Graduates
Zibo Chen
MFA in Media Design Practices - 3 Yr Path — Media Design PracticesCourse:
Concept Studio 3, Imaginaries of Intelligence
Faculty:
Timothy Durfee, Mashinka Hakopian
Term:
2025 Spring
The Second Mind
The Second Mind is a speculative short film told entirely through the perspective of AI-powered smart glasses. As the intelligent assistant Lyra guides the user through everyday tasks, what begins as seamless optimization devolves into predictive control and quiet manipulation. Drawing on N. Katherine Hayles’ theory of extended cognition and Joseph Weizenbaum’s critique of algorithmic authority, the film explores what happens when we surrender autonomy to systems that seem to know us better than we know ourselves. Built in VR and layered with immersive UI, The Second Mind imagines a future where the interface doesn’t just assist, it decides.
Process:
This film was shot entirely from inside a VR environment built using ShapesXR in Meta Quest. Using the headset to simulate a first-person perspective, I navigated a custom 3D environment as if wearing the AI glasses myself. I also incorporated AI-generated images and video sequences to enhance certain scenes and transitions. The UI was later layered using Figma and CapCut to achieve a seamless immersive feel.
Learning Outcomes:
This project strengthened my ability to tell a cohesive story through a first-person cinematic perspective within a VR environment. I learned how to design pacing, framing, and visual continuity to guide the audience’s attention and build narrative tension. By incorporating AI-generated images and video, I explored how generative tools can support storytelling while maintaining a consistent visual direction. Additionally, the project deepened my understanding of how interface design, timing, and subtle visual cues can influence how viewers interpret character intent and narrative progression.