Shanghai is beyond what most people can wrap their heads around. You think, “I’m just in a big city with the hustle + bustle.” False. You’re in one of the world’s largest + most international cities. With about 23-24 million people, exploring even just a small area of this sophisticated, modern city can make you feel like a speck of dust in the universe but simultaneously making you feel like part of a larger global community.
Read More
LVAxDKU | duke kunshan
“Isn’t it a pleasure to study and practice what you have learned? Isn’t it also great when friends visit from distant places?”
Ok, y'all. Isn't this campus magical? So peaceful + so meditative. I was honored to travel to Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China with Duke Kunshan University to direct + shoot a Virtual Reality marketing experience for their campus. We were lucky to have a beautiful, warm sunrise when most of these shots were taken, as the flowers, buds on the trees, and water plants started to bloom. This campus is designed after the surrounding water cities + communities, with a modern twist by one of the most renowned architects in the Shanghai area.
Here are some notes about DKU:
- With such an open campus, hiding for VR shots was rather difficult. The vastness of this campus also meant running somewhere for 30-60 seconds before we were completely out of site. The pillars on the water pavilion were usually our go to site and we fit nice and snug into them.
- No photo does this campus justice. I'm excited y'all see it in a VR experience just to see how awesome it is.
- The students + faculty were really were supportive + intrigued by the VR rig. They were great and letting us pop the camera up in their classes, small group seminars, karaoke, on canvases they were painting and even while they were practicing yoga. Their vibrant + passionate personalities shine + I cannot wait to share them with you!
- We met some really great people while working at DKU. Minmin + her husband Neil were the sweetest and took us to the best spots in Shanghai. Minmin also arranged all our days with awesome guides, sending us to the most intriguing + authentic places. We also really loved working with Lindsey, Wei, Lily, Betty + Olivia! Such a strong team of strong women!
- Do NOT pass up the wonton soup when the cafeteria has it. Then top it with all the things: seaweed, dried shrimp, egg, black vinegar, cilantro, chives, and a healthy dose of chili oil. Really though, this cafeteria food was better than almost all the Chinese food I've had in the RDU area.
