Nonny de la Peña
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Nonny De la Peña
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Nonny de la Peña is a pioneer in virtual reality, known primarily for her work in immersive journalism. She serves as CEO of Emblematic Group (formerly Virtual Pyedog) and is currently a senior research fellow at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California.[1]
De la Peña combines real time Unity graphics with real witness audio to recreate powerful events the user can experience using virtual reality headsets.
Fast Company recently listed de la Peña as one of the "13 People Who Made the World More Creative." [2]
Notable Pieces
Hunger in Los Angeles - Explores the growing issue of hunger in the Los Angeles area. This piece recreates a factual event that occurred in a food-bank line wherein a man suddenly collapses into a diabetic seizure due to hunger. The participant is fully immersed in the experience, feeling as if he or she is an actual witness to the event. This project was commissioned by the University of Southern California and the Institute for Creative Technologies and premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.[3]
Use of Force - Recreates the story of Anastacio Hernandez Rojas, a Mexican migrant who was beaten to death by US border patrol agents. This project was funded by the Tribeca Film Institute, Google, and the Associated Press.[4]
Project Syria - Recreates an instant in the Aleppo district of Syria. The viewer finds himself on a street corner. Children are singing and a rocket suddenly hits, causing chaos. The project was commissioned by the World Economic Forum, who used the piece to promote action amongst world leaders.[5]
References
Further reading
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Interview with de la Peña
- http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/25/10826384/sundance-2016-nonny-de-la-pena-virtual-reality-interview
- http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/24/the-godmother-of-virtual-reality-nonny-de-la-pena/
