Imago: Presence and Emotion in Virtual Reality
Jaehee Cho, Tsung-Han Lee, Joel Ogden, Amy Stewart, Tsung-Yu Tsai, Junwen Chen, and Ralph Vituccio*
Entertainment Technology Center, Carnegie Mellon University
Figure 1: Screenshot of Imago, Act II.
Abstract
As virtual reality becomes available to a wider audience,
filmmakers are being challenged to create ever more immersive
and creative narratives for this quickly evolving medium. While
many of the early attempts at virtual reality filmmaking have been
devoted to the creation of quick paced and aw-inspiring
experiences, filmmakers such as Chris Milk and Oculus Story
Studio have been more focused on more story driven experiences,
using the medium to tell narratives in a new and exciting way.
Project Hypnos was created at Carnegie Mellon University to
explore immersive narrative filmmaking techniques for virtual
reality. The resulting proof-of-concept film, Imago, was created
using the techniques developed during this research. Imago plays
with the concept of a viewer's presence in a film in an attempt to
elicit both negative and positive emotions. The result is a story-
driven experience that comes to life through live-action drama,
dance, and abstract CG imagery.
Keywords: virtual reality, storytelling, narrative
Concepts: • Computing methodologies ~ Virtual reality;
1 Research
The first task for Project Hypnos was to develop demos that
would identify how the viewer might perceive themselves in
virtual reality, as well as some techniques to modify that
perception. Using a 360Heroes Rig and an array of 10 Go-Pro
Cameras, the team created 12 experiences of varying lengths and
*e-mail: jaehee.cho815@gmail.com, oscar8012@hotmail.com,
joel@joelogden.com, amystewart.cmu@gmail.com,
jacktsai526@gmail.com, cmujunwenc@gmail.com,
rv0a@andrew.cmu.edu.
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Copyright is held by the owner/author(s).
SIGGRAPH '16 VR Village, July 24-28, 2016, Anaheim, CA,
ACM 978-1-4503-4377-0/16/07.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2929490.2931000
narratives. Each demo was shown to small group of testers, after
which they would be asked a series of questions about the
experience and their emotional response. What was of particular
interest was how the player perceived their role in the narrative,
the understanding of their physical body in the virtual space, and
their emotional responses to various stimuli in virtual reality.
Our early demos revealed that viewers were unable to detach
themselves from being part of the experience, as one might when
watching a traditional film. A number of short films were created
that would vary the amount of eye contact a viewer received from
the characters in the story. Through observation and interviews,
we learned that viewers felt the need to be acknowledged while in
the VR space. Viewers often described themselves as being a
character in the film, whether or not they were given indication
that this was the case. When acknowledged as being a character in
the film and given eye contact from actors in the scene, viewers
described feeling more immersed in the story and used more
emotional words to describe those experiences.
2 Proof-of-Concept
Based on this research, we set out to create a proof of concept
film that would make use of the tools and techniques we had
learned. Imago was the result, employing a dramatic narrative and
manipulating the viewer's perception of presence in an attempt to
create an emotionally evocative experience.
Imago tells the story of Sam, a former dancer who has been the
victim of a stroke and now has locked-in syndrome: the inability
to move or speak. The audience takes on the role of Sam,
confined to a wheelchair and without means to communicate. This
story is told in three acts, each one intended to draw the viewer
further out of their own perception and into that of the protagonist
Sam.
2.1 Drama in First Person
During the first act, Sam's family openly discussing his condition,
with Sam's uncle doing so in a cold and inconsiderate manner. As
the viewer looks down, they are able to see the wheelchair and
seemingly lifeless body that confines them. Due to Sam's
condition, some family members will acknowledge Sam's
presence and make eye contact, while others will not. The
dramatic tension of whether the viewer will be acknowledged as providing some valuable tools and best practices to evoke the
being present is a main driving force for the drama experienced in desired emotional reaction. As this medium moves forward, this
the scene, with many viewers claiming they felt frustrated and and other tools are what will help the field of virtual reality
ignored, both of which are feelings we had set out to evoke. filmmaking expand from a medium of surface-level experience to
one of deep, emotionally compelling storytelling.
2.2 Performance in Transition
Acknowledgements
As the viewer's journey into Sam's psyche progresses, they are
dropped into a dance performance that was specially
choreographed for 360-degree film. As the music quickens, so To Eun Young Ahn, Kirsten Rispin, and Simon Xua, for their
does the speed and intensity of the dancers, meant to echo the hard work and contributions in the creation of this project.
frustration and anxiety felt in Sam's mind. At this stage, the
viewer's body is no longer visible. The perspective is shifted from References
being a participant to being an observer in the audience, creating a
juxtaposition of the viewer's perceived space. Permeated through
Catatonic. 2015. Guy Shelmerdine, United States.
the scene are moments of binaural sound, hastened heartbeats, and
the movement of the dancers behind the viewer to give the viewer
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fear. This act serves as a transition from the real world that Sam
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factor.
Milk, C. (2015, April 22). Chris Milk: How virtual reality can
create the ultimate empathy machine [Video file]. Retrieved from
2.3 Abstraction in Third Person https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_milk_how_virtual_reality_can_c
reate_the_ultimate_empathy_machine?language=en
In the final act, the viewer is placed in an abstract space, with the
intention of evoking calm and relief. From a black space, small Riva, G., Mantovani, F. and Capideville, C. et al. 2007. Affective
twinkles of light become apparent. As these pulses quicken, they Interactions Using Virtual Reality: The Link between Presence
begin to form the shape of a brain, with each of these pulses and Emotions. CyberPsychology & Behavior 10, 1, 45-56.
representing a synapse. As each of these tiny forms becomes
illuminated, it is revealed that these dots are in-fact butterflies,
perched on a tree, reminiscent of the shape and function of the SightLine: The Chair. 2014. SightLine.
human brain. With a gentle breeze, the butterflies take flight, first
surrounding the viewer, and then slowly carrying them up off the
ground. The viewer has now been led to a place where the
acknowledgement of presence has ceased, along with the viewer's
need for this acknowledgement. Most viewers reported feeling
calm, as if in a safe, albeit surreal place.

At the conclusion, the viewer is returned to the living world,

where the viewer is now acknowledged as being alive and present
by characters that denied this acknowledgement before.

3 Screening

The viewing of Imago has been limited to small group screenings,

placing the viewer in a wheelchair as the film is presented on a
Samsung Gear VR head-mounted display. The viewers were then
interviewed about their emotional states through the film and
often times reacted with the emotional intensity we were hoping
to achieve, with some viewers even being moved to tears. Several
viewers verbalized their presence to characters in the film,
momentarily forgetting the characters were unable to react. Most
viewers were able to accept the disappearance of the body
(physical manifestation of presence) in the second act, and all
viewers accepted it by the third. As a result, the viewer's journeys
to accept his or her own presence (or lack thereof) in the virtual
space mirrors Sam's own acceptance of his existence.

4 Conclusion

The creation of Imago allowed us to experiment with the

manipulation of a viewer's space and perceived role in it,