Jay Silvas has joined creative production company We Are Royale (WAR) as interactive supervisor. Silvas brings to the Los Angeles and Seattle-based company a diverse skill set in UX, engineering, product development, video game design, VR, and cognitive science. In his new role, Silvas will oversee WAR's interactive team, helping WAR deliver novel experiences to clients using such emerging technologies as augmented, virtual, and mixed reality (XR). 

“At WAR, we believe that the future lies in providing consumers with opportunities to interact and experiment with brands, so we're constantly seeking innovative ways to integrate technology into our marketing strategies,” said Brien Holman, WAR's co-founder and chief creative officer, in a statement. “Meanwhile, returning and new clients are increasingly engaging us to create content and experiences with a holistic approach to their technology, so that it resonates across all channels. That's where Jay comes in. He will be instrumental in boosting our client engagements at the intersection of technology and creativity. But most of all, he understands the creative sensibilities necessary to create interactive experiences beyond the technology, from design to storytelling to music and sound.”

Over the past six years, Silvas has built a wide network of VR and AI-focused relationships in Seattle. Working with a variety of tech companies, design agencies, and non-profits including Virtual World Society, Highspot, and Alchemical Minds, Silvas gained experience in building products, interactive content, and immersive experiences in 3D game engines such as Unreal and Unity. He and a small indie team also were invited to create an experimental VR game for Meta's “Oculus Launchpad” competition.

“I'm interested in experiential and interactive design, especially the R&D and prototyping that goes into it,” Silvas said, also in a statement. “I love exploring the space within a novel solution or idea. WAR and I share a kinship in that respect. Not only do they do a lot of work that aligns with my passions and interests at the intersection of art, design, and emerging technology, but they also explore these mediums with a mind for discovery and new approaches rather than relying on the status quo.”

Most recently, Silvas worked as a sound designer, composing music and spatial audioscapes for an ambitious VR project with German XR Studio Numena. His education in computer game design at George Mason University sparked his interest in tech. Following a few years where he worked in roles as varied as culinary instructor and Los Angeles recording artist, Silvas settled into a five-year role with the US Marine Corps as a signals intelligence analyst. During this time, Silvas worked with Python and experimented with machine learning data analysis tools. He used these tools to discover trends as well as identify transformative characteristics in information.

With WAR pushing into game design and development for its marketing clients, Silvas brings with him expertise and connections in the VR space. 

“Many of my VR projects involve a lot of research and understanding how the technology can integrate with existing ones, as well as manifestations of emerging technologies like generative AI,” Silvas said.

In addition, Silvas is also keen on applying his gaming background at WAR, which has worked with such game publishers as Apple, Activision Blizzard, Oculus, Pokémon, Riot Games, Square Enix and Epic Games. 

Silvas and WAR also are working with the US Air Force (USAF) on mobile AR flight game “Command the Stack” that simulates real-life mission tactics. 

In addition to consumer-facing experiences, he will also apply his expertise to internal product development and developing applications for brands.

In his downtime, Silvas enjoys cooking, music composition, and traveling. Away from his liveaboard home in Seattle, his world travels most recently took him to Portugal and Thailand. 

“The ethos of the WAR team – their willingness to stretch in any direction, wading into spaces where other teams aren't open or comfortable without a lot of guidance -- that's what got me excited to work with them,” said Silvas.