Baobab Studios – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

September 13, 2021

Baobab Studios Nabs 9th Emmy Award Thanks To Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga won an Emmy for Outstanding Interactive Media for a Daytime Program at the 48th Annual Emmy Awards, bringing Baobab Studios’ total Emmy awards wins to nine.

Baba Yaga also previously won two other Emmy awards — Outstanding Directing Team for Animated Program (Eric Darnell, director, and Mathias Chelebourg, co-director) and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation for Character Design (Karl Athannossov).

“It was already such an honor and thrill for Baba Yaga to be awarded Emmys for both character design and direction,” said Baba Yaga director and writer Eric Darnell. “And now, to be honored with the award for best interactive is truly spectacular and a reflection of the team’s monumental efforts to give the audience the opportunity to be the hero of their own story.”

The immersive VR movie released in January exclusively for Oculus Quest after premiering at various film festivals in 2020, including the Venice Film Festival almost exactly a year ago. In our review at the time, we found it to be entertaining but slightly safe. It certainly wasn’t the ambitious step-up we were hoping to see from Baobab’s next offering:

This is a likable, sweet but ultimately safe adventure, highlighted by some great VR novelties but also equally limited by them. I want to see something from this studio that feels truly dynamic — like my presence has genuine impact in the stories it creates. Baobab remains one of VR’s most promising storytellers but, four years on from its debut, I feel like I’m still waiting for it to really hit its stride.

You can read our full review from last year here.

Baba Yaga is available now on Oculus Quest for $5.99.

July 8, 2021

‘Paper Birds’ Part 2 Releases Today on Quest, Starring Edward Norton, Archie Yates & Joss Stone

Paper Birds is a VR experience from Gloomy Eyes (2020) developer 3DAR and producers Baobab Studios and Oculus. The long-awaited Part Two of Paper Birds is exclusively available on Quest starting today.

The VR experience was partially released back in December, and introduced the story of a young musician on a quest to bring back his kidnapped sister from dire circumstances.

The heartfelt story, which is described as having ‘light interactivity’, premiered at Tribeca Film Festival 2021 and La Biennale di Venezia in 2020. It features the voices of Archie Yates, Edward Norton, and Joss Stone.

Now the second installment is available starting today, and is bundled with the original experience on Quest for $7. Overall, Paper Birds is said to feature a 32-minute runtime.

Here’s how 3DAR and co. describe Paper Birds:

PAPER BIRDS tells the story of Toto (Archie Yates), a short-sighted child with an exceptional talent for music. With guidance from his grandparents Robert (Edward Norton), a highly respected musician devoted to his music above all else, and Elsa (Joss Stone), who set aside her dreams of being an artist to care for her family, Toto must find his way through the world of darkness to bring back his sister, taken away by mysterious shadows.

He’ll use the depth of music to open portals to the invisible world. And when he confronts the shadows, they’ll reveal their deeper purpose.

Paper Birds developer 3DAR is the animation studio behind cinematic VR series Gloomy Eyes, which was critically received at Sundance Film Festival in 2019, and was awarded ‘Best VR experience’ at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and winner of the ‘Jury Award for Storytelling’ SXSW that year.

Baobab Studios, which executive produced Paper Birds, is well known for having developed a slew of successful VR shorts and cinematic experiences, including Baba Yaga, Crow: The Legend, and Invasion!.

The post ‘Paper Birds’ Part 2 Releases Today on Quest, Starring Edward Norton, Archie Yates & Joss Stone appeared first on Road to VR.

January 29, 2021

Baobab Studios’ Next Project Is Namoo, Premiering At Sundance

Baobab Studios have announced its next project, Namoo, an immersive animated film for VR directed by award-winning filmmaker Erick Oh.

Namoo (the Korean word for ‘tree’) is described as a ‘narrative poem come to life as an immersive animated film, and is inspired by the life of Oh’s grandfather. Centered around one tree, Namoo “follows the meaningful moments of one man’s life,” where “the tree starts as a seed and eventually grows into a fully-mature tree, collecting meaningful objects that represent positive and painful memories in its branches.”

You can view the announcement trailer below, giving us an early look at the stunning animation style.

Naboo was created with Quill, the VR animation tool available for PC VR. As you can see from the trailer, that gives it a very distinct visual style similar to many other Quill animations we’ve seen before, but with a bit of Baobab polish added on top.

Erick Oh is a Korean filmmaker based in California, and has worked across many different animation mediums. His work has been presented and awarded at various festivals and award ceremonies. Previously, Oh worked as an animator at Pixar on films like Cars 2, Brave, Monsters University, and Inside Out. He has a plethora of awards and lots of experience to his name, which you can view over on his website.

Naboo will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, which is currently running until February 3rd. As with other Baobab titles that debuted at film festivals, it’s likely that Naboo will see a wider release onto VR headsets sometime in the future.

January 29, 2021

Teaser Trailer Arrives for Animated Poem Namoo

Baobab Studios has become one of the premier creators of animated content for virtual reality (VR) headsets, from 2017’s Invasion! to the more recent Baba Yaga. Its next project is Namoo, a poetic tale due for release this year and now there’s a trailer to give you a teasing glimpse.

Namoo is being directed and written by Erick Oh (Heart, How to Eat Your Apple), with the word meaning “tree” in Korean. This is the central theme for the project, taking you on an emotional journey that follows the defining moments of one man’s life. Inspired by the life of Erick’s grandfather, from a seed the tree grows and eventually fully matures collecting significant objects that represent both good and bad memories within its branches.

The launch of the teaser trailer coincides with Namoo’s premiere during the Sundance Film Festival’s New Frontier programme this week. So you can watch Namoo now if you like alongside all the other VR content by purchasing the Explorer Pass for $25 USD. Or you can always wait for the official release which takes place this year on Oculus Quest.

For that entry price you can also enjoy works including Tinker, a live performance piece about Alzheimer’s disease by director Lou Ward. Prison X, Chapter 1: The Devil and The Sun, stepping into Bolivia’s infamous San Sebastian Prison or even an AR project called Fortune!

Created using Oculus’ real-time VR animation tool Quill, from what’s been shown so far Namoo looks very different from the rest of Baobab Studios’ work. Recent pieces like Baba Yaga, Bonfire and Crow: The Legend have included ever-increasing amounts of interaction to connect you with the story. Namoo seems like a more traditional animated experience.

If you’re after more animated content then take a look at VRFocus’ roundup of titles worth checking out. For further updates from Baobab Studios, keep reading VRFocus.

January 12, 2021

Step Into Oculus Quest Exclusive Baba Yaga This Week

Oculus Quest owners who love virtual reality (VR) animation are in for a double bill this week, Thursday in fact. Joining punk-inspired Battlescar will be Baobab Studios’ highly anticipated Baba Yaga, an Oculus Quest exclusive featuring an all-star voice cast.

Baba Yaga is based on the European fairytale where enigmatic witch Baba Yaga protects the enchanted forest in which she dwells, sometimes with good or bad intentions. In this 30-minute interactive animation, you play Sacha who alongside her younger sister Magda enter the forbidden rainforest to find a cure for your mother, the Village Chief, that Baba Yaga possesses.

Being interactive, Baba Yaga offers you choices along the way thus providing multiple endings to keep you coming back for more. As an Oculus Quest title Baobab Studios gives you the option to either use the Oculus Touch controllers or utilize the headsets hand tracking functionality.

As mentioned, the studio has managed to enlist a stellar cast of actors to voice the characters, with Oscar winner Kate Winslet (The Reader, Titanic) as Baba Yaga, Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Ophelia) as Magda, three-time Golden Globe winner Glenn Close (The Wife, Albert Nobbs) as the mother and Oscar and three-time Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls, Respect) as the enchanted forest.

As part of the project Baobab Studios partnered with the United Nations on its climate change and sustainability initiative. They’ve created a campaign for the UN ActNow app to help educate users on ways to safeguard Earth’s natural resources.

This isn’t the only project the studio has been busy with. In December part one of Paper Birds was released with the second arriving this year. Then there’s Namoo which is slated for 2021, written and directed by Erick Oh (Heart, How to Eat Your Apple).

Baobab Studios will launch Baba Yaga on 14th January 2021, for Oculus Quest, retailing for $5.99 USD. Check out the new trailer below and for further updates from the animation studio, keep reading VRFocus.

January 12, 2021

Baobab Studios’ Baba Yaga Releases January 14, Exclusively For Oculus Quest

Baobab Studios announced that its next animated VR film Baba Yaga will release on January 14 exclusively for Oculus Quest and Oculus Quest 2.

The VR film is about two sisters who journey into a haunted forest to seek a cure for their sickly mother, where they will have to confront the mysterious witch, Baba Yaga. The film is a first-person experience, where you embody one of the two sisters and participate in some minor interactive moments. A new trailer was released ahead of launch, which you can watch below:

Baba Yaga has a star-studded cast with Daisy Ridley playing your sister, Magda, with Glenn Close as the mother, Jennifer Hudson as the forest and Kate Winslet as Baba Yaga herself. The film premiered at several film festivals last year and Jamie Feltham and I both got a chance to watch the film ahead of release. We came to the same conclusion — it’s a charming, if safe, experience from the Baobab team that left us craving just a little bit more. Here are the closing remarks from Jamie’s review:

I want to see something from this studio that feels truly dynamic — like my presence has genuine impact in the stories it creates. Baobab remains one of VR’s most promising storytellers but, four years on from its debut, I feel like I’m still waiting for it to really hit its stride.

You can read the full review here.

Baba Yaga runs for approximately half an hour and will be available on the Oculus Store for Quest and Quest 2 from January 14 for $5.99.

December 15, 2020

Baobab Studios’ Next Project is Namoo, a Narrative Poem Created in Quill

Baobab Studios is one busy studio of late. Having just released the first part of its musical animation Paper Birds for Oculus Quest, it’s now been revealed the team are working on a new project for 2021 called Namoo.

First reported by Deadline, the virtual reality (VR) animation is being directed and written by Erick Oh (Heart, How to Eat Your Apple). The studio is utilising Oculus’ Quill for the project with hand-painted characters and environments.

Namoo is the Korean word for “tree”, with the narrative taking viewers on a journey through a man’s life, from budding artist to grandfather, celebrating his tree of life.

“Erick Oh is an exciting, emerging director in animation, and from the moment he first shared his vision of Namoo with us, we knew we wanted to work with him. His wondrous artistic sensibilities are a natural fit for what we do at Baobab in that he crafts deeply personal films which connect with viewers both emotionally and universally,” said Maureen Fan, co-founder and CEO of Baobab Studios to Deadline. “We are very proud of Namoo and look forward to sharing it with audiences very soon.”

“Baobab Studios is a great place to make films because they are willing to push boundaries in the name of art. I think that is why their films resonate so well with audiences and critics alike,” said Oh. “Making Namoo was a joy because they were true collaborators who listened and gave me creative freedom to achieve my vision for the film.”

If you love VR animation then this isn’t the only film to look forward to from Baobab Studios. The second part of Paper Birds is due for release next year and so is Baba Yaga, another Oculus Quest title. Both feature well-known actors voicing roles, Jojo Rabbit star Archie Yates is in Paper Birds whilst Baba Yaga has an all-star female cast including Kate Winslet, Daisy Ridley, Jennifer Hudson and Glenn Close.

Namoo is slated to release for Oculus platforms in 2021. As further details are shared, VRFocus will keep you updated.

October 31, 2020

VR Animation Baba Yaga Exclusive to Oculus Quest in 2021

Baobab Studios, the team behind titles including Asteroids!, Invasion! and Crow: The Legend announced its fairytale animation Baba Yaga earlier this year, initially with a multiplatform release slated for 2020. With the launch of a debut teaser trailer, Baba Yaga has now been confirmed for next year on Oculus Quest.

Baba Yaga is a contemporary portrayal of the Eastern European legend, offering up a mixture of 2D pop-up animation, as well as hand-drawn and stop-motion styles for a visually unique short.

Viewers become the main character in this reimagined tale, who alongside their sister, decide to venture into the enchanted rainforest to help save their mother who becomes deathly ill. However, the forest is the domain of Baba Yaga, a witch who is sometimes a force for evil, sometimes a force for good, using her powers to halt the villager’s encroachment into her domain.

Offering up interactive elements, Baba Yaga allows you to make decisions in this short film which explores themes including empowerment and environmentalism.

It’s also got a star-studded cast with Oscar winner Kate Winslet (The Reader, Titanic) starring as Baba Yaga, Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Ophelia) as Magda, Oscar and three-time Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls, Respect) as the enchanted forest, and three-time Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee Glenn Close (The Wife, Albert Nobbs) as the mother. Whilst Baobab Studios co-founder Eric Darnell (Madagascar, Antz) writes and directs.

Baba Yaga is part of the Raindance Immersive 2020 festival which began this week and runs until 15th November 2020. The title will now be available exclusively on Oculus Quest early 2021. For further updates on Baobab Studios’ projects keep reading VRFocus.

October 31, 2020

VR Animation Baba Yaga Exclusive to Oculus Quest in 2021

Baba Yaga is a contemporary portrayal of the Eastern European legend, offering up a mixture of 2D pop-up animation, as well as hand-drawn and stop-motion styles for a visually unique short.

Offering up interactive elements, Baba Yaga allows you to make decisions in this short film which explores themes including empowerment and environmentalism.

September 8, 2020

Baba Yaga VR Review: A Star-Studded, Sweet But Safe VR Movie From Baobab (Venice VR)

Baobab Studio’s latest is coming soon. What did we think? Read our Baba Yaga VR review to find out.

Few VR filmmakers have been as consistent over the years as Baobab Studios and its collection of sweet Pixar-like shorts. But with its latest project, Baba Yaga, consistency might be the problem.

Premiering as part of this month’s Venice Film Festival, Baba Yaga ticks a lot of Baobabs’s usual boxes. It’s a star-studded fantasy adventure with lush artistic vision in which you accompany a young girl, Magda, on a perilous journey into the forests of the titular witch. It’s got a little humor and enough heart to please young audiences and fresh VR viewers alike but, for Baobab, it’s unmistakably familiar territory.

This wouldn’t be such a concern had it not been for the studio’s past effort, Bonfire, which offered a genuine evolution to its established formula with a deep emphasis on viewer interactivity. You can trace that DNA into the roots of Baba Yaga, which does make attempts to integrate those elements into a bigger, more linear narrative. But it struggles with the balance.

Fleeting glimpses of that immersive magic can be found here, including a tense standoff with man-eating vegetation, while a bedside meeting with Glenn Close’s sickly tribe chief has unnerving intimacy. But it’s implementation is sparse and often automated, with only a single outcome possible up until an ending choice.

Though the differences in that closing segment can be dramatic, you don’t feel informed – or emotionally connected – enough to make a decision with much sense of confliction. Magda, voiced with a curious (and almost unrecognizable) wisdom by Daisy Ridley, never really gets a moment to properly shine, and it’s the same for Kate Winslett in the titular role. Baga Yaga’s focus on personal storytelling is welcome, but it’s too short on viewer-directed moments to carry much heft. It wasn’t until a second viewing that I felt I had a real handle on the characters and the best outcomes for them.

Baba Yaga isn’t quite the ambitious step up I’d hoped to see from Baobab’s next project, then. This is a likable, sweet but ultimately safe adventure, highlighted by the some great VR novelties but also equally limited by them. I want to see something from this studio that feels truly dynamic — like my presence has genuine impact in the stories it creates. Baobab remains one of VR’s most promising storytellers but, four years on from its debut, I feel like I’m still waiting for it to really hit its stride.

Baba Yaga is a part of this week’s Venice VR line-up and is aiming to come to headsets later this year. For more on how we arrived at this score, read our review guidelines.