VR and Queerskins

    Chris Milk's Ted talk discussion about VR was very interesting. Milk reflects as a kid about the Evel Knievel toy that he had enjoyed at a younger age. "I got into the field very young: I was seven years old. And the tool that I used to access virtual reality was the Evel Knievel stunt cycle..I was there with Evel Knievel, we jumped the Snake River Canyon together". Milk expands on his experience with Vr, stating that it can make a person feel empathy for the characters involved. Milk further discusses how VR is a self-immersive experience, showing example of his modern forms of VR.
     Queerskins puts the viewer right into the backseat of VR, literally. This form of VR takes you on a virtual drive down a country road in Missouri. The experience is very real, involving a radio in the car that fills you in on recent news making the viewer feel as though they are really there. The viewer interacts with the objects in the backseat and around the home to help develop a further understanding of the characters virtual life. I liked this aspect of VR. It allows the viewer to lose track of reality, and immerse themselves in an interactive, virtual life. With more time spent in the virtual world comes more understanding of the character's life. I enjoyed this interaction because I felt involved and in control.

Ryan D.