Current Profession: Creative Marketing at a Virtual Reality Studio in San Francisco 

Alma Mater: UC Berkeley, Class of 2019

Area of Study: Cognitive Science & Film Studies

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Kris has a different REAP story than many of our other students. Kris wrote his own REAP story by combining his passion for the digital arts with REAPs impact research to create visual materials unlike anything REAP had used before. Kris Hsu is currently working on creative marketing at a virtual reality studio in San Francisco. Before entering the workforce, Kris worked with REAP for over three years. He began his time with REAP as a research and videography intern in high school helping to film and edit video content for several of our research initiatives. Kris kept up with REAP throughout his undergraduate career at UC Berkeley and, after graduation, he returned to the REAP family to direct and produce REAP’s first-ever virtual reality (VR) experience for our vision care project and social enterprise in China. The VR experience dives into how myopia affects rural students’ learning abilities in the classroom and in social settings. Kris’ interactive video is REAP’s first exploration into how we can use immersive storytelling to have a great impact in our interventions.

Here’s a little more from Kris about his time with REAP:

“With REAP, I get to do what I love most - share stories through film and virtual reality - for good. I haven't found this type of fulfillment at other workplaces.” 

Aside from your video work with REAP, are there any other stand-out moments with REAP?

Kris: There's this group photo during REAP trip 2013 where I held my camera tripod up super high. I saw that image three times in a Chinese newspaper and Chinese magazine and internet page. (See the image below.)

After all is said and done, how did working with REAP impact your future plans?

Kris: REAP created an opportunity for me to intersect my passion in arts/storytelling with a practical, meaningful purpose. REAP made me feel like the video and VR content I wanted to create had meaning and purpose in the world, aside from pure entertainment. While REAP may be an academic and research oriented organization, they actually incredibly fostered my creative growth. REAP supported and kicked off my interests in videography in high school. I ended up creating videos/commercials for Cal's athletic teams. REAP also supported my VR content creation endeavors after college. I now work at a virtual reality studio. I'm looking for ways to evoke emotions and educate my viewers with my work. REAP has helped me learn how to do that through traditional 2-D video and 360 VR content.