In this episode of Dr. VR, I sit down with Stephen Henderson, multidisciplinary artist, programmer, and spatial designer, to explore tAxI, a groundbreaking immersive installation that invites passengers into a driverless cab for a deeply human conversation with an AI, presented at the Immersive Competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Co-directed by Henderson alongside Yamil Rodriguez and Michael Arcos, tAxI challenges our expectations of immersive media by removing the headset entirely. Through spatial design, AI-driven dialogue, and real-time responsive visuals, it becomes a space of confession, memory, and reflection.

We discuss what it means to create presence without VR hardware, how AI can be designed to truly listen, and why a driverless taxi becomes the perfect vessel for storytelling. From linguistic nuance to emotional resonance, this experience raises profound questions about intimacy, technology, and the future of narrative design.

In this episode of Dr. VR, I sit down with Stephen Henderson, multidisciplinary artist, programmer, and spatial designer, to explore tAxI, a groundbreaking immersive installation that invites passengers into a driverless cab for a deeply human conversation with an AI, presented at the Immersive Competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Co-directed by Henderson alongside Yamil Rodriguez and Michael Arcos, tAxI challenges our expectations of immersive media by removing the headset entirely. Through spatial design, AI-driven dialogue, and real-time responsive visuals, it becomes a space of confession, memory, and reflection.

We discuss what it means to create presence without VR hardware, how AI can be designed to truly listen, and why a driverless taxi becomes the perfect vessel for storytelling. From linguistic nuance to emotional resonance, this experience raises profound questions about intimacy, technology, and the future of narrative design.

Dans cet épisode de Dr. VR, je reçois Dominic Desjardins et Rayne Zuckerman, créateur·trice·s basé·e·s à Toronto et fondateur·trice·s de Zazie Films, à l’origine de l’expérience en réalité virtuelle La maison de poupée / The Dollhouse, présentée à la Compétition Immersive du Festival de Cannes.

À travers le regard sensible d’une enfant et un univers de papier qui se déploie, La maison de poupée explore les dynamiques de pouvoir, la culpabilité, et la responsabilité individuelle dans l’intimité des foyers. Ce récit interactif donne au spectateur un rôle actif et engageant : que feriez-vous si vous teniez une poupée fragile entre vos mains, seul, avec tout le pouvoir de choisir ?

Dans cet épisode de Dr. VR, je reçois Dominic Desjardins et Rayne Zuckerman, créateur·trice·s basé·e·s à Toronto et fondateur·trice·s de Zazie Films, à l’origine de l’expérience en réalité virtuelle La maison de poupée / The Dollhouse, présentée à la Compétition Immersive du Festival de Cannes.

À travers le regard sensible d’une enfant et un univers de papier qui se déploie, La maison de poupée explore les dynamiques de pouvoir, la culpabilité, et la responsabilité individuelle dans l’intimité des foyers. Ce récit interactif donne au spectateur un rôle actif et engageant : que feriez-vous si vous teniez une poupée fragile entre vos mains, seul, avec tout le pouvoir de choisir ?

In this episode, I sit down with Eloise Singer, director and founder of Singer Studios, and Dr. Dave Ranyard, producer, immersive media pioneer, and studio director, to explore their VR work currently under consideration for an Emmy nomination and recently showcased at the Cannes Film Festival in the Immersive Competition. Their projects are redefining how we engage with history through virtual reality.

From the windswept decks of The Pirate Queen to the revolutionary journey of Bertha Benz in Trailblazer, this conversation delves into the creative and technical processes behind these genre-defying experiences. We discuss Trailblazer's Cannes premiere, the growing field of immersive historical storytelling, and the importance of agency, embodiment, and innovation in shaping the future of XR, while exploring how VR challenges traditional boundaries between audience and narrative.

And stay tuned for an exciting surprise announcement from Singer Studios!

In this episode, I sit down with Eloise Singer, director and founder of Singer Studios, and Dr. Dave Ranyard, producer, immersive media pioneer, and studio director, to explore their VR work currently under consideration for an Emmy nomination and recently showcased at the Cannes Film Festival in the Immersive Competition. Their projects are redefining how we engage with history through virtual reality.

From the windswept decks of The Pirate Queen to the revolutionary journey of Bertha Benz in Trailblazer, this conversation delves into the creative and technical processes behind these genre-defying experiences. We discuss Trailblazer's Cannes premiere, the growing field of immersive historical storytelling, and the importance of agency, embodiment, and innovation in shaping the future of XR, while exploring how VR challenges traditional boundaries between audience and narrative.

And stay tuned for an exciting surprise announcement from Singer Studios!

Step into the world of From Dust, the groundbreaking VR opera that just won the Best Immersive Experience at the Cannes Film Festival.

In this episode of Dr. VR, I sit down with Michel van der Aa, the acclaimed composer, director, and innovator, whose latest work merges classical vocal performance with AI-powered interactivity to create an experience that’s tailor-made for each participant.

We discuss the future of immersive opera, how AI reshapes storytelling, and what it means to place the audience at the center of the performance We also explore topics such as immersive design, digital performance, as well as the intersection of technology and emotion.

Dans cet épisode spécial du podcast Dr. VR, enregistré à l’occasion du 78e Festival de Cannes, je retrouve Elie Levasseur, responsable de la Compétition Immersive, pour un échange passionnant sur la place grandissante de la XR dans le paysage culturel international. Nous discutons des nouveautés de cette deuxième édition, marquée par l’introduction des catégories Immersive – Focus et Hors Compétition, qui témoignent d’une volonté de structurer davantage la programmation immersive du festival. Elie revient également sur la visite marquante de la ministre française de la Culture, Rachida Dati, et sur ce que cela représente en termes de reconnaissance institutionnelle et de soutien gouvernemental à la création immersive.

Nous explorons aussi l’essor de l’intelligence artificielle dans plusieurs œuvres sélectionnées cette année, comme Lili, tAxI ou encore From Dust, en nous interrogeant sur l’impact de ces technologies sur la narration, l’interaction et la notion même d’auteur. Enfin, Elie partage son point de vue sur le choix du jury de remettre le prix de la Meilleure œuvre immersive à From Dust de Michel van der Aa, une expérience en réalité mixte qui redéfinit les codes de la création immersive contemporaine. Un épisode riche en réflexions, entre innovation artistique, politique culturelle et avenir de la XR.

I sat down with freelance professional Danielle Giroux who works in the XR industry contributing to XRMust to unpack the bold, moving, and unexpected pieces from the SXSW 2025 XR lineup. From headset-free experiences to global stories about memory and place, this year’s festival had a lot to say about where XR is heading.

I sat down with freelance professional Danielle Giroux who works in the XR industry contributing to XRMust to unpack the bold, moving, and unexpected pieces from the SXSW 2025 XR lineup. From headset-free experiences to global stories about memory and place, this year’s festival had a lot to say about where XR is heading.