IMMERSIVE MASTERCLASSES WED MAR 26, APR 2 + APR 9
THREE EXCITING MASTERCLASSES & MENTORSHIP WITH Q&A IN IMMERSIVE STORYTELLING COMING UP
THIS LINK IS FOR WEDNESDAY MARCH 26, 2025
SEPARATE LINKS WILL BE PROVIDED FOR SESSIONS ON APRIL 2 & APRIL 9 FROM 7-9 PM
Guest experts include: Jeff Gomez, CEO, Starlight Runner Entertainment, Julie Smithson, CEO, METAVRSE, moderated by Tanya Kelen, CEO, Kelencontent.
The masterclasses and mentorship with Q&A sessions are geared to inspire future entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs including participants of the pilot project Sudbury Stories, VR-XR 6-week immersive storytelling program. Join us to hear how industry professionals work with major brands and indie studios across entertainment, gaming, franchise building, education and social innovation.
With a focus on exploring the high growth jobs of the future in world building, immersive XR-VR storytelling design, marketing, sales and the art of pitching, participants will be poised to create impactful and meaningful projects that prepare them to build careers that connect with audiences, employers and future clients on a deeper level.
MASTER CLASS SCHEDULE
** WED MARCH 26th 7-9 pm MASTER CLASS # 1 **
TOPIC: THE FUTURE OF Immersive Storytelling and XR and VR JOBS
So you want a career in XR-VR? Guest speakers and moderator will give an overview of how they built careers in immersive storytelling in this high growth dynamic field. Find out what it takes to be an entrepreneur and intrapreneur in this field.
Julie Smithson will share personal career stories and how new methods of storytelling using AI fits into the equation to expedite your research of projects and in building your career.
Jeff Gomez will discuss how his interest in tabletop roleplaying games and video game design impacted his later work as a consultant to the Walt Disney Company on projects such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and Avatar. He’ll also discuss his current work in XR, including projects such as the Ultraman battle stage shows.
60 min - 90 min masterclass with Q&A total of 2 hours.
** WED. APRIL 2nd 7 - 9 pm - MASTER CLASS # 2 **
TOPIC: The process of developing a collective GAME ENGINE in VR-XR. The importance of keeping assets to value for developing future projects and opportunities.
Julie Smithson to present a case study of working on the JUICVERSE Project with JUICYFRUIT/MARS and will explore the process of how the project started and how it launched. Presentation will also explore other short form projects and how they get picked up to longer-form projects.
Jeff Gomez will discuss his experiences helping to develop and maintain franchise clearinghouses, allowing for libraries of assets to be designed and shared across multiple media. These include Hot Wheels for Mattel, Tron Legacy for Disney, and Avatar for Weta Digital. He’ll also discuss new factors in Game Engine design that can leverage AI and generate new entertainment forms.
60-90 minute MASTERCLASS with Q&A total of 2 hours
** WED APRIL 9th 7:00 - 9:00 PM - MASTER CLASS # 3 **
TOPIC: MASTERCLASS IN WORLD BUILDING, STORYTELLING, THE ART OF PITCHING & DIGITAL IDENTITIES will be explored.
Jeff Gomez will share his latest experiences in world building and storytelling as they apply to XR-VR. He will describe new modalities of narrative made especially for immersive experiences, including systemic narrative and the importance of collective community frameworks all in the service of transformational emotional storytelling.
The speakers will also offer a brief overview of the art and science of marketing & pitching their projects. Jeff will briefly share his pitch development process, which resulted in projects based on Magic: The Gathering, Hot Wheels, and his newest XR project for The Walt Disney Company.
Julie Smithson’s presentation will also explore world building, digital embodiment, presence, humanic and ethics of digital identity and governance. Examples from ROBLOX and Fortnite to be explored.
60-90 minute MASTERCLASS with Q&A total of 2 hours