Video games have been an important part of my life since I was young,
allowing me to experience narratives that are better suited when
"walking a mile in someone else's shoes". Interactive virtual
environments allow us to take control of a digital avatar in an
environment hand crafted for users to experience. I create assets by
modeling them in Cinema 4D, then aggregate them in Unity in order to
bring them to life with animations and interactive options. This has
involved creating cars flying at high speeds, portals to other worlds,
and joining a crowd in previous projects. "Together Again" is a
project that puts the user in the uncomfortable situation of being
apart from a loved one, focusing on the mental toll it has taken.
Our experiences are not shared directly. Many people may experience
similar events or circumstances, but it is entirely due to our
personal perception, thoughts, and emotions that we are unable to
claim experiences are not identical. Narrative-driven video games
allow users to become more aligned with someone’s own perception of
events. Using real-life personal stories and presenting them in an
abstract manner allows users to better understand the emotions the
storyteller was experiencing at the time. This can be seen in other
video games, such as That Dragon, Cancer or Dear Esther. Upon entering
the world of “Together Again”, users will interacting with my personal
long distance relationship and its difficulties during the COVID-19
Pandemic and the protests in Hong Kong.
Artist Bio
David Koster is an American artist from San Diego, California and
received his BFA in Digital Media Art from San Jose State University
in 2021. Koster works with various digital mediums, including but not
limited to, Unity, Cinema 4D, and the Adobe Suite. Additionally, he
has a background in video editing, photography, and graphic design.
Koster utilizes each of these tools to create both interactive virtual
environments and visual spectacles. Heavily inspired by video games,
he uses interactive environments as immersive guidance through the
stories he tells. The introduction of interactive environments into
Koster’s portfolio was also driven by his extensive experience in 3D
spaces, having had training in Autodesk Maya and Cinema 4D over the
course of eight years.
Koster dives into a variety of subjects when approaching
his work, each from different aspects of his life. Some of the
subjects touched upon include mental health, personal relationships,
and political activism. However, he also is drawn to create works of
abstraction due to the variety it offers. Koster believes that through
art, especially interactive art, an audience can “walk a mile in
another’s shoes”. Experiences are unique and not easily shared due to
our personal perception. The use of interactive art better allows
users to understand the perspective of an individual through various
situations. This philosophy is what drives Koster to create.
Currently, Koster is working on video games and
interactive environments in Unity.
