Over the past couple of years, Dani Bittman has logged over 1800 hours in programs like Tiltbrush & Google Blocks on her way to becoming a full-time VR artist. Bittman started studying film, but realized that she had a lot to catch up with of over 100 years of cinematic history. She decided to pivot to virtual reality since the biggest thing holding her back from becoming a professional VR artist was putting in the hours to learn the tools, rapidly iterate on projects, and explore the potential of spatial storytelling. She has found a niche in creating vast landscapes in Tiltbrush that take dozens of hours to create. Over the past couple of years, Bittman has collaborated with Marvel on a Doctor Strange, helped beta test Google Blocks, created art for TheWave performances, performed at a VMWare conference, and was the lead artist on Billy Corgan’s Aeronaut music video in collaboration with Viacom NEXT.
I had a chance to talk with Bittman at Oculus Connect 4 about her journey in becoming a full-time VR artist, how she uses VR to express and reflect on her emotional states, how she’s using VR to document she dreams, and how her experiences of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in her hometown of Newtown, CT have affected what she creates and wants to experience in VR.
LISTEN TO THE VOICES OF VR PODCAST
Here’s the Aeronaut music video in collaboration with Billy Corgan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36_4dx_0Qdk
Here’s the Scribbler Mixed Reality Video
Here’s Bittman’s visualization of Dream sequence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqfql3Je9ac
This is a listener supported podcast, considering making a donation to the Voices of VR Podcast Patreon
Music: Fatality