Samantha Gorman is the co-director of studio Tender Claws. She specializes in writing/directing for interactive media across genres including expanded cinema, games and virtual reality. Tender Claws’ first release PRY (prynovella.com) was one of Apple’s 25 best apps of 2015, a finalist for the Future of Storytelling Prize and a finalist in IGF for “Excellence in Narrative.” Following PRY, Tender Claws has grown and released “Virtual, Virtual Reality” (VVR) which draws on her seven years of experience in developing Virtual Reality at Brown University’s CAVE VR studio. VVR recently won the 2017 Google Play Award for “Best VR Experience” and the International Mobile Game Award for “Best VR Experience” and “Best Audio.” Tender Claws walks the line between innovation, art and entertainment. Following this mission their next game is a long-form AR experience in collaboration with Google AR/VR about a virtual pet AI fish that feeds on people’s emotions to learn and grow; “TendAR” premiered at the New Frontier in the Sundance Film Festival in 2018. In addition to running Tender Claws, Samantha is a Ph.D. fellow in emerging media at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. She is based in LA.