Episode 8 of Neural Pathways features Dr. Marouane Ouhnana, Research Analyst & Scientific Liaison at Moment Factory. Listen to the full episode on Spotify, and subscribe to never miss a show.
Dr. Marouane Ouhnana is the first person to work in the role of Research Analyst & Scientific Liaison at Moment Factory. This multimedia entertainment studio combines video, lighting, animation, architecture, sound and special effects to create awe-inspiring live experiences and immersive environments. They conceptualize and produce a variety of projects, which range from permanent placements at destinations across the world, to temporary setups at concerts and other performances. In his role, Marouane works on structuring projects and knowledge translation, to bridge the gap between research and multimedia in order to implement academic discoveries into their projects. One of Marouane’s favourite Moment Factory creations is their Lumina projects—illuminated forest night walks in public parks that involve audio and visual experiences throughout the journey. “There’s a lot of technology to make these magical moments happen, but that technology is completely invisible,” he explains.
Marouane completed his PhD in the McGill Vision Research unit, where he explored ambiguous figures and the effects of spatial context on perception. He always knew that he wanted to work in visual sciences and was motivated to pursue graduate school by his curiosity and interest in research. While procrastinating writing his PhD near the end of his degree, Marouane was watching YouTube videos of a rock concert that he had attended and really enjoyed. This led him to discover Moment Factory, as the company was responsible for the audiovisual design of the show. Upon learning more, he became very interested in this company, so he sent a LinkedIn message to one of the co-founders expressing his ideas and how he could contribute as a future neuroscientist. Eventually Marouane was hired into his unique position at Moment Factory.
Marouane worked part-time at the Apple Store during his graduate studies, and he describes this experience as “one of the best interpersonal schools you can go to.” He expresses the importance of interpersonal skills for any field of work, for interacting with others and dealing with conflicts. Marouane has further developed his ability to take on different viewpoints during his career at Moment Factory. He points out that grad students are surrounded by people who are dealing with similar things and being taught to think in similar ways, whereas working in a company with individuals of diverse educational background allows for different perspectives. As a result, he has learned a lot about how to convey ideas and approach questions differently, and stresses that positioning is very important to conveying thoughts in a productive way.
Marouane also emphasizes the importance of considering all aspects of education when preparing for a career. “A lot of times, we get so focused on the knowledge that we gain that we forget the skillsets that we have,” he says. When searching for a job, he advises trainees to have a vision of what they would like to bring to a company and reflect on how they would be valuable to a prospective employer.
To learn more about Marouane Ouhnana and Moment Factory:
