“Capturing the Essence of ‘Self’ in Social VR: An Exploration of Filming and Presenting Approaches in Machinima and Virtual Production” presented by Lee
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This research builds upon self-presentation and identity in social VR by exploring the growing trend of virtual filmmaking within VRChat, a popular social VR platform.
Social VR has emerged as a global platform for social interaction in recent years. This has prompted scholars to investigate how people and communities use it to examine their identity, physical representation, and mental well-being. (Barreda et al., 2022; Guo et al., 2021; Kelley, 2021; Laura et al. 2021; Thibault & Bujic, 2022; Zamanifar & Freeman, 2019). Users of social VR gather on social VR platforms, where their identities are represented through real-time, interactive 3D avatars (Doug et al., 2022). These carefully tailored avatars help foster intimate presence and self-expression. (Messinger, 2008; Divine et al.,2020).
In VRChat, users cultivate unique cultures within the virtual realms they occupy. This includes documenting and capturing staged performances using audio-visual screen recording and performance capture devices, thereby fostering the emergence of virtual filmmaking within the world itself. In this research, the researcher intends to investigate and creatively engage in cultures of social VR filmmaking. By conducting semi-structured interviews with fellow filmmakers in VRChat and creating an animated short film, the researcher will explore how diverse individuals, including casual players and those from various orientations and subcultures, employ immersive VR technology to record and share their personal narratives.
Beyond this interdisciplinary investigation, the research will also investigate the convergence of machinima and virtual film production techniques with this new form of in-world performance and storytelling. This involves observing how the combination of crafting animated narratives using computer graphics and the integration of real-time CGI and performance capture contribute to the progressive evolution of filmmaking knowledge and understanding of social VR cultures.
