As part of our SXSW coverage, we’re featuring each of our three VR for Good Creators Lab projects making their world premiere with a dedicated VR Visionaries post. First up, we take a light-hearted testicular romp through the history of man with The Evolution of Testicles, directed by Flight School Studio VR Technical Director Ryan Hartsell in collaboration with the Male Cancer Awareness Campaign.

Why did you apply to take part in Oculus VR for Good’s Creators Lab program? What has the experience been like thus far?

Ryan Hartsell: I had been involved with last year’s VR for Good Creators Lab at Reel FX, working as a consultant and stitcher on the post-production side of the pieces as well as an onset technical director for the piece In Harmony, directed by Elliott Dillman—so I was already well aware of the program and how powerful it is at helping important causes. This year, one of the executive producers at Flight School Studio, Taylor Williams, encouraged me to throw my name in the hat as a director. I said, “Why not?” And I couldn’t be more grateful to be a part of this year’s crop.

What first drew you to VR as a creative space?

RH: Since I was a kid drawing on walls and coloring outside of the lines, I’ve always been comfortable with creating from the ether without rules. I love that VR is still very wide open to exploring new ways of expression and is pretty much limitless. We’re all getting to write this book!

What has it been like to work with the Male Cancer Awareness Campaign (MCAC) ? How (if at all) has the experience changed the way you think about preventative health care?

RH: Before getting paired up with MCAC and, more specifically, Patrick Cox, I really had no concept of self-examination. Now it’s part of my daily routine. It’s kind of crazy that even with so many people in my life who have been afflicted with cancer, preventative maintenance was just not something I thought to do. Patrick has already been a huge inspiration in my life, and I couldn’t have been paired with a better charity to collaborate with.

Why was VR the right medium for this particular story? Would this project have been possible in a different format?

RH: Watching a traditional piece is somewhat detached and impersonal—with the possibilities for multitasking on our phones, at any moment you can take your attention off the screen. The viewer in VR is forced to connect on a much more personal and emotional level in a headset that resonates with a deeper experience.

What was it like working with Chris O’Dowd?

RH: Chris is one of the most professional and down-to-earth people I’ve been lucky enough to work with. He’s an artist who cares about the craft, and he brought his own wit and charisma to the set that helped take our project to the next level. I’m honored to have had the experience and couldn’t be prouder of what we did together.

What was your first experience with VR? How has your appreciation of and comfort with the medium changed over time?

RH: My first experience with VR was working on the first season of Lip Sync Battle. Each production I’ve been on since then presents a new challenge and tests my bravery, but I can’t wait to jump back in every time. I’m always a bit nervous going into any shoot, but the end result is always worth pushing through.

What inspired you to incorporate both animation and live action in The Evolution of Testicles?

RH: I always intended on shooting everything practical and had some leads on a Brontosaurus living in the Amazon somewhere up the Ucayali River in Peru, but nothing panned out. After too much time went by, I had to go with CG instead of the real thing unfortunately.

As an artist, how do you think VR will impact the ways in which we create and consume media in the years to come?

RH: I feel like the end goal is complete immersion. Until we are fully living in the world we want to be in and able to share that with others, artists will keep on the path. So far, VR is the closest medium in that direction.

What’s next for you? Any exciting projects in the works?

RH: I always have several irons in the fire, but currently I’ve been finishing a period piece revolving around an alternate universe Beachboys concept where Brian Wilson broke up the band after Pet Sounds to join forces with Phil Spector and help build the Wall of Sound. That new band named Sunshine Village is an actual band that I helped bring to life with my collaborator, Dylan Silvers (The Polyphonic Spree, [DARYL], These Machines Are Winning).

Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

Keep dreaming. Keep working. Keep making art!

Thanks for taking the time to chat, Ryan—and for helping to spread awareness of male cancer and the importance of prevention.

Check back tomorrow for more VR Visionaries, VR for Good-style.

— The Oculus Team