Mike Woods on Joining m ss ng p eces

What appealed about the role at m ss ng p e ces and when did conversations about you joining begin?

I’ve known Kate and Ari for a long time. I’ve always admired their approach and sensibilities. Everything came together in a pretty organic way. I think we're a great fit for each other. I value their independence, vision and ambition. They’ve built an amazing team. And knowing that people like Benjamin Palmer were coming on board made the decision very easy. 

How excited are you to work alongside Kate, Ari and Brian?

Very. We're good friends, and have many complementary traits. I can’t wait to get started. I love their view of the world.

What do you think are the biggest challenges currently facing VR?

Connection to a wider public. It’s a collective responsibility on all of us. VR is suffering from being caught in its own bubble. We need to break out of this, and appeal to the public more broadly. VR headsets should be selling in greater numbers, because they’re awesome. But there's a connection issue. The biggest challenge of all is to create a truly groundbreaking work that transcends. That’s the challenge for all VR creators. 

You spent over 17 years working at Framestore… how did this experience shape your understanding of virtual reality?

Great question. I was lucky enough to work with the best in the world. Striking a focussed balance between groundbreaking ideas and world class visuals was an amazing training ground. Nothing but the best would suffice. Things like motivation, diligence, attention to detail; these qualities become relentless everyday requirements. Add to that, staying right on top of emerging technology and you create an amazing atmosphere of experimentation and learning. And all on client budget and timeframes. My understanding of VR was literally forged on the job. And that is without doubt the best way to learn. You can only really begin to get your head around what VR might be good for if you’ve failed as many times as you've succeeded with ideas.

And what’s the one thing you’ve learnt so far during your career in VR?

Don’t get caught in the bubble. Learn for yourself. Experiment wildly. Stay motivated and excited. It’s a thrilling opportunity that does not come around too often. A whole new place to play.

You founded White Rabbit VR in 2015; will you be continuing this venture once you join m ss ng p e ces?

Yes. We're all very keen to show the world what we've made. It feels different and exciting. 

You’ve been described as the best in the world at what you do. So, where do you see the future of VR going?

The biggest parallels for me come from the web. I don’t see the parallels with films and games so clearly. The intense hybrid of web/communication/social and the advancements in technology to blow out field of view, and lessen screen door head in one direction for me. And that’s another version of reality, and not necessarily an entertainment platform. How do humans like to interact and play with each other? How does story, risk & reward, gameplay, curiosity, communication and human nature play into this? What will we want to be doing in the metaverse? If it’s just watching films and playing games, that seems like a waste to me. There's a much bigger opportunity I feel. I get frustrated when I hear people talk of a natural progression from campfire, to theatre, to radio, to film. Where is the internet in that daisychain? It doesn’t really fit. I've a feeling we'll all be meeting up in the metaverse, at places that cater to our interests, being social and engaged, and doing fun things together and creating whole new spiderwebs of human connectivity, and constructing our own scenarios to play out. Put simply, Minecraft-esque worlds, fitted with narrative toolkits, with socially like minded souls, playing out mini adventures for our virtual selves.