Kyoko Omori is an Associate Professor of Japanese at Hamilton College and a film/literary scholar specializing in historical media and XR technologies. She leads the Benshi: Silent Film Narrators in Japan digital archive project, which examines the evolution of benshi storytelling in Japanese cinema from its early 20th-century origins to its contemporary intermedia adaptations. The project incorporates digital tools such as VR recreations of 1920s theaters and 360° cameras to document post-WWII small theaters. Her work connects analog traditions with modern technologies, providing fresh perspectives on storytelling and interactive media.
How can Virtual Reality (VR) immerse users in historical media experiences and inspire new forms of storytelling? This talk explores the use of VR to reconstruct a 1920s Tokyo movie theater experience, complete with a live benshi oral storyteller on stage, thereby transporting audiences into the world of early Japanese silent cinema. By recreating the intimate atmosphere of smaller screens and the unique interplay between film and live narration, the project highlights VR’s potential to revive ephemeral cultural practices and provide insights into historical cinematic engagement.
Benshi were central to Japan’s silent film era, delivering live oral storytelling that complemented and transformed projected images. Their performances combined cultural translation, narrative interpretation, and direct audience engagement, creating a multisensory experience that blurred the boundaries between reality and imagination. This VR project replicates that dynamic, enabling users to observe the historical setting and embody the benshi’s role. By synchronizing their performance with a film on screen, users can craft new narratives for contemporary audiences.
This immersive approach bridges analog traditions and XR technologies, showcasing how VR can deepen our understanding of historical media environments while inspiring innovation in gaming, 360° video, and other interactive narrative experiences. By examining the intersections of narrative, space, and cultural translation, this talk invites audiences to envision XR’s potential to reimagine storytelling through the lens of the past.
Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Time: 2-3:15pm (EDT)
Location: Studio X - Carlson Library, 1st Floor & Zoom
Register to attend.
The Voices of XR speaker series is made possible by Kathy McMorran Murray and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Traineeship (NRT) program as part of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Training in the Science, Technology, and Applications of Augmented and Virtual Reality at the University of Rochester (#1922591).
