ABOUT

I'm Rhea Penny, a creative technologist with a rich background as a crew chief on V22 Ospreys in the United States Marine Corps, where my service included humanitarian missions in the Philippines and Nepal. After the military, I attended The New School of Drama in Manhattan, where a fascination with projection design and interactive projections steered me towards the burgeoning world of Augmented Reality. My work, deeply influenced by luminaries like Philip K. Dick, David Lynch, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Alex Garland, focuses on "the weird" and human consciousness and has attracted over 10 million views on Snapchat filters. I've had the privilege of collaborating with notable figures and organizations such as Fatboy Slim, the Martha Graham Dance Company, and Liz Lerman, which has significantly enriched my creative journey. Now based in Brooklyn, NY, I live with my two cockatiels, Moltar and Zorak

AR

Using AR technology I've created a plethora of effects across Snapchat, Instagram, Tiktok, and Web AR. My specialties include clothing simulations, body filters, interactive world effects, and location based AR effects. I've also designed AR pieces for live performances with New Inc. Currently, my total view count across my filters is about 10 Million. I'm interested in the possibilities AR can bring to education and interactive installation art pieces. Feel free to click the icons below to access my filters.

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Instagram Snapchat Lenslist

ART

My visual art focuses on the "weird" along with the paranormal. I've always had a huge interest toward the spookiness the world can provide.

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GAMES

With my experience using Unreal Engine professionally, I've also developed game mechanics for everything from interactive arcade cabinets to personal fan projects.

Using the assets from Spriters Resource, I made this fan recreation of Zombies Ate My Neighbors as a 2D in 3D game study. I created everything scene including the texturing, modeling, blueprinting, environment, enemy AI, and UI.

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Motion Capture live with 3D Avatars. I created an online Twitch controlled obstacle course along with an interactive homeroom. Using Twitch Chat, users could trigger different animations, effects, world movements, and character movements.

LIVE MEDIA

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Attempts On Her Life at The New School of Drama. Directed by Diane Machin. Projection design/programming by Mitchell Hoover.

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Fatboy Slim Tour. Designed by Bob Jaroc. AR rendered tracked bodies by Mitchell Hoover

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Because of Winn Dixie at Goodspeed Theatre, East Haddam, CT. Directed by John Rando. Projection design by Olivia Sebesky. Asst Projection Design by Mitchell Hoover.

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What You See Is What You Get starring Jessica Fontana. Directed by Gina Rattan. Projection design by Nick Hussong. Asst Projection Design by Mitchell Hoover

RESUME

Education:

  • BFA in Drama (Creative Technology), The New School, 2020
  • AA in Drama, Cowley College, KS, 2010

Experience:

Freelance Designer, 2018-2023

  • HyperSpace Arcade, Unreal Engine Game Programming/Art, DeYan Studios, 2022-2023
  • Fatboy Slim, UK Tour, 2021, AR Visuals Artist.
  • Christelle Bofale, New Inc, New Museum, 2023.
  • “Because of Winn-Dixie”, Goodspeed Theatre, 2019, Assistant Projection Designer.
  • “Attempts On Her Life”, The New School of Drama, Dir. Diane Machin 2020, Projection Designer.
  • “What You See Is What You Get”, 2019, Dir. Gina Rattan, Assistant Projection Designer.

Environment and AR Specialist, Zerospace, 2020-2022

  • Developed virtual environments for XR “Volume” filmmaking, interactive video games, meta quest experiences, large scale projections, and “in-engine” filmmaking. Prototyped and created numerous filters for early visuals using Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and Meta Quest.

Technical Assistant, The Wooster Group Theatre, 2017-2019

  • Assisted with technical aspects of theatrical productions including A/V installation, rigging, and mechanical skills.

USMC Veteran, V22 Crew Chief and Mechanic, 2010-2015

  • Maintained and repaired V22 aircraft to ensure optimal performance and safety. Flew over 500 hours as a Crew Chief including humanitarian operations in Nepal and the Philippines.

Software:

Unreal Engine, Blender, Substance Painter, Quixel Mixer, Lens Studio, Spark Studio, Effect House, Adobe Aero, Rokoko Motion Capture, Rokoko AI Capture, Vive Tracking, Polycam, Microsoft Suite, Google Docs, Adobe Photoshop, Media Encoder, After Effects, Premiere Pro

Skills:

Motion Capture Retargeting, Texturing, Retopology, 3D Modeling, Concepting, Quick AR Prototyping, Gameplay Mechanics, Blueprinting, Level Optimizing, Level Streaming, Filmmaking, Mixed Media Input, Projection Mapping