CFA at IADT in collaboration with IMMERSIVE IRELAND was delighted to host STORY X LABS, a 2-day deep dive into interactive XR with May Abdalla & Barry Gene Murphy of ANAGRAM, the award-winning immersive studio pushing boundaries in XR storytelling.

Taking place on Friday 21st & Saturday 22nd March, this lab offered a unique blend of professional insights, hands-on experience, and creative development opportunities to 10 learners interested in pushing the boundaries of immersive storytelling at the National Film School @ IADT (Dun Laoghaire, Dublin).

DAY 1 – Industry Insights & Case Studies

The first day opened with ANAGRAM’s May and Barry sharing their studio’s journey and creative philosophy. Participants explored the evolution of immersive media and its unique power to engage audiences in the modern attention economy. After lunch, there was a deep dive into the development process behind two groundbreaking projects – Goliath (VR) and Impulse (MR). Throughout the day, participants had the opportunity to experience these pieces firsthand and engage in detailed Q&A sessions with the creators.

DAY 2 – Hands-on Workshop

The second day transformed theory into practice through an intensive prototyping workshop. Starting with expert guidance on user journey design and greyboxing techniques, participants worked individually or in small groups to develop their own immersive experience concepts.