Blackout, A Haptic Tale is a research-based immersive cinematic installation, comprising a VR headset and a series of wearable haptic devices.

Blackout, the first prototype of Haptic Tales, is a short multi-sensory story for ALL abilities conceived by Antonella during her Touch Aesthetics fellowship, while experimenting on the creative use of haptics as an inclusive narrative technique.

During her arts+research fellowship at ASU’s Haptics for Inclusion Lab within The Sidney Poitier New American Film School Narrative and Emerging Media Program, Antonella examined the sensory hierarchies embedded within traditional storytelling forms, access and the aesthetics of inclusion, and investigated how touch could become a medium through which stories can be told and experienced.
Drawing inspiration from cinematic language, her research and creative process led Antonella to develop a new storytelling technique capable of speaking directly to the body: crafted Haptic Effects (HFX) that act as “kinesthetic onomatopoeia”. These HFX aim at strengthening perspective and empathy, drawing the audience deeper into the emotional state of the story.
Blackout served as a proof of concept to showcase this novel approach.

In Blackout, audiences find themselves immersed in an intimate multi-sensory adventure that invites them to reimagine storytelling through the sensations felt on their bodies. 
The journey is audio narrated+captioned in a low-lit VR storyworld, and infused with custom Haptic Effects (HFX) that act as “kinesthetic onomatopoeia for our bodies” – like a wordless poem on the skin, echoing the emotional beat of the story.

Blackout, A Haptic Tale was premiered during the Touch Aesthetics showcase in LA on May 10, 2025.
Read more on ASU News.

Blackout:
Written and directed by Antonella Mazzoni.
Developed by Antonella Mazzoni in Unreal Engine with special thanks to Evan Siegal, Sultan Sharrief, Nonny De La Peña, Ryat Yezbick, Vanessa Chang, Ashley Buschhorn, Jet Olaño.