Sankofa City VR

2019, Jaunt VR Film - Oculus + VIVE

"Sankofa City VR: Time Traveling in South LA" is an interactive VR film directed and written by Karl Baumann and Ben Caldwell. The interactive film is the culmination of 5 years of collaborating together and an extension of the Sankofa City community design project. The film was produced with the Jaunt VR 360 camera and funding through the USC-Jaunt VR Lab.

Premise: It is the year 2050. Mixed reality (MR) glasses have replaced smartphones. As a traveler passes through Leimert Park in South LA, they become transported through time. What first appears as a history app turns into something much more mystical and profound.

Designed for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, Sankofa City VR allows viewers to jump between different timelines and parallel worlds. Maximizing Jaunt’s 8k camera and a full 360 spatial sound design, the interactive project creates a fully immersive experience that pushes the affordances of VR filmmaking.

The project was led by Karl Baumann and Ben Caldwell in collaboration with Shaoyu Su and Candace Reckinger from the USC-Jaunt VR Lab. The project showcases local artists from the Leimert Park neighborhood in Crenshaw. Key performers include Victor “X Man” Taylor and his band, the singer Olivia “Just Liv” Walker, and the SHINE Muwasi drum group.