MATTHEW NIEDERHAUSER
The Photojournalist Pushing the Boundaries of VR
Photojournalist and documentarian Matthew Niederhauser is the co-founder and creative director of Sensorium — an experiential studio pushing the boundaries of VR, AR and immersive technologies. Sensorium draws from a diverse background of influences, including journalism, cinema, theater and game design, engaging audiences across both physical and digital spaces. Original projects from the studio have premiered at Sundance, Tribeca, Venice and IDFA DocLab, and Matthew and his co-founder, artist and creative technologist John Fitzgerald, have worked with clients/partners from Google, Samsung and Apple to MIT Media Lab, World Expo Dubai, MoMA and The New York Times. In addition, Matthew’s photojournalism projects have been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Wired — to name a few — and he teaches courses at NYU Tisch and Tanden on immersive storytelling and virtual production.
Projects
Hamlet 360: Thy Father’s Spirit brings Shakespeare’s most renowned tragedy to vivid 3D life, casting the viewer as the ghost of Hamlet’s father. The 60-minute, 360-degree adaptation, which can be watched using a VR headset or a desktop or mobile device, lets you look on as Gertrude puts on makeup in her bedroom or Laertes practices with his sword. You’ll even see your own reflection in the mirror, appearing haggard, bloody and, well, dead. In 2020, Sensorium collaborated on Metamorphic, a social VR experience where the participant’s body becomes a vehicle for expression within majestically drawn worlds. The studio is also known for their companion VR experience to George Saunders’ Lincoln in the Bardo (directed by Graham Sack), where the viewer is placed in a graveyard as ghosts approach from all angles.
