Nearly one half of Syria’s 23 million people have been displaced in its civil war and no group has been as severely affected as children. Children make up more than half of the three million refugees living in camps or makeshift housing and some news reports indicate that children are actually being specifically targeted in the violence.
Originally commissioned by the World Economic Forum and created at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, this immersive journalism piece focuses on the plight of these children. Using elements are drawn from actual audio, video and photographs taken on scene, Project Syria employs new virtual reality technologies to put the audience “on scene” and evoke the feeling of “being there.” Through real time graphics from the Unity game engine and the sense of presence evoked through high-resolution virtual reality goggles and compelling audio, Project Syria takes the audience to the real events as they transpire. (Source: Nonny de la Peña)