My first job on 2001 was to make all of the HAL readouts: the 16 screens that surround HAL's eyes.

But as far as the concept of HAL, who HAL was, his character - I had no role in creating him.

There were IBM logos designed for the film, and there were IBM design consultants working with Kubrick on the layout of the controls and computer screens.

When I worked on 2001 - which was my first feature film - I was deeply and permanently affected by the notion that a movie could be like a first-person experience.

I visited a scientist who had a helmet with magnetic fields controlled by computer sequences that could profoundly affect your mood and your perceptions.

I honestly believe that the next big leap in immersive technology will be very much like Brainstorm.