Future of Film Podcast · Robin McNichols: Virtual Production and the Audience of the Future

“Stories aren’t changing. It's the means in which audiences are engaging with stories that is changing.“ Robin McNichols 

Robin McNichols is co-founder and Director of the award-winning creative studio Marshmallow Laser Feast (MLF) where he has directed a myriad of immersive experiences, large-scale installations and live performances.

Exploring new sensory perspectives that challenge our relationship to

the world around us plays a key role in Robin and the team at MLF’s

work. His interest in full immersion lead to a 5 year deep-dive into virtual production and interaction techniques which has informed the development of mixed-reality storytelling methods for new forms of audience engagement.

Earlier in 2021, this manifested in the pioneering collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company’s online interactive interpretation of A Midsummer’s Night Dream. In DREAM Robin and the MLF team utilised virtual production and realtime techniques to create an interactive, immersive digital WORLD for the RSC performance - which was critical in the show’s pivot to a fully online experience during lockdown.

In this episode we explore the creative and technological process of DREAM and how virtual production tools can be utilised in a live theatrical experience. Robin also talks about the business of interactive storytelling and shares his incredibly thoughtful and articulate perspectives on the future of audiences and screen storytelling. 

More About Robin McNichols

Co-founder and Director of the award-winning creative studio Marshmallow Laser Feast (MLF), Robin has directed a myriad of immersive experiences, large-scale installations and live performances.

Robin is based in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, in the north of England where the natural world forms a source of constant inspiration. 

Exploring new sensory perspectives that challenge our relationship to the world around us plays a key role in Robin and the team at MLF’s work.

His interest in full immersion lead to a 5 year deep-dive into virtual production and interaction techniques, where a focus on realtime deformable object tracking has informed the development of mixed-reality storytelling methods for new forms of audience engagement.

The live aspect of Robin’s work has involved touring installations and productions to some of the world’s largest venues, concert halls and cultural spaces. He lead the team to conceptualise and direct iconic shows for the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors’ Showcase (Cannes Palais, France). He’s worked with a range of musical acts including U2, Aphex Twin and Lenny Kravitz.

As creative director musings such as ‘do dolphins dream in sonar?’ and ‘can you taste in your dreams?’ have inspired innovative productions in the MLF conceptual / directorial roster such as A Colossal Wave, Sweet Dreams and most recently - a collaborative production with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Epic Games, Philharmonia Orchestra & Manchester International Festival - the 2021 production ‘Dream’.