Advocacy and Fundraising Through Immersive Storytelling
In briefAI summary — tap to read
Rem5 Studios uses immersive VR and mixed reality technologies to create powerful advocacy and fundraising tools, particularly for global health initiatives like polio eradication. Their flagship projects—"Polio's Last Mile" and "Apote"—transport viewers to vaccination campaigns in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, generating strong emotional connections and measurable commitments to support these critical efforts.
Key takeaways
- Immersive VR experiences can drive advocacy by bringing supporters directly to the front lines of global health work, with 93% of Calgary Rotary Convention participants reporting increased commitment to immunization efforts.
- The cost and accessibility of VR hardware has dramatically decreased, enabling organizations to deploy these experiences at scale through suitcases of affordable headsets rather than permanent entertainment facilities.
- Rem5 Studios makes their applications free and publicly available on app stores, allowing schools, clubs, and organizations to download and use the experiences independently or sponsor professional deployment at events.
- Immersive storytelling creates deeper emotional and personal connections than traditional media, with 99% of participants reporting memorable emotional connections and immediate desire to take action.
- The technology is designed to be inclusive and accessible across all ages and demographics, debunking stereotypes that VR is only for gamers or young audiences; average user age at Rotary Convention was 59.
About Brian SkalakBrian Skalak has been with Rem5 Studios for nearly six years, working on immersive technology projects across multiple sectors. Amir is the founder and CEO of Rem5 Studios, which he established in 2017 with the belief that immersive technologies are profound learning tools.
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George was going to bed when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the shed. George opened the door to go turn off the light but saw there were people in the shed in the process of stealing things. He immediately phoned the police, who asked, "Is someone in your house?" and George said, "No," and explained the situation. Then they explained that all patrols were busy, and that he should simply lock his door and an officer would be there when available. George said, "Okay," hung up, counted to 30, and phoned the police again. "Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people in my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now because I've just shot them all." Then he hung up. Within five minutes three squad cars, an Armed Response unit, and an ambulance showed up. Of course, the police caught the burglars red-handed. One of the policemen said to George, "I thought you said that you'd shot them!" George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!"
Inspiration
How might AI-generated communication be useful to those who might need reminders or regular interaction? Having watched a program recorded by the members of Silicon Valley STAR Rotary Club, I learned about ElliQ, which raises this question in interesting ways. Here's a promo from that company that might be food for thought for you.
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Program: Advocacy and Fundraising Through Immersive Storytelling
Speaker: Brian Skalak
We bring you a new program every week on innovation, entrepreneurship, and education and how they contribute to service to others.
Virtual reality (VR) has been the 'next big thing' for decades, but only in the past few years has the hardware and software come together to make this a reality. REM5 STUDIOS is a leader in creating and executing 'VR' experiences at scale that deliver results and lasting impact.
For the past 24 months, REM5 has been embedded with the Gates Foundation and GPEI partners to produce two award-winning experiences, 'Polio's Last Mile' and 'Apporter La Vie,' that take stakeholders to the front lines of the fight against polio.
These experiences have been shown to tens of thousands around the globe, including the past two Rotary International annual conventions. Today, we'll discuss the impact immersive experiences can have on changing hearts and minds and connecting more than ever to the mission.
Our speaker, Brian Skalak, has been with REM5 STUDIOS for the past six years. He has been instrumental in filming and producing the VR documentaries 'Polio's Last Mile' and 'Apporter La Vie - Delivering Life' and has shown them at the past two Rotary International Conventions and events around the world.
Members and guests, please welcome Brian Skalak!
To learn more, go to:
https://seefeelchange.com
To learn more about the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley, go to:
http://rotary.cool
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