My name is Kanoelani McDay. I grew up in Kaneohe and attended James B. Castle High school. If I was an artist's tool, I would be a trimming tool, because I have always loved hands on art like pottery so I think this is appropriate for me shaping how I want my art to be.
This capstone explores the ways that people represent themselves in Virtual Reality (VR) . There are many people out there that can't express themselves outside of VR. Some do this by making an avatar that matches their vision of themselves, to create content to become like a role model, or create communities to find like minded people. Although some people use these for ways to be more themselves and more free there are some dangers that are out there with this kind of freedom.
The concept of creativity has come a long way. The Old Greeks would call those creative forces muses, other religions referred to them as God. Today people still mostly treat creativity as an aha moment outside the area of influence. However, just by looking at the creative process one can tell, that creativity and creative work is more than just that one "Aha-Moment" (insight). It is clear that generating ideas demands planning and preparation, identifying something of interest like a problem, an opportunity or a challenge, doing research. This then leads to thinking of a solution, allowing time to incubate and iterations before arriving at something “complete.” Students learn that hard work is what makes their ideas come to life and sticktuiveness is what helps them get better.
Kaneolani steps inside the headset to explore identity, expression, and community in the world of Virtual Reality. Her groundbreaking documentary—filmed entirely within VR—dives into how people use avatars to reflect who they are, who they want to be, or who they feel they can’t be in the real world. Based on her research into self-representation in digital spaces, the film captures voices from across the metaverse, highlighting both the empowering freedom VR offers and the risks that come with it.
Not just a film about VR—this is a story within it. Go and check it out!