JR is famous for posting massive photographs in urban environments. His collaboration with the New York Times attempted to create a poetic awareness of New York’s storied history as a city of immigrants. To accomplish this, JR photographed 16 people who arrived in New York within the last year. For the cover, NYT zeroed in on Elmar Aliyev, a 20-year-old waiter living and working in Brooklyn.

In order to breathe new life into JR’s street art, they recorded his entire process – from Elmar’s photo shoot to the actual all-night-long application of 150 foot piece – with its proprietary camera technology, capturing footage in 360º 3D. They filmed on the ground, from the top of the Flatiron Building, and in a helicopter flying 500ft above NYC. The team then stitched the video fields together to create a fully immersive experience that puts the viewer right in the middle of the story.

Walking New York was presented at NYT’s New Fronts presentation, where the piece played a critical role in convincing buyers that the Grey Lady was serious about taking video journalism to the next level. NYT’s editor-in-chief Jake Silverstein shared the stage with Chris Milk and offered attendees a peek into their collaboration. With the market for digital advertising expected to reach $7.8 billion this year, traditional revenue streams need to be shaken up. They are the next level of art, entertainment, and engagement with one’s audience.

The New York Times’ constant efforts at bridging the gap between reader/viewer and subject made virtual reality the perfect frontier medium. In creating their first Virtual Reality piece, they were the first publication to bring the new medium to readers and allow their subscriber base to "experience" journalism.

The film was directed by Milk, JR and Zach Richter and made available to watch on virtual reality headsets and any modern cell phone using the app.

The New York Times is over 150 years old, which is amazing to think about considering how relevant the print publication has been to the modern American experience. But in a rapidly developing digital age, NYT has had to make gainful strides in order to maintain that relevance.