Modern WisdomThe Future Of Virtual Reality | Dr Sarah Jones | Modern Wisdom Podcast 110
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 1:37
Immersive storytelling vs. “story living”: what Sarah’s PhD actually means
Chris introduces Dr. Sarah Jones and her unusual credential: the first PhD in immersive storytelling. Sarah reframes it as “story living,” where narrative is experienced and assembled by the participant rather than delivered as a fixed, directed plot.
- 1:37 – 2:43
From TV journalism to VR: removing the screen as a barrier
Sarah explains her background in television journalism and why it pushed her toward immersive media. The core motivation is getting audiences closer to real stories by eliminating the distance created by a flat screen.
- 2:43 – 3:12
Tools of immersion: VR, AR, 360 video, and the pull of holograms
The conversation surveys the formats Sarah works across—traditional film, AR, VR, and 360 video—with 360 positioned as the easiest experimentation entry point. Sarah highlights growing fascination with holograms as the next storytelling frontier.
- 3:12 – 4:48
Art vs. code: why immersive work demands collaboration
Chris asks whether Sarah approaches immersive tech as a coder or as a creative director, and she firmly lands on the artistic side. She emphasizes that immersive projects require tightly integrated collaboration between storytellers, technologists, and designers.
- 4:48 – 7:16
Stop copy-pasting old media: designing for the platform (Sky News VR example)
Sarah critiques the common mistake of applying old production habits to new platforms. Using Sky News’ early VR coverage as an example, she argues that 360/VR requires rethinking audience perspective and narrative structure, not re-filming the same report.
- 7:16 – 9:46
How VR planning differs: design the feeling first (Chungking Mansions case study)
Sarah explains that VR production starts with imagining the lived experience, not story beats. She describes filming in Hong Kong’s chaotic Chungking Mansions and intentionally breaking early VR editing “rules” to evoke disorientation and intensity.
- 9:46 – 12:10
No frame, no single narrative: viewer agency and rewatchability in VR
They unpack how the loss of a frame changes storytelling control: different viewers can come away with different narratives. Sarah prefers trusting the audience over forcing gaze direction with cues, and Chris notes how this invites repeated viewing from new angles.
- 12:10 – 14:14
Oculus Quest and the accessibility leap: untethered VR + Beat Saber
Sarah calls the Oculus Quest a game changer because it reduces friction: standalone headset, controllers, and room-scale play. Beat Saber becomes the concrete example of a compelling, fun use-case that helps drive mainstream adoption.
- 14:14 – 17:07
Why VR video looks worse: resolution spread, streaming limits, and adaptation
Chris raises the perceived drop in video quality inside headsets, and Sarah explains the pixel-distribution problem: resolution is wrapped around a 360 sphere. They discuss practical limits (download vs. stream) and how users adapt after a few minutes.
- 17:07 – 19:52
Living in VR for 48 hours: embodiment tricks, haptics, and realism vs. cartoons
Sarah recounts a 48-hour VR immersion experiment, including practical routines and unusual activities. She describes how haptics, visual effects, and sensory cues can quickly convince the brain—even when graphics are stylized—and mentions VR’s potential for pain reduction.
- 19:52 – 27:07
The best VR isn’t at home: immersive theater, events, and multi-sensory design
Sarah admits she’s often bored by consumer-at-home VR content and finds the most compelling work in location-based, social experiences. War of the Worlds and other event-style productions show how actors, sets, wind/heat/scent, projections, and headsets combine into something closer to theater than cinema.
- 27:07 – 32:43
Interactivity, movement, and photogrammetry: what’s possible now (and what isn’t)
They discuss the constraints of 360 film (limited freedom of movement) versus interactive VR driven by tethered computing or newer headsets. Sarah explains photogrammetry as a technique for building explorable realistic spaces and notes how supporting tech like 5G and better tooling accelerates progress.
- 32:43 – 36:11
Will we get VR blockbusters? Likely yes—but not ‘films’ as we know them
Chris asks about full-length VR movies, and Sarah says longer experiences will arrive but won’t mirror traditional 120-minute seated cinema. She references notable shorter works (like CTRL) and predicts VR will integrate more naturally with theater, galleries, and AR layers than with conventional moviegoing.
- 36:11 – 39:48
Holograms and AR glasses: from stage projections to HoloLens storytelling
Sarah clarifies what “holograms” mean in practice—often sophisticated projection pipelines—and how AR glasses (HoloLens, Magic Leap) shift the landscape. She describes a HoloLens experience where you interview holographic characters as an immigration officer, with their realism changing based on your choices.
- 39:48 – 50:32
Always-on vision tech and privacy: Google Glass lessons and the unease of being watched
They compare Blade Runner-style companions and Pokémon Go as steps on the same continuum of convenience and constant overlay. Sarah reflects on Google Glass’s failure—comfort, UX, and social acceptability—alongside the deeper privacy and regulation challenges of wearable cameras.
- 50:32 – 1:03:49
VR as an ‘empathy machine’? Persuasion power, regulation gaps, and social VR harassment
The discussion turns to VR’s documented ability to shift attitudes and behavior (refugee, homelessness, gender perspective-taking studies) and the risks of manipulation. Sarah cites government inquiry work on immersive tech and addiction, highlights harassment in social VR, and notes emerging safety tools like personal-space ‘bubbles.’
