The buzz of a championship sporting event, the vibe of a rock concert, the tragedy of a disaster news report, the emotion of a family drama and the awe of a mountain landscape: a truly immersive medium must be capable of evoking all these experiences in the telling of a compelling story.
The medium needs to create cues which persuade viewers it’s all for real.
We can’t do it with a mobile phone or a tablet; we need a large screen or head-mounted display, we need 3D audio, we need body tracking and we may even need haptics and olfaction. The future lies in understanding how new technology can match and manipulate our senses to evoke yet more compelling feelings of 'being there'. And it is no small matter to produce entertaining content, to deliver it to viewers - and ensure it doesn't make them sick!
In his presentation, hosted jointly by the UEA and the Royal Television Society, Dr Nick Lodge will look at the technology, psychology and creative production which is driving today's immersive media forward.
Dr Lodge has enjoyed a career leading the research and development of advanced media technologies. He has initiated many award-winning European broadcast systems and world standards. Throughout the 1990s he was head of strategic R&D for the whole UK commercial TV sector. Following this he was CEO of a successful wireless media start-up and today runs his own consultancy. Dr Lodge is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering & Technology and of the Royal Television Society.
