Chris Pfaff moderated the ‘How to Create Immersive 3D Stories with Real Humans’ panel during SXSW 2026 on Monday, March 16th at 4:00 pm at the Austin Marriott Downtown in the Waller Ballroom A. Joining him were Lauren Michelle, CEO, Operaverse Corey Rosen, EVP, Creative Development, Production & Storytelling, Super 78 Richard Broadbridge, CEO, 4Dviews.

The session featured presentations on various techniques for incorporating real human capture – not avatars – in immersive stories.

You can watch the full session at:

And Part II:

HOW TO CREATE IMMERSIVE 3D STORIES WITH REAL HUMANS

The explosion of virtual stories across platforms has seen an increase in the integration of real humans in immersive experiences. The evolution of stunningly realistic volumetric video now enables real human capture and integration in scenes that are life-like and spatially adaptive. The innovations that are now making the human more prominent in complex virtual narratives are being led by producers and toolmakers who are building a network of dynamic volumetric artisans. This session features leading developers of mixed reality, VR, and mobile AR that render virtual humans – not avatars. Monday, March 16, 2026 Austin Marriott Downtown- 304 East Cesar Chavez St. Waller Ballroom A Chris Pfaff, CEO, Chris Pfaff Tech Media LLC