Simone Giancaspero

Territorial Strategist & Researcher in Transmedia Design | Film Director

Greater Pescara Metropolitan Area

About

Many territories have extraordinary stories. Few know how to tell them in a way that generates identity, attraction, and lasting value. I design narrative systems that shape how people perceive and imagine a territory — turning that collective imaginary, together with its cultural heritage, into lived experiences and strategic assets for growth. This is the foundation of the NED Framework, a transmedia design methodology I developed to build what I call inhabitable narrative worlds: not communication campaigns, but structured narrative systems that reshape how a place is perceived, experienced, and remembered. I'm a PhD candidate at Università Vanvitelli (national DeMIT program) and currently a visiting researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, collaborating with Prof. Fritz Breithaupt's narrative lab. My research sits at the intersection of storytelling theory, territorial design, and cultural strategy. I founded Skelter Collective, a third-sector organization for storytellers, and Skuma Studio, an authorial atelier for narrative world-building. As a film director, my work has been selected at national and international festivals. I work with cultural institutions, municipalities, foundations, and creative organizations ready to design a territorial identity worth experiencing — not just promoting.

Experience

  • Visiting PHD Student at University of Pennsylvania
    Apr 2026 - Present · 3 mos

    Validation and testing of the Narrative Ecosystem Design Framework at the Experimental Humanities Lab at the University of Pennsylvania, under the supervision of Professor Fritz Breithaupt.

  • Doctoral Researcher at University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli"
    Dec 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 7 mos

  • Regista cinematografico at Studio Skuma
    Sep 2021 - Present · 4 yrs 10 mos

    Sviluppo, progettazione e creazione di produzioni multimediali, cinematografiche e transmediali.

  • Visiting PHD Student at Högskolan i Skövde
    Nov 2025 - Feb 2026 · 4 mos

    Designing the perception of the city of Skövde through a participatory approach with local citizens, in collaboration with the PlayLab and the University of Skövde.

  • Project Assistant at Pomilio Blumm
    Jan 2024 - Jun 2024 · 6 mos

    In Pomilio Blumm ho fatto parte del reparto progettazione supportando i Project Manager durante lo sviluppo dei vari tender di gara. Inoltre, insieme al reparto CIA (Comunicative Intelligence Accelerator) mi sono occupato di sviluppare e ricercare nuove metodologie e strumenti per rendere gli eventi progettati più immersivi ed esperienziali.