The Brendan Bradley Integrative Technology Lab

In 2017, New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts launched The Brendan Bradley Innovation Lab as a cross-departmental initiative to invite real-world technologists as survey instructors for students to experiment with interactive and immersive technology in live performance.

Several previous OnBoardXR participants have been students and/or instructors at the Lab and as part of our mission to engage and connect the next generation of storytellers.

Spring 2022

For the Spring 2022 Semester, OnBoardXR supported the Lab with equipment, resources and staffing in a dedicated course on virtual reality performance.

Michael Morran oversaw the course, taught by Ari Tarr, Dasha Kittredge and Valencia James, hosting classes and presentations on the OnBoardXR server introducing students to 3D experience design, avatar performance and volumetric performance capture.

OnBoardXR: Port of Registry

Students were also invited to participate in OnBoardXR: Port of Registry, creating and performing DEAN GREEN KRAKEN MACHIHNE, a choose-your-own-adventure short-form experience at Mozilla Festival and monetizing their work with the general public.

Audience members encountered a student who was being attacked by student loan debt, a spell from an evil kraken, and called upon the audience to help save them through live action role play. The audience was invited to choose different avatars, each possessing different “powers” that could help or hinder their battle with the kraken, performed by a live performer represented as a giant ‘avatar’ while puppeting animated 3d tenticle.

Outcomes

The NYU collaboration showcased the potential for accessing the OnBoardXR community and tools beyond the usual 2-3 week seasonal cycle suggesting opportunity for year-round, asynchronous support and programming. These learnings directly influenced the development of The 21 Day Challenge and outreach to other academic partners.