Lead Pre-Production

In the course of this capstone project, I have undertaken multiple roles to facilitate the development of the initiative alongside my team. My responsibilities include serving as the project lead and developer, augmented reality (AR) and 3D development, and contributing to the creation of our website. It is important to recognize that I have the privilege of working alongside a multi-talented and innovative group of colleagues in this final endeavor.

The initial phase of our pre-production primarily involved identifying the most appropriate campus initiative to depict through mixed reality. We initially reached a decision to focus on the Micro Forest. However, this changed when Jesse from the Sustainability Center informed us about the current state of the Micro Forest and directed our attention to an existing campus tree initiative that has been ongoing for several years with little awareness among the student population. Our objective was to raise awareness of this initiative that has been on campus for years with minimal consideration. However, we still wanted to integrate the Micro Forest into our project as it constitutes another tree initiative. It is noteworthy to mention that Jesse, our expert, had not been on any of the four Tree Walks on campus, thus reinforcing our desire for bringing awareness.

Over the first two weeks of pre-production, we initiated research on the different Tree Walks and their relevance to our campus, with the objective of determining the most effective way to present the project to students and visitors to our campus. Next, we decided on the specific projects we wished to undertake. These projects include 360-degree videos, photos, and voiceovers, an AR pamphlet, an AR experience, and a website outlining our initiative.

Personally, I have been primarily focused on the AR experience, providing guidance, and designing the logo. I have faced the most significant challenge thus far, having to learn a completely new AR program with minimal or no tutorials or guidance available online. However, I believe this is a challenge I can overcome with determination and perseverance. My initial AR experience prototype was a "Which CSUN Tree are You?" filter on TikTok that provides the user with additional information about the tree they land on and its location on campus.

As a team, we are making commendable progress, and if we sustain this momentum, we are confident that we can create something truly remarkable for CSUN and our professional portfolios.