Meet Corbin Ordel, a multimedia creative artist and interactive engineer dynamic. Corbin opened his production studio in 2018, he has worked with a wide group of agencies and teams on projects that span traditional AR/VR/XR experiences, WebGL networked multiplayer games, animated films, bespoke app development, and live performance.

A graduate of the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Corbin uses a background in creative coding and immersive technology to make cutting-edge work in the consumer market and creative arts.

How were you introduced to 8th Wall?
This is such an interesting question to reflect on - it is hard to believe that I have been working with 8th Wall since 2019! I find this question so interesting because so much has changed with 8th Wall as a platform and within the AR world itself. We were using the 8th Wall backend to support a project made in a WebGL engine that no longer exists. Back then, it felt special to be working in a browser, with JavaScript, with no build times and instant deployment! We were developing a super complex project that touched interaction with bespoke models, greenscreen footage, music, user data, QR codes, screen recording, deep links, and more. It had a feeling of limitless potential, and I’m so happy to see the platform grow into such a complete and robust tool for developers. I still get that same excited feeling when a new 8th Wall project is getting started! 

What would you say is your area of expertise?
Interactive experiences, immersive technologies, and spatial computing - bolstered by a personal goal to bring a positive, uplifting, and passionate mindset to every team or project I participate in. As a developer and creative technologist who uses platforms and tools that change rapidly, one must be keenly adaptable and keep a focus on updating one’s knowledge base and skill set. I like to raise my hand when a novel solution to a unique scenario is needed or a project may require an entirely new methodology to bring creative ideas to life. 8th Wall provides the capabilities to think outside the box and the capabilities we need to land moonshot ideas. In essence, my expertise is landing on a pinhead.

How do web-based capabilities help you bring AR to the real world? 
Web-based AR Technology, at its best, flows like water, with no speed bumps or roadblocks. 8th Wall is the infrastructure that allows that water to flow. When mapping or storyboarding an experience, I imagine it all like a slow-motion ballet; in my mind's eye I see it happening at 200,000 frames per second. The user walks into a space, observes the content, responds to the prompt, activates their device, takes in the necessary data, and dives into a digital world worthy of their attention. 8th Wall is the tool that allows an entire team of creatives to build a journey with no distractions, no downloads, full immersion, and limitless capabilities. It's an invaluable tool!

What are your future goals with AR?  
Having had the good fortune to work on projects in the health and accessibility landscapes, I find myself drawn to make more work with bleeding-edge technology that can make changes for users of different needs. Whether we are making a web-based AR project that serves to make a certain task easier for a specific user base or simply making sure that an interactive or gamified experience can be played by all users equally, the goal is to make sure we can deliver effective and worthwhile endeavors to the widest possible audience. This is a mindset we all must believe in. In essence, my goal is to make awesome work that has no barrier to entry.

What’s a recent project that left you feeling inspired?

For IE University's 'The Next 50' initiative, I teamed up with the awesome Miami studio Sunken Blimp to create a portal experience that allowed users to travel through six different eras of education. The chosen eras for this project were: the primitive tools era, ancient Greece, the Renaissance, the Xix century, and the future of education. It was all about blending immersive technology with educational fun. Our main technological goal was for the activation of our portals to be triggered with an image placed on a physical doorway representing the passage in which one passed into different historical eras. We were beyond pleased to be using 8th Wall technology as our doorways were placed in many locations around campus, with various environmental variabilities. We tracked the image and placed the 3D environments using the 8th Wall World Tracking (SLAM) system, as well as built a robust UI, which included screen recording, social sharing, and user data submission. Students and users could accurately place themselves in the experience and explore the many eras provided, filled with animations, easter eggs, and historical imagery. 8th Wall allowed us to realize our vision and we could not have been happier with the results! More info about the project here. 

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