Welcome to The Immersive Lens — the show where emerging tech meets creativity, education, and real-world impact. Hosted by Paul Engin (Professor of New Media) and Dave Ghidiu (Professor of Computer Science) at Finger Lakes Community College, this podcast dives into the technologies and creative innovations reshaping how we live, work, and learn—from AI and augmented reality to the future of media, design, and learning.

In this episode of The Immersive Lens, hosts Paul Engin and Dave Ghidiu discuss the escalating competition in the AI sector, specifically OpenAI's "Code Red" response to the dominance of Google’s Gemini 3 model. They detail OpenAI's development of a new model, code-named "Camed Garlic," which reportedly relies on user feedback telemetry rather than professional evaluations to regain ground. They also highlight significant industry milestones, such as the announcement that the AI short "Critters" will become the first feature-length AI film next year, and the release of Meta's Hyperscape Capture, which allows users to create digital twins of physical spaces using Quest 3 headsets.

They go on a deep dive with engineer Jeff Kidd into the creation of an AI-generated holiday greeting for Finger Lakes Community College, a project that required between 30 and 40 hours of work rather than a simple "prompt and done" solution. The team utilized a complex "tech stack" including Google’s Nano Banana for generating character sheets, Google Flow for animation, ElevenLabs for audio isolation, and traditional tools like Photoshop and After Effects for "blue screening" characters into scenes. Ultimately, the hosts conclude that while AI provides animation efficiencies, producing professional-quality work still requires significant human intervention and traditional production skills to resolve issues like character consistency and lip-syncing.

Topics Covered:

—-- Add and remove below just a reference Dave Ghidiu delete this—--

Project Iceberg: MIT’s interactive tool mapping AI exposure and job market disruption
Screen Evolution: From 4:3 CRTs to 16:9 HD and the new age of Foldables
Designing for Devices: The struggle of creating content that works on a watch, a phone, and a desktop
The "Fold" is Dead: How scrolling culture has changed web design and user engagement
Immersive Tech: Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest, and the future of "infinite" screen real estate

Mentions: @MIT @Apple @Samsung @Meta @Android @Google

🔗 Links & Resources:

—-- Update above Dave Ghidiu delete this—--

FLCC Holiday video: https://youtu.be/HDEq6fLejOA?si=dzMW4puOt0USVmVA

FLX AI Hub: https://www.flcc.edu/ai/

FLCC New Media: https://newmedia.csc.flcc.cloud/

🎧 Subscribe to The Immersive Lens to stay curious and connected!

#AI #EdTech #GenerativeAI #HigherEd #Podcast #Sora2 #VibeCoding #DigitalEthics #FLCC #NewMedia #TechTrends #TechHistory #UXDesign #WebDevelopment #ProjectIceberg #FutureOfWork #ScreenTime #FoldablePhones #VisionPro #TheImmersiveLens #EdTech

✅ Subscribe so you never miss an episode—and share with a friend who loves tech, creativity, or the future of education.

Recorded at Finger Lakes Community College in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region.

https://www.flcc.edu/

https://www.theimmersivelens.com/

Stay curious. Stay connected.

Thanks for looking through The Immersive Lens.

Episode 5: AI Production - Creation of a Holiday Video