Songs of Infinity
A journey through the cosmos, from the birth of a star to the edge of a black hole.
Vulcan Productions · Immersive storytelling and creative development
Holodome
Making the technology disappear.
The Holodome began with an idea from Paul Allen: could we take a first step toward the Holodeck imagined in Star Trek? A place where people could step into another world together, without putting on a headset. We were a long way from the fictional technology, but the ambition was real.
When I joined the Holodome project at Vulcan Productions, the technology was still being invented. We had a lightweight prototype, but the finished platform was about a year away. We were trying to create a shared immersive experience without headsets, and we didn't yet know what kinds of stories would work inside it.
My early work was prototyping, borrowing from VR, film, theater, games, and everything we’ve learned about storytelling. Without a conventional frame, we had to discover new ways to guide attention. Scale, spatial sound, movement, and even how close a character appeared could change whether a moment felt believable. And because visitors could see and react to one another, the experience was social in a way headset-based VR rarely was. The goal wasn’t to show off the machinery. It was to make the technology disappear so the story could carry you away.
Experimentation
We needed to prove it before we could fund it
With limited early resources, we needed to attract creators and technologists before we had a finished platform or a substantial production budget. We partnered with Wevr to establish an experimental Holodome lab inside its Los Angeles studio.
Over two years, we organized creative labs and workshops with UCLA Design Media Arts and independent design partners. We paired artists, filmmakers, designers, and game developers with engineers, gave them access to development time, and encouraged them to push the space as far as it would go.
The labs helped us test spatial storytelling, shared attention, sound, and interactivity, including experiments built in Unity. They also seeded a community of creators and a working vocabulary for a medium without established rules. The experiments weren't a detour from the work. They were how we learned what the work could be.
Production and markets
Seven experiences, each testing a different possibility
As the technology matured, the question grew beyond what we could create: where could Holodome actually succeed? We developed seven original experiences with outside partners to explore potential markets, including music and sports venues, amusement parks, outdoor recreation, and art, science, and pop culture museums.
Each experience tested a different creative proposition, from cooperative gaming and live music to scientific exploration and fine art. I led the content program and worked closely with external studios, engineers, and production partners to guide seven original experiences, each with a production budget exceeding $1 million. Across the program, I oversaw approximately $20 million in production spending, including partner budgets and production negotiations.
Justin Timberlake’s Montana
An intimate, immersive performance set against the Montana landscape.
MPC
Death Planet Rescue
A science-fiction thrill ride into a deadly alien world.
Dome of the Dead
A four-player cooperative game against waves of alien-zombie hybrids.
Endeavor One
Seattle Seahawks: Art of the Play
A behind-the-scenes journey through an NFL player’s preparation for game day.
Pixvana
Museum of Masters: Claude Monet
Step inside the paintings of the Impressionist master.
Electric Dream Factory
EVEREST
Follow climbers attempting Everest and Lhotse without bottled oxygen.
Into the world
From a working prototype to a public experience
Holodome moved beyond the lab to public audiences at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP). It wasn’t only a showcase: seeing how visitors responded helped us test our assumptions and informed later interactive work, including Dome of the Dead. We also brought the platform to TED2019: Bigger Than Us in Vancouver, introducing it to creators and potential commercial partners.
For me, the lasting value was bigger than the seven finished productions. We helped develop a creative process, a network of collaborators, and a clearer understanding of how storytelling and market exploration could shape an emerging technology together.
7Original experiences across multiple formats and venue opportunities
38K+Visitors reported at the MoPOP installation
