagement,” she says. “We’re witnessing a shift towards interactive narratives and spatial experiences, where viewers have agency in shaping the story.”

Victor is a designer, strategist and worldbuilder, working with emergent technologies and mediums (XR, AI and Web3) to create cohesive narrative, brand, and product experiences. At NAB Show, she will be moderating a panel discussion, “Harnessing AI-Driven Storytelling For Efficiencies in Content Creation,” on Monday, April 15 at 4:00 PM in the Capitalize Zone Theater (W2149). The session, which includes Jean-Daniel LeRoy, co-founder and CEO at Playbook XR, Mod Tech Labs CEO Alex Porter, and Emmy-winning immersive director Michaela Ternasky Holland, will focus on generative video workflows and procedural content creation.

Victor draws on a diverse academic and business background with a focus on computational neuroscience and “Spatial Economics.” Her designs range from multiplatform narratives and immersive experiences to tools and platforms and spaces and cities for clients including Disney, HBO, Vans, Ford, Havas, Meow Wolf, Niantic, and more.

“I’ve always been passionate about understanding human behavior and how it interacts with technology,” she says. “Over the years, I’ve worked on various projects, from creative direction for events like the Dubai World Expo to consulting for major brands like Nike and Crocs. Now, as a co-founder fbrc.ai, my focus is on developing AI-enabled tools for content production.”

She says AI plays a crucial role in optimizing asset movement across different platforms and points to the work of ModTech, a company that utilizes machine learning to optimize assets, ensuring they’re in the right place, at the right time, and in the right format.

“Additionally, tools like Playbook XR facilitate cross-format creation by embedding behaviors into spatial design engines, allowing for seamless adaptation across various mediums,” she says.

“We’re developing a vocabulary for immersive storytelling, leaning into immersion while keeping entry barriers low. For example, this session also welcomes the insight of artist Mikaela Ternasky-Holland, who is pushing the boundaries of immersive storytelling, combining 2D and 3D elements to create captivating experiences.”

Spatial Economics is an increasingly important field which dovetails media with science and entails understanding how spatial factors influence decision-making. For Victor, this is about leveraging real-time spatial data to personalize experiences. “For example, using data from IoT devices at a theme park to guide visitors towards water stations based on their location and environmental conditions,” she says.

With the rise of XR headgear like Apple Vision Pro a new battleground is developing for advertising and data collection around the real estate and sensory signals of a wearer’s face, such as data collected from eye-tracking.

“XR devices offer unprecedented access to personal data, raising concerns about privacy and data ownership,” she says. “It’s crucial to establish robust data policies to protect individuals’ privacy while still enabling immersive experiences.”

A little further out and some commentators predict a merging of our own biology — our neural pathways — for controlling AI-driven computers and experiences.

“It’s a complex topic,” she agrees. “While there’s potential for incredible advancements in brain-computer interfaces, we are also still grappling with fundamental challenges, such as capturing and interpreting neural signals accurately. The portrayal of brain-computer interfaces in the public imagination is often oversimplified. It’s essential to approach these developments cautiously and prioritize ethical considerations.”