Sarah Chen
Lead Creator
Sarah Chen is a current Film and Media M.A. candidate with a concentration in Immersive Storytelling & Emerging Technologies at Johns Hopkins University. Sarah is a recent graduate of Case Western Reserve University where she majored in electrical engineering. While she is fascinated by science, she also has a great love for music from learning piano, violin, percussion, and ukulele. With experience in computer science, 3D animation, graphic design, and augmented/virtual reality, Sarah wants to create meaningful immersive experiences that bring people joy.
Haley Knapp
Technical Director
Haley Knapp is a current Film and Media M.A. candidate with concentrations in Sound and Immersive Storytelling & Emerging Technologies at Johns Hopkins University. Haley attended Syracuse University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Music History and Cultures, with additional minors in Anthropology, South Asian Studies, and Music Industry. Work credits include Web XR experience Rally for Votes, on the Women’s Suffrage Movement in Maryland; and Gabo Arora’s AR experience These Sleepless Nights, World Premiered at the Venice Film Festival 2019.
Nina Halper
Creative Producer
Nina Halper is a current Film and Media M.A. candidate with a concentration in Immersive Storytelling & Emerging Technologies at Johns Hopkins University. Nina has worked for over a decade as a multimedia content producer specializing in storytelling for social change, developing bilingual TV, radio and web programs and series in the areas of health, finance, lifestyle, entertainment and aging. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and International Studies from Washington University and a Masters of Public Health in Health Communications from UCLA.
Will Gee - CEO
David Thompson - Creative Director/Co-Founder
Ben Safford - Programmer
Thom Swanson - Project Manager
Special thanks to BaltiVirtual for partnering with Johns Hopkins ISET to create Gardening—BaltiVirtual is a full-service AR/VR studio aiming to inspire wonder and creativity with state-of-the-art immersive experiences!
Q&A with BaltiVirtual
What inspired BaltiVirtual to work with ISET?
We connected with Annette Porter a few years ago, and have mentored ISET students with their projects and helped develop a Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund project (Nonument01), in 2018.
When Gabo Arora first suggested the idea, it seemed like an opportunity to collaborate with new creative voices, and while we knew there would be a lot to figure out (and do) in a short period of time, we were immediately interested.
What if any projects have you done on the Quest before?
We've done a number of projects in the Quest, ranging from immersive training to architectural walkthroughs to a multiplayer snowball fight. This was our first heavy use of its hand-tracking though.
Have you learned anything from this process?
Yes! We learned that having only a couple of weeks to create a solid vertical slice from concept, while also balancing budget and other project priorities, is complicated and very fast paced, but if you have a great team with great communication, you can create something great. We were impressed with the ISET Gardening team's ability to make (sometimes difficult) decisions quickly.