I’m a massive nerd at heart—someone who gets ridiculously excited about concepts like flow state, suspension of disbelief, and cognitive affordances. If there's a rabbit hole of curiosity, I've probably delved deep into it.

My journey has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. I dabbled in Computer Science and Fine Arts but never quite finished either. Instead, I found my groove in the wild world of digital media. This led me to Central Saint Martins in London, where I ended up teaching Digital Design while completing my MA in Digital Media in 2008.

This journey led me to co-found Watergun with my friends Ricardo, Lucas, and Eric. It was our playground for all sorts of crazy projects. We made short films about lost cosmonauts, mind-bending music videos, and even water projections for festivals. It was all about learning, growing, and pushing boundaries.

In 2016, I spent a week working in Studio Two at Abbey Road Studios, with its overwhelming history seeping through those walls. And just when I thought things couldn’t get any wilder, I got a thank-you at the Oscars for the short film “Stutterer” by Ben Cleary. I mean, clearly, it was the peak of my creative career, right? (Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.)

But then, I decided to shake things up. I left the traditional film world behind and dove headfirst into immersive media when I joined Future Lighthouse. We started in a garage in Madrid, and before we knew it, Forbes was calling us “Legendary”.

In 2017, I found myself walking the iconic Venice Film Festival red carpet - a path tread since 1935 by the cream of the crop - as part of the first generation of immersive media directors to make that walk. And let me tell you, it was as surreal as it sounds.

You know how they say “never meet your heroes”? Well, I didn’t just meet some of mine - I directed them. Working with legends like Robert Englund from “Nightmare on Elm Street”, Geraldine Chaplin from “Doctor Zhivago”, Oscar Isaac from “Star Wars”, and Rupert Grint from “Harry Potter”, didn't just fulfil lifelong dreams; it taught me invaluable lessons about storytelling and creativity.

But it’s not all glitz and glamour. I’m also the proud owner of over 700 Imperial Stormtrooper items - we’re talking toys, t-shirts, cards, toothbrushes, and, yes, shampoo bottles. It started innocently enough but spiralled into something even I can't explain.

Also, for over 12 years, I've been mapping London's history through songs that mention real places dating back to 1666. What began as a newcomer’s quirky way to navigate the city turned into an obsessive (but fascinating) deep dive into musical geography.

So, there you have it—that's me, shaped by adventures in Madrid, London, and New York, navigating the rollercoaster of digital media and amassing a trove of stormtroopers along the way. If you've made it this far, I'm both impressed and slightly concerned for your free time. But seriously, your curiosity is something special. Here's a virtual, slightly awkward hug to seal the deal.

Because while curiosity might lead to uncomfortable digital embraces, it also makes life infinitely more interesting.

Send a virtual hug back to hola@rafael-pavon.com