Gregory Ferris

Dr. Gregory Ferris is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Design and Society at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). His academic work bridges media art practice and research, with a focus on interactive and immersive media environments. He is affiliated with the Faculty Visualisation Institute (VI) Research Network and The Trustworthy Digital Society at UTS.

Dr. Ferris completed his PhD at the College of Fine Arts, Sydney, Australia in 2013 with a thesis entitled "Every time I leave the room: image, time and metadata in off-screen space." His academic journey reflects a unique blend of artistic practice and scholarly research in contemporary media.

Dr. Ferris's research interests span multiple domains of contemporary media practice. As a "media 'construct-ant'", he works across interactive media, installation art, virtual reality, and traditional moving image production. His creative practice has evolved from experimental films that screened on the ABC in the mid-eighties to pioneering work in panoramic interactive narratives and 360-degree virtual reality. His research focuses on microbudget feature filmmaking, immersive and interactive narrative structures, and emerging media technologies including virtual reality. His work explores the intersection of media production, post-production technologies, and experimental media making, with particular attention to aesthetic considerations in contemporary digital environments.

Dr. Ferris's creative outputs demonstrate a consistent trajectory of innovation in media art. His work shows increasing sophistication in immersive technologies, with a focus on VR, 360-degree media, and interactive installations. His scholarly contributions connect media practice with educational applications, particularly in how immersive media can be integrated into teaching contexts. The themes across his work include explorations of narrative structures beyond traditional frames, spatial relationships in media, and the evolving relationship between creators, technologies, and audiences in digital environments.

Dr. Ferris has received research funding from significant sources including the City of Sydney, UTS Chancellor's Research Fellowship, and Create NSW. His current projects include "Spirit of the Hoey" (2023-2024), "Envisaging and enacting just climate futures through immersive media" (2022-2027), and "Sympathetic Threads" (2017-2018).

As an educator, Dr. Ferris teaches "Experimental Media" and is available for Masters Research and PhD student supervision. His teaching focuses on media arts exploration, production and post-production techniques, experimental media making, and aesthetics. He has organized academic conferences including microWAVE 2011 and microWAVE 2013, demonstrating leadership in his field.