An Augmented Reality Experience in the Presidio
Description
Step into Petlenuc Interrupted, an immersive AR adventure that takes you through the history of the Ohlone tribelet in the Presidio Tunnel Tops Park near San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Immerse yourself in the story of a 5th-grade field trip hijacked by Coyote, the trickster spirit of Ohlone folklore. Through humor, music, and dynamic augmented reality, you’ll explore a landscape alive with Native American history and reflections on San Francisco’s current way of life.
Pay attention to nature and your surroundings to uncover how the Ohlone lived and how the past still speaks through the world around you. Perfect for families and curious explorers, it’s a fun way to dive into history and experience the iconic places in the city from a new perspective.
Petlenuc Interrupted is the first chapter of the Claims Trilogy, project funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Want to Learn more about the project?
Petlenuc Interrupted includes a range of educational and public-facing activities that you can bring to your campus, cultural organization or festival. This includes a director’s walk and talk, classroom curricula, and guest lectures by the creative team.
Drop us an email and let us know how you may want to use this project in your organization. We'd love to hear more about how this project might be presented in your community.
Background
Site-Specific AR Storytelling
This project explores how land-based history can be conveyed through audio, exploration, and large-scale augmented reality. Working with Native American advisors and creatives, this Walking Cinema project looks at how one small tract of land holds deep history and potential clues to the future of San Francisco housing. This series of explorations into San Francisco’s housing history began with the award-winning Museum of the Hidden City in 2020. That project answers a lot of questions about how current housing policy was influenced by large-scale, mid-Century Urban Renewal. This project examines how San Francisco’s Native American history and current residents might help us rethink housing policy and our relationship to the land.
Technology
The techniques being used to create the project’s app include photogrammetry (for scanning recreations of Ohlone huts,) GPS triggered audio, and Unity-based augmented reality. This project includes our most ambitious AR work to date, including Bay-sized versions of the creation story, our first AR character (Coyote,) and fully three-dimensional structures you can walk inside of and interact with. As always, we use the landscape itself as a guide for how to create the AR, making sure it fits visually with the built and natural environments. The story is delivered via a Unity-based app for iPhone and Android and we are working on an AR glasses version available on rental devices.
3-D/Photogrammetry
Augmented Reality
GPS-Triggered Audio
Impact
Prototype presented at SXSW 2025 “Immersive Experience Alliance” Meeting.
Winner of a $400,000 NEH Digital Projects for the Public Production Grant.
Photo Gallery
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Tunnel Tops Park
The experience takes place in the stunning, new Tunnel Tops Park in the Presidio, near the Golden Gate Bridge.
PHOTO CREDIT: WALKING CINEMA
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User Testing: AR Map
Audience tests an AR overlay to a bronze map of the Presidio.
PHOTO CREDIT: WALKING CINEMA
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![Animating Coyote]()
Animating Coyote
Tour used full 3D to bring the character of Coyote to life in the world around you.
PHOTO CREDIT: WALKING CINEMA
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Deep Time
The experience touches upon centuries of cultural and natural relationships developed on this site. And it all happens in public space, available any time you want.
PHOTO CREDIT WALKING CINEMA
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Fire Pit
It can get cold out on the Tunnel Tops Park. The tour ends here to warm folks up a bit and go out in a blaze of glory.
PHOTO CREDIT: WALKING CINEMA
Awards
National Endowment for the Humanities “Digital Projects for the Public”
Production Grant
Production Team
Michael Epstein, Principal Investigator, Writer and Producer
Michael is a journalist, media scholar, and founder of Walking Cinema. He co-wrote and produced the project.
Carlee Malemute, Writer
Carlee Malemute (Athabascan) graduated from USC’s Screenwriting MFA Program and has written for "Good Witch," "Spirit Rangers," and "The Great North."
Maxim Antinori, Developer
Max is a web and mobile app developer specializing in interactive educational media. He programmed the AR app.
Sasha Mandel, Sound Designer
Sasha is a sound designer with a passion for interactivity and deep listening. He was the sound designer and editor for Petlenuc Interrupted.
Priyadharshni Krishnan, Developer
Priya is an AR/VR app developer specialising in Training and Simulation Applications. She is part of the programming team in this project.
Zhaoyan “Yuki” Li, Graphic Designer
Yuki is a graphic designer based out of Las Vegas who made a lot of the stuff you see in Day of Days – including this webpage!
Natalia Arévalo, Producer
Natalia is a Colombian audiovisual producer and chaos manager. She juggles timelines, budgets, and keeps creative minds on track for this audio + AR experience.
Camilo Vanegas, 2D/3D Artist
Camilo is an Award-winning Animation Director (14+ yrs). Creates compelling characters/worlds for games/AR (Hades, Peridot). Passionate about innovative art & engagement.
Jan Gilbert, Voiceover Director
Jan is a Drama Therapist and TBA award winning director. She has been working with SF's premiere sketch comedy group Killing My Lobster for over a decade.
Clarke Helland, Actor
Clarke Helland, is a trained singer, actor, and voiceover artist playing "Alfi." When he’s not performing, you’ll catch him skiing, speed cubing, running with his track team, or mountain biking.
Jordan Deang, Actor
Jordan is a professional NBA hiphop dancer, competitive hooper, and voice actor, excelling with passion, skill, and energy on stage, on the court, and behind the mic.
Joey Clift, Actor
Joey (Cowlitz Tribe Member) plays Coyote and is an Emmy-nominated writer/comedian. He wrote for "Spirit Rangers" (Netflix) and is the creator of the Webby-winning show "Gone Native" (Comedy Central).
Margaux Poupard, Actor
Margaux, playing Helen, is a screenwriter, copywriter, sketch writer, editor, podcaster, and now she can add voice over actor to her impressive resume as well.
Credits
STARRING:
Clarke Helland
Jordan Deang
Joey Clift
Margaux Poupard
WRITTEN BY:
Carlee Malemute
Michael Epstein
DEVELOPER:
Maxim Antinori
ASSOCIATE DEVELOPER:
Priya Krishnan
GRAPHIC DESIGNER:
Zhaoyan “Yuki” Li
PRODUCER:
Natalia Arevalo
VISUAL DIRECTOR, 2D/3D ARTIST:
Camilo Vanegas
VOICEOVER DIRECTOR:
Jan Gilbert
SOUND DESIGNER:
Sasha Mandel
INTERN:
Emma Hui
SPECIAL THANKS:
Different Fur Studios