Client ········· Japanese Broadcasting Company
Medium ········· TV show, World building, VR design, Character Design
Location ······· Tokyo

Original producer and current art director for a social-experiment documentary series on NHK exploring how people with differing values can understand each other across race, nationality, gender, and class. Lead all VR and avatar design, contribute to editorial direction to keep the show centered on amplifying minority voices and reducing bias. Pitched and developed the series from a prior “alien” project; the show has aired 8 episodes and received the Best Extended Reality Project award at the Asian Television Awards.

Four strangers, each with their own circumstances, volunteer to use space-alien avatars and interact in virtual reality. With their rea appearances and attributes hidden, they aim to travel to the moon together. In the process, they gradually learn about each other. Can they overcome their differences in background and values and come to an understanding? Multiple cameras placed in the VR space and in the real world document the entire interaction.

With the idea that shifts in perspective can make anyone appear to be an “alien”, we used non-human space-alien avatars. The contributors participated in the shoot from the familiarity of their own rooms, interacting on a VR platform uniquely developed for TV production by NHK. Anonymity allowed the participants to communicate honestly, uninfluenced by each other’s real appearance. The characteristics of VR (psychological safety and the stirring of the imagination to know more about the other person) enabled us to craft a documentary technique suited to the platform.

https://www.nhk.jp/p/ts/NZR75ZP3LL/

All the visuals are designed and directed by me, starting with basic sketchs for the world building. All the characters were designed based on the interview with the participants where they choose the shapes, colors, and eye placements.