International Society
for Presence Research

Author: Matthew Lombard

  • Call: Ambient Amplification: Vibe Chasing Across Platforms

    Published:

    Call for Papers: “Ambient Amplification: Vibe Chasing Across Platforms”Volume 2 of a themed collection for the journal Platforms & Societyhttps://lists.aoir.org/archives/list/[email protected]/thread/ZSZSLTAWNIC5NGNI5TZUYYPJYHWPFHXJ/ Editors:Elena Pilipets, University of SiegenMarloes Geboers, University of Amsterdam Deadline for submission of abstracts: November 30, 2026 We are excited to announce an open call for contributions to the second volume of the special-themed collection on “Ambient Amplification” with Platforms & Society – Vibe Chasing. Through the lens of “ambient amplification,” the special theme attends to the growing centrality of peripheral awareness in contemporary platform cultures. Much of what shapes attention online arrives indirectly – as recurring recommendations, familiar gestures,…

    Read more: Call: Ambient Amplification: Vibe Chasing Across Platforms

  • Study: Fans trust creators as much or more than friends

    Published:

    [Results of a new study suggest that media users have parasocial interactions (a one-way form of social presence), and form parasocial relationships, not just with hosts and characters on traditional television or social media influencers but podcast and other media creators. The striking result is in the headline of this post and the press release from Wondery below. The free, colorful 14-page research report is available at the link below. Here’s the report’s introduction: “What is a creator? Is it the self-taught makeup artist posting tutorials? The retired scientist broadcasting live experiments? An award-winning journalist sourcing audience Q&A? The answer…

    Read more: Study: Fans trust creators as much or more than friends

  • Call: Digital Social Sciences journal

    Published:

    Call for Papers: Digital Social SciencesAn International, Peer-Reviewed, Open-Access Journalhttps://digitalsocialsciences.com/DSS [and a direct submission to ISPR] Digital Social Sciences (DSS) invites original, unpublished, and high-quality research articles examining the relationship between digital technologies, human experience, and society. The journal welcomes interdisciplinary contributions from researchers, academics, and practitioners working across the social sciences, humanities, law, communication, and technology studies. We particularly welcome research exploring how digital and immersive technologies shape human perception, interaction, communication, social relationships, and experiences of presence in contemporary society. AREAS OF INTEREST Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AND PROCESS DSS welcomes…

    Read more: Call: Digital Social Sciences journal

  • NY Giants bring fans onto the field with 360 degree video

    Published:

    [As reported in this story from UploadVR, 360 degree videos don’t have to be true 3D (and of course they don’t allow the user to control the viewpoint of the camera as in virtual reality), but they can still provide a strong sense of presence, in this case at the at the football stadium of the New York Giants before or during a game. See the original version of the story for three videos. –Matthew] New York Giants Bring Fans Onto The Field With 360° Video By Craig StormOctober 7, 2026 It’s the opening game of the 2026 NFL season…

    Read more: NY Giants bring fans onto the field with 360 degree video

  • Call: British Assoc. of Film, Television and Screen Studies 2027

    Published:

    [NOTE: See descriptions of the BAFTSS Special Interest Groups (SIGS) for more information about the organization’s scholarly focus, which includes topics relevant to presence. –Matthew] Call for Proposals: British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies (BAFTSS) Conference 2027April 11-12, 2027Newcastle upon Tyne, Englandhttps://www.baftss.org/conference-2027-info.html Deadline for submissions: November 6, 2026 The 2027 edition of the annual conference and awards ceremony of the British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies will be held in Newcastle upon Tyne at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Monday 12 – Wednesday 14 April. The Conference Organizing Team now invites proposals for individual presentations, pre-constituted panels…

    Read more: Call: British Assoc. of Film, Television and Screen Studies 2027

  • Mirra Immersive brings spectators into VR action

    Published:

    [This story from Amusements & Attractions describes the company Mirra Immersive’s model for large, virtual reality “arena” attractions that feature gameplay and large LED displays that engage spectators. See the original story for three more images, and visit the MirraArena website for much more information. –Matthew] [Image: A MirraArena installed at a Jackie Chan Theater in China] Involving the spectator in virtual reality Mirra Immersive’s room-scale virtual reality is seeing success after expanding into the Chinese market. By Lee WildSeptember 21, 2026 By Sam Wang’s own admission, MirraArena is deliberately different… The large-scale, immersive, premium virtual reality experience is truly…

    Read more: Mirra Immersive brings spectators into VR action

  • Job: Prof. of Interactive Media Film and Media Arts at American U.

    Published:

    Call for Applications: Associate or Full Professor of Interactive Media Film and Media ArtsSchool of CommunicationAmerican UniversityWashington, DChttps://american.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/AU/job/Associate-or-Full-Professor-of-Interactive-Media-Film-and-Media-Arts-School-of-Communication_R5022 Consideration of applications begins: November 1, 2026 The School of Communication at American University (AU) in Washington, D.C., invites applications for a full-time, faculty position at the rank of associate or full professor, with an emphasis on interactive storytelling, worldbuilding, and/or playful design in the public interest. Depending on qualifications, the appointee may be recommended for tenure at the time of hiring. Candidates should hold a terminal degree as appropriate to their focus, such as an MFA or Ph.D. The salary range…

    Read more: Job: Prof. of Interactive Media Film and Media Arts at American U.

  • Flexible shape-sensing tech to improve wearable motion-tracking

    Published:

    [This story from MIT News describes a new technology in which optical fibers within a flexible sheet enable precise tracking of changes in the shape of the sheet, which “could be fashioned into a soft and pliable garment that a user could comfortably wear to physically control a video game character or a tele-operated robot.” See the original version of the story for a 2:09 minute video (also available on YouTube). –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Courtesy of the researchers; edited by MIT News] Shape-sensing sheet digitally tracks its movement as it bends and twists Developed by MIT engineers, this flexible material…

    Read more: Flexible shape-sensing tech to improve wearable motion-tracking

  • Call: A Dance of Perception: The Symbiosis of Image and Sound (IVSA 2027)

    Published:

    Call for Papers: A Dance of Perception: The Symbiosis of Image and SoundInternational Visual Sociology Association Conference 2027Cardiff, WalesJune 30 – July 3, 2027https://visualsociology.org/2027-ivsa-conference-cardiff-wales-uk/ Deadline for submission of abstracts: November 30, 2026 The IVSA Conference 2027 invites us to reflect on the intricate ways in which image and sound intertwine in shaping our understanding of society. Visual sociology not only employs images and image-making in practice, research and analysis, but also studies how visual culture itself constructs and reflects social life. Yet images rarely exist in silence. Whether in film, performance, digital media, ritual, or daily encounters, intentional or ambient…

    Read more: Call: A Dance of Perception: The Symbiosis of Image and Sound (IVSA 2027)

  • VR helps English teachers strengthen the social side of language

    Published:

    [A new multi-method study shows that presence-evoking virtual reality can strengthen the ability of teachers of English as a Foreign Language to “use language appropriately in real-world situations.” As this news release from the journal ECNU Review of Education via EurekAlert! notes, the findings suggest the positive effects were not just the result of using a virtual environment but that “the simulations created opportunities for participants to make communicative choices within sociocultural situations, receive adaptive feedback, and reflect on why particular choices were appropriate in context.” See the original story for a second image and follow the links below to…

    Read more: VR helps English teachers strengthen the social side of language

  • Call: Games, Gamification, Media Literacy and Transformation in Educational Contexts

    Published:

    Call for Papers: Games, Gamification, Media Literacy and Transformation in Educational ContextsThe International Journal of Games and Social Impact – Vol. 5, No. 4https://revistas.ulusofona.pt/index.php/ijgsi/announcement/view/263 Guest Editors: Ana Filipa Oliveira (Universidade Lusófona, CICANT, Portugal); Marisa Mourão (Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, CICANT, Portugal); João Léste (Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, LINC-Design, Brazil); Bieke Zaman (KU Leuven, Belgium) Deadline for submission of abstracts: November 20, 2026 We currently live in a deeply polarised media ecosystem, in which the speed and volume of information pose new challenges to citizens’ critical capacities (Tucker et al., 2018). In a world dominated by…

    Read more: Call: Games, Gamification, Media Literacy and Transformation in Educational Contexts

  • Immersive recording: Willy Porter’s “Humans in a Room”

    Published:

    [This story from Live Design describes how Americana singer-songwriter Willy Porter recorded his recent album to evoke presence in listeners by capturing all the richness of a live performance, an “immersive recording” technique in which the music is “performed, not manufactured.” (By the way, it’s apparent from the context, but a gobo is a “movable acoustic isolation panel.”) There are lots more details, videos and audio tracks in various formats at the “learn more” link provided in the story. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Hummingbird Media, Inc.] Performed, Not Manufactured: How Willy Porter’s Humans In A Room Presents A New Era of…

    Read more: Immersive recording: Willy Porter’s “Humans in a Room”

ISPR Presence News

Subscribe

Search ISPR Presence News:

Categories

Archives

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Cookie Preferences

Choose which optional cookies you allow. Necessary cookies are always enabled.

Privacy Policy Cookie Policy