&Design is an episodic VR series that’s rooted in universal and deeply human themes such as: Death, Love, God, and the idea of Self. Originally conceived by Paola Antonelli, renowned architecture and design curator, who brought it to Sibling Rivalry Partner/Creative Director Mikon van Gastel, the series guides audiences through an immersive experience of design that melds anthropology, science, history, and technology. Hosted by Antonelli, viewers are introduced to a variety of groundbreaking designers and creators from around the world, including Neri Oxman and the members of the Mediated Matter Group at MIT’s Media Lab, roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro in Osaka, and others whose innovative work will shape the way in which we live in our world and construct our existence.

&Design was made possible by a grant from Samsung VR Video’s Pilot Season, a new initiative aimed at infusing exclusive, original, episodic Virtual Reality (VR) content into Samsung VR Video service, driving growth within the independent VR filmmaker community. Over the course of two months, our production crew travelled to Berlin, Osaka, Melbourne, and New York City to capture interviews and works by groundbreaking creators Neri Oxman, Hiroshi Ishiguro, Pia Interlandi, and Susanna Kraus. Shot primarily with Samsung’s 360 Round camera, we combined live-action filmmaking, graphic design, sound design, and VFX to create an optimal viewing experience. &Design made its debut during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival and is also available in the Samsung VR Creator Portal.

As VR is an experimental platform, we needed to embrace accessibility, to figure out ways to make the film intuitive, to encourage the user to explore where they want and have that align to where they should be looking. We aimed to make this series as much of an extension of real-life as possible and through that natural connection, have our audience feel and breathe in these complex and sometimes uncomfortable concepts. Aiming to make the world of design accessible to a diverse audience, the pilot episodes are a springboard to more large-scale design stories yet to be told.

Not available at time of submission.