Category: Fox Innovation Lab

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‘Alien: Covenant’ is Getting a VR Experience

The minds behind the well-executed-but-a-little-too-expensive The Martian VR Experience are working on a new immersive tie in for the next entry in the Alien movie franchise, Alien: Covenant.

Movie tie-ins, once reviled in the gaming community often as worthless, lazy cash-ins, may see a renaissance with the advent of consumer virtual reality technology. There have been a handful of genuinely interesting, worthwhile immersive experiences launched over the last couple of years to lend credence to this assertion too – the most recent and notable being Fox Innovation Lab’s The Martian VR Experience. It’s an example of a thoughtful, immersive extension to the original movie experience and, although it was too short and perhaps a wee bit too expensive for many to consider as a purchase, it nevertheless sits as a high watermark of what can be achieved in the space.

Now comes news from the team behind The Martian VR Experience that they’re working on a similar virtual reality tie-in for the incoming and highly anticipated Ridley Scott directed Alien: Covenant, the latest installment in the Alien franchise and direct sequel to the 2012 Scott-helmed Prometheus. A new trailer for the film was released over the holiday period and it’s garnered much interest, especially from those (myself included) who felt that the original had a tad too little actual Alien in it (among many other issues which I’ll not anger myself or bore you by going into here).

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Hands On: The Martian VR Experience is a Triumph in Motion

Off the back of that trailer comes news from Fox Innovation Lab that a new VR experience is in the works and will arrive after the film’s release in May this year. Unfortunately the press release has scant information on exactly what form this new VR experience will take (and when we say scant, we mean none) but, as with The Martian VR Experience, Ridley Scott takes the Executive Producer credit.

We’re hoping that the same level of polish, creativity and immersion seen in The Martian VR Experience transfers to this new project. Those who had the chance to dabble in the hidden VR functionality and play the excellent Alien: Isolation immersively will likely attest to the terror VR can induce when your senses are thrust into such a well known horror universe as Alien. We’ll leave you with the teaser paragraph taken directly from the press release, and we’ll of course let you know once we learn more.

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'Alien: Isolation' is One of VR's Missed Opportunities, But There's Still Hope

The VR Experience for ALIEN: COVENANT is a dread-inducing journey into the depths of the Alien universe.

Viewers will discover the true meaning of terror as they navigate through horrifying alien environments and a story where every decision could mean the difference between life and death.

The post ‘Alien: Covenant’ is Getting a VR Experience appeared first on Road to VR.

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‘Alien: Covenant’ VR Experience Coming From ‘The Martian VR’ Dev

‘Alien: Covenant’ VR Experience Coming From ‘The Martian VR’ Dev

Remember that really, really horrifying bit of 1979’s Alien where you see the titular beast crush a skull with something coming out of its mouth? You might soon get to experience that in VR. Lucky you.

Alien is coming to VR, it’s been announced today, but not in the way you might think. Twentieth Century Fox’s Fox Innovation Lab is working on a new VR experience to tie into the upcoming Alien: Covenant with the help of RSA Films and MPC VR. While the film itself is directed by series creator Ridley Scott, the icon is executive producing this piece while short film maker David Karlak is taking up directing duties.

Little about the experience itself has been revealed, though a press release does state that users will navigate alien environments and make life and death decisions. It’s not clear if the experience is a 360-degree piece or a full VR experience, but we’ve reached out to Fox to ask. A release date for the piece hasn’t been set, though Covenant opens in May.

This is the latest in a line of VR experiences from Fox Innovation Lab, and they’re not all just 360 degree videos, either. While it’s had companion experiences to films like Wild, its most recent tie-in to Scott’s last movie, The Martian, was a full VR piece with motion controls and game-like elements. Sadly, at $20 and 20 minutes long it was also hard to recommend the experience to anyone. Hopefully go around will fare a little better.

Fox Innovation Lab also recently announced a partnership with 360 degree production studio, Felix and Paul.

VR fans have long been campaigning to bring another Alien experience, 2014’s Alien: Isolation, into VR after it was shown inside the Oculus Rift’s second development kit as a demo. The game sadly didn’t release with any full VR support (though some fans modded their copies to support it), but people haven’t given up hope that developer Creative Assembly might one day return to right that wrong. Maybe this experience will suffice until that day.

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Fox Innovation Lab Creating Alien: Covenant VR Experience

Later this year the next instalment of the highly anticipated Alien franchise Alien: Covenant will launch in movie theatres across the globe. Today Fox Innovation Lab at Twentieth Century Fox, RSA Films, and MPC VR announced plans to develop a virtual reality (VR) experience for the film.

Nothing’s been revealed about the actual experience itself yet, there’s been no artwork or screenshots unveiled, but as the experience is tied to Alien: Covenant expect it to be a terrifying journey into the darkest corners of the Alien universe, exploring scenes from the film, itself now featuring a greater Alien presence than its prequel Prometheus.

Alien Covenant image

Set for release in cinemas on 19th May, 2017, Alien: Covenant has been executive produced by Ridley Scott and directed by David Karlak. The synopsis for the movie reads: “The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.”

Twentieth Century Fox’s Fox Innovation Lab is becoming evermore prolific in its VR endeavours since releasing its proof of concept project for the film WILD. Established as a research and development center to drive the advancement of new consumer experiences across all formats, in November the company launched The Martian VR Experience for PlayStation VR and HTC Vive, followed by an Oculus Touch launch in December.

As VRFocus learns more about the upcoming Alien: Covenant VR experience we’ll let you know.

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“Everything We Do is Experiential:” The Many Innovations of Felix & Paul Studios

felix-and-paulFelix & Paul Studios have been innovating on their own immersive VR camera technology since they pioneered the first-ever stereoscopic VR video with Strangers with Patrick Watson. They went on to sign a deal with Oculus Studios to produce a number of different 360 videos including the Introduction to Virtual Reality and a series of anthropological documentaries with Nomads.

I had a chance to catch up with Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël at Oculus Connect 3, where they were debuting their third VR collaboration with Cirque du Soleil with KÀ: The Battle Within, which features some of the most mind-bending, physics-based acrobatic choreography that I’ve ever seen. They continue to innovate with their camera technology to do things that other camera systems cannot, including maintaining decent stereoscopic effects within the near-field, better dynamic range and control over the framerate. In their Through the Ages: President Obama Celebrates America’s National Parks VR experience, they adapted their camera so that it could capture some awe-inspiring, time-lapse sequences at Yosemite National Park.

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They talked to me about their process of cultivating presence through treating the viewer as a character within the scene, paying attention to camera height, and having long and slow cuts that allow you to really sink into a location. Félix told me that their overarching philosophy is that “everything we do is experiential.” They’re not trying to direct attention, but rather provide many interesting opportunities for you to pay attention to a number of different unfolding processes within any given scene. This is something that André Lauzon told me they always do in Cirque du Soleil productions, and so it’s a natural fit to translate this type of live performance experience into VR. Felix & Paul are always focusing on cultivating that sense of presence and creating an experience whether it’s a branded advertisement for Jurassic World, a documentary about LeBron James pre-season training, or a 40-minute scripted comedy MIYUBI that’s premiering at Sundance 2017.

The quality and caliber of presence that Félix & Paul are able to cultivate within a 360-video is way beyond what I’ve seen anyone else doing within the 360 video space. A big part of it has to do with their camera technology innovations, but it’s also because they have a creative philosophy that involves deeply listening to the unique affordances of the VR medium. Their continued innovation in the space is a big reason why Twentieth Century Fox and The Fox Innovation Lab have partnered with Felix and Paul Studios to develop VR experiences that are based upon Fox IP. Based upon my previous conversation with 20th Century Fox Futurist Ted Schilowitz and what they did with The Martian VR experience, then I expect that they’re going to be treating VR as more than just advertisements for movies, but rather explore how to create VR experiences that stand on their own. Felix and Paul are premiering the longest VR scripted content to date at Sundance in January with MIYUBI, and their VR-specific adaptions of Cirque du Soleil performances and camera technology has proven that their some of the biggest innovators who are dedicated to evolving the language of storytelling within VR.

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Felix & Paul Signs Multi-Picture Production Deal With Fox For VR Experiences

In a move that could prove to be the making of the studio, cinematic virtual reality (VR) creators Felix & Paul Studios have announced a deal with Twentieth Century Fox’s Fox Innovation Lab that will see the Montreal based company tasked with developing and producing VR experiences based on Fox’s rich catalogue of films and television shows.

The announcement caps a great 2016 for Felix & Paul, who, along with continuing to develop their team, celebrated winning an Emmy® Award earlier this year and who since their founding worked on a number of critically acclaimed projects. Having previously worked with films such as Jurassic World, with Cirque du Soleil (twice) and notable figures in both sport and global affairs.

Felix and Paul

The Fox Innovation Lab had previously worked with Felix & Paul in 2015 creating an experience based on Fox Searchlight’s WILD. It’s own mandate goes far beyond VR however, and to all areas of the product cycle from production and marketing to distribution across all of Twentieth Century Fox’s divisions. Its this partnership that sees it continue to develop the conglomerate’s use of new technologies, such as 4K Ultra HD which has begun to become more popular in recent months.

Felix & Paul Studios’ Chief Content Officer Ryan Horrigan explained the deal. “The Fox Innovation Lab has long understood that virtual reality requires an entirely new language of storytelling, enabling audiences to engage with characters and stories in ways never before possible. Fox continues to take a major leadership role in this new medium and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to co-produce premium cinematic VR experiences and series that will captivate audiences worldwide.”

“Felix & Paul Studios is a visionary studio that represents the highest caliber of immersive and engaging experiences.” Continued Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Fox Innovation Lab President Mike Dunn. “And their vision for bringing virtual reality to mainstream audiences makes them a perfect partner to help realize the possibilities for the future of consumer entertainment, from both a creative and technical perspective.”

According to both parties the first collaboration will be revealed early next year. VRFocus will bring you news about it when it is announced.

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Headout Into the Stars Tomorrow when The Martian: VR Experience Arrives for PlayStation VR and HTC Vive.

There’s been a few cinematic and virtual reality (VR) tie-ins, with The Walk and Ghostbusters being two recent examples. One of the most well known and eagerly anticipated is The Martian: VR experience, which debuted at CES 2016 back in January. Today Fox Innovation Lab at Twentieth Century Fox has announced that PlayStation VR and HTC Vive users will get to enjoy the experience tomorrow.

The Martian VR Experience is described as an “interactive, immersive adventure with viewers participating from astronaut Mark Watney’s perspective, performing tasks that will facilitate his chances for survival. Viewers can fly onto the surface of Mars, steer at zero gravity through space, drive a rover navigating over craters and experience key scenes from the hit film in a 360-degree virtual reality environment.”

The Martian: VR Experience screenshot

When VRFocus previewed the experience we said at the time: “The Martian: VR Experience is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful VR titles VRFocus has yet witnessed. Putting most other Oculus Rift and HTC Vive titles to shame, [it] presents a landscape that is truly unbelievable.”

In the trailer Ridley Scott, Executive Producer of The Martian VR Experience says: “I’ve always tried to approach film-making from the standpoint of creating an immersive experience. Now with the tools that are available to us in virtual reality, we can raise the bar even higher. The audience can experience storytelling in ways we previously could only imagine.

“With VR you’re inside it you’re the person walking on the planet, it’s uncanny. Mars has never been closer to being within our grasp and I’m so thrilled that we can invite people into The Martian VR Experience,” he adds.

The title will be available to purchase for $19.99 USD from the respective headset stores on 15th November. While no date has been confirmed for Oculus Rift, as the original CES debut did include Oculus Touch compatibility its likely that the experience will arrive around the same time as the controllers next month.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of The Martian VR Experience, reporting back with any further updates.

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‘The Martian VR Experience’ Launches on PSVR and HTC Vive Tomorrow

The Fox Innovation Lab are all set to finally release their virtual reality tie-in with last year’s sci-fi blockbuster The Martian starring Matt Damon to a VR headset near you as the title launches tomorrow on both PlayStation VR and SteamVR platforms.

I was lucky enough to go hands-on with The Martian VR Experience at CES at the beginning of the year and came away impressed, entitling the article on the experience “A Triumph in Motion.” At the time, the platforms I trialed it on (HTC Vive and Oculus Rift with Touch) were still months from release and as a result, despite the high level of finish and polish evident in what I saw, Fox Innovation Lab (the VR-focused division at 20th century fox tasked with building the title) have waited until now to launch.

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Hands On: The Martian VR Experience is a Triumph in Motion

The Martian VR Experience represented at the time the best experience of its kind I’d yet seen, that is, an application that designed as an accompaniment an original film – a good old fashioned movie tie-in. Unlike many other examples of primarily marketing-lead immersive attempts that we’ve seen since VR’s renaissance began, The Martian VR Experience represents an offering that works as standalone entertainment and at the same time, it manages to push expectations of visual fidelity and polish for applications of these types up a notch or two.

Executive produced by Ridley Scott and directed by Robert Stromberg, The Martian VR Experience is described as “an interactive, immersive adventure with viewers participating from astronaut Mark Watney’s perspective, performing tasks that will facilitate his chances for survival.” Players get to fly through the Mars atmosphere in zero gravity, grapple with Watney’s all-terrain rover, there’s also snippets of the film thrown into the mix to remind you of the original inspiration behind the experience.

“I’ve always tried to approach film-making from the standpoint of creating an immersive experience. Now with the tools that are available to us in virtual reality, we can raise the bar even higher. The audience can experience storytelling in ways we previously could only imagine,” said Ridley Scott, Executive Producer of The Martian VR Experience and co-founder of RSA Films. “Mars has never been closer to being within our grasp and I’m so thrilled that we can invite people into The Martian VR Experience.” Scott himself narrates the new launch video for the experience too, which you can watch embedded above.

the-martian-vr-experience-caption

Director of The Martian VR Experience and co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of The Virtual Reality Company said “With The Martian VR Experience, we were able to take Ridley’s cinematic vision and create an immersive VR experience that gives people the ability to be Mark Watney, to face his struggles, experience his successes, as if they were part of the film.”

The Martian VR Experience will be available from November 15th on PlayStation VR and on SteamVR for the HTC Vive. No mention of support for the Oculus Rift, but given the reliance on motion controls it’s likely this will appear later once Oculus Touch has found its way into users homes next month. The experience will be priced at $19.99 on release, which may present a high price for those looking for hours and hours of gameplay in return for their money. We’ll have impressions on the final release version of the experience and on whether we believe it’s worth the cash soon.

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