In this Spotlight story from FIVARS 2025, FIVARS talks to director Diane Catsburrow Linnet about her animated spherical film “Tadpole.”
What lead to the creation of this piece?
Tadpole started as an experiment. Being primarily a hand-drawn 2D artist, I was curious if immersive filmmaking could be done with… well, just that. The idea was intriguing for two big reasons: 1) Couldn’t immersive film look like it was hand-drawn, and not dimensional/built in 3D? And then, 2) Could 2D-based filmmakers make immersive films without knowing any 3D knowledge?
So I began testing it out. I took the equirectangular grid that matches the distortion of mono 360 video, and drew directly on it… Then, I told the video player that it was “immersive.” And it worked– simple as that!
What was the production process like for you and your team? What did you learn?
I started by coming up with a story idea that I felt could only be told in VR space. So, I started backwards by asking myself what could be a unique storytelling device for a 360 film, and then I came up with a story that would use it.
Once that was ready, I started picking at production steps… first by doing some visual tests and seeing if it looked compelling. Then, I wrote the full script and recorded a full scratch track. Making the “animatic” was tricky– I couldn’t really storyboard or thumbnail it out. I had to start by doing a floor plan of the space, and a 360 sketch of the space. Then I put the scratch track on it (with the dialogue and some key SFX), then started blocking out where each character had to be at a given moment. There were so many characters, and it quickly got confusing, so I color-coded them. There was a lot of changes at this stage, and working out of order.
Eventually, when the choreography was settled, I could get to the animation. Boy, it was so much animation. Every character had to be addressed somehow because you can’t just make them disappear by “cutting away.” But the character designs were simple and everything so stylized that I could actually get away with a lot of “inaccuracy.” Things didn’t have to be perfectly the right distance, distortion, etc.
It’s funny– each step I expected it to fail, to fall apart, or not perform as expected. I kept thinking, surely, this couldn’t possibly work… but it kept going, so I kept going, and at the end of the path there was a film.
How did you become an immersive content creator and why?
I suppose it was the intrigue: I wanted to see if it could be done. It started with curiosity, and then it was the story. I still believe stories don’t have to be in immersive tech to be immersive stories; we’ve had decades of flat screen storytelling, and those media still take our breaths away. But I also think immersive technologies bring a unique flavor and unique storytelling devices that let us go in directions we haven’t been able to before. And since it’s new, there’s much room for exploration and a lot of excitement… like fresh snow!
What is the VR/AR industry like in your region?
I work at Rochester Institute of Technology and have the luxury of being surrounded by people who spend all day learning, researching, and thinking about the future. XR is a big part of that; students and faculty alike are always coming up with new fun projects.
What do you have planned for the future?
I’ve been taking a break from writing and production for a little bit, but I have recently been looking at a few potential XR projects. We’ll see how it goes. Either way, I’ll always be looking for the next interesting story to tell!
What would like to share with fellow content creators and/or the industry?
Technology is changing so quickly– it feels like there’s something new every day that would change how we do everything! As we get all these new playgrounds, though, I’d love to see more of the “old” stick around and play a role in the new. Sure, you can “draw” in a VR headset with the latest tools… but you can also draw on a 2:1 canvas in Photoshop and make a full short film. The core of what we love to see remains the same: the story, the awe, the arts, connections… Let’s keep making and thinking outside the box!
Do you think VR festivals like FIVARS are important?
Oh yes! I still have mixed feelings about how isolated VR can feel. Taking Tadpole around the film festival circuit, I realized that I couldn’t sit in a theater and read the audience. VR doesn’t naturally lend itself to social activities, so connecting with people around this technology requires some artificial way of bringing them together. Let’s experience things together and talk about it!
Tadpole will be screening at the in-person show on June 25th and 26th and will also be shown in the FIVARS theater for online attendees.
