CWI researchers testing the possibility of a Social VR platform as a meeting space during remote client-producer meetings in the pre-production stage

On June 20th, 2024, CWI researchers conducted an experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of a social XR platform as a potential alternative for use during client-producer meetings in the XR production pre-production stage. This study took place at two locations: The Sound & Vision Museum in Hilversum, the Netherlands, and Khora (an XR production studio) in Copenhagen, Denmark. The experiment aimed to understand how curators and XR project managers can collaborate and communicate future project ideas in a Social VR environment during the pre-production stage.

TRANSMIXR researchers from CWI conducted the experiment with The Sound & Vision Museum (Hilversum, The Netherlands) and Khora (Copenhagen, Denmark). The study involved four pairs of participants, each pair consisting of one curator from the museum and one project manager from the XR production studio. Participants were recruited separately by project managers from both the museum and the XR production studio.

Two researchers from CWI were stationed in Hilversum, each conducting the study with one participant, while an assistant in Copenhagen facilitated the setup following pre-sent written guidelines. Additionally, two technical assistants were present in the Hilversum room to ensure the smooth running of the system. Each session lasted approximately 40 minutes, including the Social XR experience and a follow-up interview.

During the session, a project manager guided the discussion by presenting their previously developed application in the Social VR environment to a curator. This presentation aimed to showcase the company’s XR production capabilities and to discuss or initiate how the museum could adopt this technology for their future projects. After the session, researchers interviewed the participants about their general experience, how communication in the Social VR environment differed from non-VR project discussion settings such as Zoom or face-to-face meetings, what features they would like to see more of, and the opportunities and challenges of this platform.

Participants highlighted Social VR as a powerful alternative for a meeting space due to its ability to enable dynamic spatial discussions, present, and directly point to objects in the VR project, which previously had to be done on a 2D screen. Sharing a common view in 3D and observing the client’s reactions helped project managers better understand the client’s needs during the early stages. Project managers also envisioned using this tool in the reviewing or later production stages and for showcasing immersive and interactive projects. However, the experiment’s limitation to a single example project hindered further in-depth discussion, and the expensive setup—including the camera, system, and calibration—was mentioned as a challenge.

The experiment shed light on Social VR’s potential as a dynamic and effective meeting space for XR production, enhancing communication and understanding between curators and project managers. Despite the challenges, the results suggest that further exploration and development of Social VR could significantly benefit remote collaboration in the XR industry.