WorkPlays VR is an interactive virtual reality resource that gives young people an experience of work in the disability sector.
WorkPlays VR is a virtual reality resource for the disability sector. Created for the Google Pixel, it is a 35-minute virtual work experience, featuring an interactive live-action story and providing users a taste of disability support work.
WorkPlaysVR was developed in 2016 with WorkForce Plus, an organisation seeking to engage young people at risk of long-term unemployment, into work. The scope of the VR resource was ambitious at the time: to create an interactive live-action VR experience for a mobile device. 360° scenes, real locations, talent with lived experience, and moments of gamification that relate to actual work skills. To our knowledge this intersection of modes did not yet exist, so we combined video experts with VR experts and gave it a crack!
The result: A 35-minute virtual reality work experience in disability-support-work. The user is guided through a virtual shift by professional support workers, who assign tasks to the user to complete. Characters speak directly to the camera giving a strong sense of immersion, and the interaction from the user is critical in order to push the experience forward.
CREDITS
Produced for Workforce Plus
Production Company: Carben Creative
PRODUCTION & SCRIPTS
Creative Producer: Jess O'Farrell
Writer: Ben McEwing
360° FILM CREW
Live-action director: Ben McEwing
360° Cinematographer: Lester Francois
Location sound recordist: Dead on Sound
Hair and Makeup artist: Courtney Johnston
Production assistant: Tom Wilkinson
Runner: Laura Douget
CAST
Flo: Joanne Nguyen
Jack: Nathan Legg
Kelly: Shea MacDonough
Maree: Amanda Mckay
Jacqui: Ruth Katerelos
Pete: Ben McEwing
PICTURE POST-PRODUCTION
Offline editor: Ben McEwing
Stitching & colour grade: Lester Francois
Compositing: Dave Abbott
AUDIO POST-PRODUCTION
Dead on Sound
Sound designer: Ryan Granger
APP DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
Graphic designer: Carole Felmy
Paperticket Studios
Lead developer: Sean O'Connell
2D character artist: Jay Mclean
3D animator: Sean Ogden
studio kettle works and creates on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded and pay respect to their Elders, past and present.