Our Story

Over five years ago, Director Lou Ward made an animated 2D film about his grandfather developing Alzheimer’s disease. Soon after, Ward adapted the film into an immersive virtual reality experience so audience members could quite literally step into the story and make it their own. Lou’s grandfather became portrayed by professional improvisational actor Randy Dixon, and each narrative experience became unique to each participant. Tinker will have its World Premiere at Sundance Film Festival this January 28, 2021. 

The project evolved from the collective support of fellow SCAD alumni, Ward’s former Microsoft colleagues and the Seattle VR/AR Meetup and Seattle-based hackathons. Tinker Studio has continued to expand with the help of IGDA Philippines, Oculus Launchpad, and other talented creatives. We are forever grateful for everyone’s contributions to this production.