XR Stories intern receives University of York award

XR Stories intern, Elliot Mann, has been awarded runner up Intern of the Year at a celebratory event at the University of York.

A game developer and music producer studying Interactive Media at the University, Elliot worked as a Creative Technician under the XR Stories internship programme running between July and September 2022. 

As part of his internship, Elliot supported tech demos and masterclasses run by XR Stories creatives to help external businesses explore innovations in immersive storytelling. Elliot learned how to use eXtended Reality (XR) technologies including real-time motion capture, face tracking, virtual reality and augmented reality headsets, and 3D scanning.

In collaboration with a fellow XR Stories intern, Elliot created an Augmented Reality (AR) app that enables a user to point their phone camera at real-world objects in the Guildhall to reveal digital content about this historic building, including an animated 3D model of King Richard III.

Elliot was also able to draw on his own experience during the internship, using Unreal Engine and Unity XR to create 3D models and animations, music and sound effects, and user-interface design for some of XR Stories’ R&D projects.

Elliot comments: “My experience with XR Stories has changed how I approach projects and given me a much wider perspective on how I view digital media. Having access to professional industry equipment before even leaving university has been extremely beneficial and the internship has given me a strong foundation for work with new technology and other areas of the creative industries.”

Elliot is now interning on an XR Stories-funded VR piece about climate change led by Guy Schofield, Senior Lecturer at the University of York’s School of Arts and Creative Technologies, and David Gochfeld, Research Fellow at XR Stories.

Published on 15 November 2022