Event: Symposium:Evolutions of Cinematic Virtual Reality

Date: May 18-19, 2026 (Monday-Tuesday)

Time: 9:00 – 18:00

Venue: Room 4.36, 4/F, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus

Registration link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/vNYcP6ugpj

Abstract

Just over a decade ago, the arrival of consumer-grade VR head mounted displays (HMDs) enabled the development of a new form of linear storytelling in digital virtual reality. In industrial and academic settings, this new narrative medium has been referred to as Cinematic Virtual Reality (Dooley 2021; Mateer 2017; Ross and Munt 2018), a label that recognises the adaptation of cinematic conventions and tropes within virtual spaces. The CVR medium continues to be well represented as an important filmic category within programs at major film and XR festivals around the world and has seen significant investments by leading media companies in the past. This symposium takes stock of recent developments in immersive linear storytelling.