Here Be Dragons – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

February 27, 2019

MWM Immersive Brings Live VR Theatre Experience Chained: A Victorian Nightmare to New York

Just before Christmas last year VRFocus reported on MWM Immersive (VR and AR division of Madison Wells Media) creating a spine-tingling version of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol as a live theatrical virtual reality (VR) experience called Chained: A Victorian Nightmare in Los Angeles. Today, the studio has announced a partnership with real-time body animation specialist IKINEMA, alongside bringing the piece to New York City.

Chained: A Victorian Nightmare

Chained: A Victorian Nightmare is the work of Justin Denton in collaboration with Aaron Sims Creative, and Here Be Dragons, using IKINEMA’s LiveAction technology to bring the story’s ghostly characters to life.

A solitary single-guest experience presented inside a fully detailed Victorian-era set, only one audience member can enter at a time. After donning a VR headset they’ll interact the entire time with live actors who are motion captured by IKINEMA then animated alongside other tactile objects, confronting their own past, present, and future through a harrowing journey.

“The ghosts of A Christmas Carol have become iconic characters, and they’re at the heart of our adaptation,” said Ethan Stearns, Executive Producer, MWM Immersive in a statement. ” IKINEMA LiveAction was instrumental in making each one feel like a living, breathing character who is standing right beside you. At MWM Immersive, we want to provide our creators the tools they need to tell their story in the best way possible, and that often means pushing the boundaries and capabilities of the technology at our fingertips. IKINEMA helped us accomplish that on Chained.”

Chained: A Victorian Nightmare

“Chained: A Victorian Nightmare is testament to the close collaboration of creative and technical teams who harness our powerful LiveAction solution to bring life and realism for interactive virtual characters—qualities IKINEMA is in demand for,” Alexandre Pechev, CEO, IKINEMA adds. “We’re thrilled MWM Immersive have delivered what is next-generation VR storytelling using our technology.”

If you happen to be in New York over the next month then head down to the New York City Story Arcade Pop-Up, by organisers Future of Storytelling. Chained: A Victorian Nightmare is only available until 24th March, so book your tickets here. For further theatrical VR updates, keep reading VRFocus.

November 30, 2018

The Virtual Melds With the Real in Chained: A Victorian Nightmare

Creative companies are exploring new innovative ways of combining virtual reality (VR) with real-world effects, such as Jeff Wayne’s The Musical Version of ‘The War of The Worlds’: The Immersive Experience which is set to open in London, UK next year. If you happen to live in Los Angeles however, then you may want to head down to MWM Immersive’s (Gnomes & Goblins) new experience, Chained: A Victorian Nightmare, which opens today.

Chained: A Victorian Nightmare gallery

Using both VR and real-world elements, Chained: A Victorian Nightmare a spine-tingling version of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol, where guests find themselves at the centre of the story.

Presented inside a fully detailed Victorian-era set, the single-guest experience has one audience member at a time enter and fitted with a VR headset by a professional actor. They’ll interact the entire time with live actors (utilizing motion capture) and other tactile objects, confronting their own past, present, and future through a harrowing journey.

Chained: A Victorian Nightmare is the brainchild of Justin Denton creator of the immersive Legion experience at San Diego Comic Con 2017. To help bring the project to life it was executive produced by MWM Immersive’s Ethan Stearns, producer of the Academy Award-winning VR project, Carne y Arena, and co-produced by Here Be Dragons.

“By combining the best of VR and immersive theater, Chained surpasses the limitations of each medium and lets the audience see, converse with, and even touch the impossible,” said Denton in a statement. “I grew up with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol but in my mind’s eye I always imagined the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future as much darker and more intense than most adaptations. Audiences will walk away from Chained as though they have just awoken from a dark and beautiful fever dream full of self-discovery, fascination, fear, and wonder.”

Chained: A Victorian Nightmare

“Chained embodies the creative drive and spirit of everyone at MWM Immersive,” MWM Immersive’s Executive Producer Ethan Stearns said. “It’s an experience that uses technology in the service of telling and experiencing a compelling story, not as a gimmick. At MWM Immersive we empower directors and writers to use whatever mediums are necessary to create the narrative experience they want to create and leave audiences delighted and awed.”

The experience is being held at experiential studio GreatCo (1655 Beverly Blvd), beginning today and running through to 6th January 2019. Tickets and further information can be found on the official Eventbrite page. For further events utilising VR, keep reading VRFocus.

January 20, 2018

Five Oculus Experiences Head To Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Film Festival has now begun – and as we’ve seen throughout the week on VRFocus a number of different experiences have announced their appearance at the event; often backed in some manner by a number of studios and creators. And when it comes to the hardware stakeholders it’s not just StarVR’s Starbreeze Studios, Oculus are also involved.

In fact, off the back of their recent announcement of Oculus Start, the Facebook owned company have revealed they are bringing five virtual reality (VR) experiences to the showcase which is taking place in Utah. “We’re excited to highlight five Oculus-supported experiences pushing the medium forward and celebrate their debuts at Sundance 2018.” Said the company in an entry on its blog where it also listed the five experiences, several of which we have featured here before on VRFocus. You can find these below:

Dispatch

Written and directed by Edward Robles of Here Be Dragons, Dispatch follows a small-town police dispatcher (Martin Starr, Silicon Valley) as he faces an all-night crime spree. The experience takes you inside the dispatcher’s perspective in this episodic, audio-based miniseries. The first three episodes launched on Rift and Gear VR in November, and the finale will launch on the Oculus Store January 25 following its world premiere at Sundance.

Masters of the Sun

Launching today for Gear VR, Masters of the Sun is presented by will.i.am and The Black Eyed Peas. It takes place during the ’80s when ancient and modern forces of evil started destroying black communities. Vocal talent including Rakim, Queen Latifah, KRS-One, Jason Isaacs, Slick Rick, and comics industry legend Stan Lee tell the story of mobilization and reclaiming their city, fighting back against the evils of drugs, crime, and discrimination.

Space Explorers

The latest project from Felix & Paul Studios, Space Explorers lets you reach new heights through the power of VR. Created in partnership with NASA, the experience follows their astronauts as they prepare to launch into space. Space Explorers is coming to Oculus in 2018.

SPHERES

The first chapter of SPHERES, called Songs Of Spacetime, is debuting at Sundance. SPHERES is a three-part series that transports viewers into the deepest pockets of the Universe, bringing to life future worlds and exploring oneness with the cosmos. SPHERES is created by Eliza McNitt and will launch on Rift in 2018.

Wolves in the Walls

From the team behind the Emmy Award-winning project Henry comes Wolves in the Walls, a gorgeous, interactive adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean’s haunting work brought to life in VR. Wolves in the Walls is coming to Oculus in 2018.

VRFocus will have more news for you regarding The Sundance Film Festival next week.

November 22, 2017

‘Dispatch’ Expertly Weaves a Tale of Grizzly Murders in VR Through the Sound of 9-1-1 Calls

Dispatch (2017), a new episodic story from VR pros Here Be Dragons, launched on Oculus Rift and Gear VR yesterday. Following a small-town emergency dispatcher named Ted (voiced by Martin Starr), you experience the story through a sort of half-imagined, half-real version of the grizzly events he’s privy to.

One of the unique features in Dispatch is its minimalist art style, which leaves a lot of room for the viewer to fill in the gaps with their own imagination. After all, as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, Ted only has the sound from the phone to drawn upon, so every slam or creak of a door is potentially a clue to what’s happening on the other end of the line.

Writer and Director Edward Robles said in an Oculus blog post announcing the experience’s release that from the very beginning he was intent on creating something minimalist, “reducing the details of everyday life to the most evocative.” Highly reliant on positional audio, you’re essentially following along with Ted as he recreates the grizzly scenes of violence in his mind. Despite its visual sparseness, the effect Dispatch has on you is pretty visceral.

Martin Starr, also known for his role as Gilfoyle in Silicon Valley, delivers the action with his patently monotone voice, acting as a sobering backdrop to the violence at hand.

Dispatch is told across 4 episodes, offering the first episode for free, which lasts about 5 minutes. The full four episodes however costs an additional $3, adding about 10 more minutes of overall time to the entire story.

Here’s how Here Be Dragons describes Dispatch:

What begins as a domestic violence call quickly cascades into a host of attacks across town, and the local police are struggling to keep up. Every new call sheds light on Ted’s inner torments and pushes him closer toward danger. Police dispatchers are trained to see with sound. Every door slam, tire screech, and piercing scream paints a picture in their minds. The visual world of Dispatch unfolds inside Ted’s imagination as he wades through the soundscape, advising terrified callers and listening for clues. Ted yearns to be at the scene of the crime, to be given the chance to really help someone. He’s about to get what he wished for.

You can read the full interview with Robles here, where he describes a little more about the creative process, and working with Starr to fill in the role as Ted.

‘Dispatch’ on Gear VR

‘Dispatch’ on Rift

The post ‘Dispatch’ Expertly Weaves a Tale of Grizzly Murders in VR Through the Sound of 9-1-1 Calls appeared first on Road to VR.

September 3, 2017

Here Be Dragons Release Trailer for VR Miniseries Dispatch

A few days ago VRFocus reported on immersive content studio Here Be Dragons’ next virtual reality (VR) project, a miniseries called Dispatch. Making its debut at the recent Venice Film Festival, the studio’s now released the trailer shown at the event.

The four-part series puts viewers in the shoes of a police dispatcher, dealing with all manner of emergency calls from the general public. As the trailer showcases, Dispatch has a highly stylised design overlaid with voice calls. The series revolves around a protagonist called Ted, who finds that he is the only one able to help a victim, no longer sheltered by the distance of a voice down a phone line.

As yet Here Be Dragons hasn’t confirmed which VR head-mounted displays (HMDs) Dispatch will be released on. As previous five-part series The Possible was available through the Within app the studio may go down the same route, with the app supporting iOS and Android using Google Cardboard, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, and PlayStation VR

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Here Be Dragons, reporting back with its latest projects.

August 31, 2017

Here Be Dragons Launches New VR Miniseries

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) content studio Here Be Dragons have announced a new VR miniseries titled Dispatch, which will make its debut at the Venice Film Festival.

The new miniseries puts the audience in the shoes of a police dispatcher, a demanding role which involves receiving calls for help from the public. Often those calls contain the worst of humanity, with tales of violence and desperation commonplace. The the four-episode series, a protagonist, Ted, finds himself in a position where he is the only one able to help a victim, no longer sheltered by the distance of a voice down a phone line.

Dispatch was written and directed by Edward Robles and features Martin Starr, Julianna Guill and Graham Shiels.

“We created Dispatch to embrace the most compelling elements of virtual reality to make the experience as dramatic and entertaining as possible,” said Robles. “With a gripping narrative, immersive audio, and strong visual cues, Dispatch gives the viewer an up-close experience with what first responders go through on a daily basis.”

Here Be Dragons have previously worked on VR and 360-degree projects such as The Protectors: Walk in the Rangers Shoes and The Possible. Content from the studio has seen appearances at Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival, often receiving critical praise.

It is unknown when Dispatch is planned to make a general release to VR platforms, or what platform it will appear on. The miniseries was created with Oculus Rift, so it seems likely it will appear in the Oculus Store, for Oculus Rift or Samsung Gear VR.

VRFocus will bring you further news on Here Be Dragons VR projects as it becomes available.

August 9, 2017

Here Be Dragons Closes $10 million Funding Round led by Discovery Communications

Immersive content studio HERE BE DRAGONS has today announced the closure of a $10 million USD series A funding round to help expand its virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) productions.

The round was led by Discovery Communications Inc., with additional participation from David Droga, creative chairman and founder of Droga5; and David Jones, founder of You & Mr. Jones.

HERE BE DRAGONS mixed image

The studio will use the investment to expand its award-winning team, creative services and ideation. As part of the equity round, Rebecca Howard, SVP Emerging Platforms and Partnerships, Discovery Communications, will join the HERE BE DRAGONS board of directors.

“With a strong presence in the entertainment industry and a reputation for being on the cutting-edge of technology, Discovery is an ideal lead for us – one that shares our vision for the future,” said Patrick Milling-Smith, CEO and managing partner of HERE BE DRAGONS. “This investment will help to further broaden our creative and technological offerings – from creative ideation through production and post – while we continue to innovate and produce experiences that push the boundaries of what next-generation immersive storytelling is capable of.”

“Discovery and Here Be Dragons share a passion for creating thrilling, cutting-edge content that takes viewers places they never thought possible,” said Karen Leever, executive vice president and general manager, Discovery Digital. “We look forward to what comes next from the incredibly talented team at Here Be Dragons.”

HERE BE DRAGONS recent projects have included Dispatch, which premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival, while previous award-winning projects this year include Tree at Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival, The Protectors: Walk in the Ranger’s Shoes, The Last Goodbye, The Possible and Sessions: The Legion Mixed Reality Experience.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of HERE BE DRAGONS, reporting back with the latest updates.

July 11, 2017

Legion MR HoloLens Experience Coming to San Diego Comic-Con

The San Diego Comic-Con has become a popular place for unveiling virtual reality (VR) experiences based on TV shows and films. The latest comes from FX Networks, announcing that its critically-acclaimed series, Legion, will be going down the mixed reality (MR) route with a 10-minute piece using both Microsoft HoloLens and live actors.

Titled Sessions: The Legion Mixed Reality Experience, attendees at the event will be able step into the head of main character David Haller, a troubled young man diagnosed as schizophrenic as a child, who uncovers the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees may actually be real.

Legion Installation Exterior — Image: FX Networks

Fans will be able to interact with his world and test the boundaries of their own reality, able go through key scenes as seen in Legion season 1, and for the first time, get a sneak peek into season 2.

Produced by immersive studio HERE BE DRAGONS, the experience will be FX’s main feature at FXHibition 2017 held at the Hilton Bayfront Park in San Diego. For those interested in trying it out advanced reservations for Sessions: The Legion Mixed Reality Experience can be made at LegionSessions.com, beginning 17th July. For details and more information visit FXSDCC.com.

Last week VRFocus reported on the Blade Runner 2049 Experience which will be shown on the same weekend as Comic-Con, just outside the event.

For the latest VR updates from San Diego Comic-Con 2017, keep reading VRFocus.

April 19, 2017

Facebook Unveils Two New Volumetric Video ‘Surround360’ Cameras, Coming Later this Year

Facebook today announced two new additions to the Surround360 hardware initiative that are poised to make 360 video more immersive. Unveiled at the company’s yearly developer conference, F8, the so-called x24 and x6 cameras are said to capture 360 video with depth information, giving captured video six degrees of freedom (6DoF). This means you can not only move your vantage point up/down, left/right like before, but now forwards/backwards, pitch, yaw and roll are possible while in a 360 video.

Even the best stereoscopic 360 videos can’t provide this sort of movement currently, so the possibility of a small, robust camera(s) that can, is pretty exciting—because let’s face it, when you’re used to engaging with the digital world thanks to the immersive, positional tracking capabilities of the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, or PSVR, you really notice when it’s gone. Check out the gif below to see exactly what that means.

Originally announced at last year’s F8 as an open source hardware platform and rendering pipeline for 3D 360 video for VR that anyone could construct or iterate on, Facebook is taking their new Surround360 reference designs in a different direction. While Facebook doesn’t plan on selling the 360 6DoF cameras directly, the company will be licensing the x24 and x6 designs—named to indicate the number of on-board sensors—to a select number of commercial partners. Facebook says a product should emerge sometime later this year.

The rigs are smaller than the original Surround360, now dubbed Surround360 ‘Open Edition’, but are critically smaller than rigs capable of volumetric capture like unwieldy rigs like HypeVR’s high-end camera/LIDAR camera.

Specs are still thin on the ground, but the x24 appears to be around 10 inches in diameter (257mm at its widest, 252mm at its thinnest), and is said to capture full RGB and depth at every pixel in each of the 24 cameras. It is also said to oversample 4x at every point in full 360, providing “best in-class image quality and full-resolution 6DoF point clouds.”

The x6, although not specified, looks to be about half the diameter at 5 inches, and is said to oversample by 3x. No pricing info has been made public for either camera.

Facebook says depth information is captured for every frame in the video, and because it outputs in 3D, video can be feed into existing visual effects (VFX) software tools to create a mashup of live-action capture and computer-generated imagery (CGI). Take a look at the gif below for an idea of what’s possible.

Creating good-looking 6DoF 360 video is still an imperfect process though, so Facebook is also partnering with a number of post-production companies and VFX studios to help build out workflows and toolchains. Adobe, Otoy, Foundry, Mettle, DXO, Here Be Dragons, Framestore, Magnopus, and The Mill are all working with Facebook in some capacity.

“We’ve designed with Facebook an amazing cloud rendering and publishing solution to make x24’s interactive volumetric video within reach for all,” said Jules Urbach, Founder & CEO Otoy. “Our ORBX ecosystem opens up 28 different authoring and editing tools and interactive light field streaming across all major platforms and browsers. It’s a simple and powerful solution this game-changing camera deserves.”

Keep an eye on this article, as we’ll be updating information as it comes in.

The post Facebook Unveils Two New Volumetric Video ‘Surround360’ Cameras, Coming Later this Year appeared first on Road to VR.

March 31, 2017

‘Ghost in the Shell’ VR Experience is an Awe-Inspiring Deep Dive into the Mind of Major

The live-action Ghost in the Shell (2017) film starring Scarlett Johansson is already in theaters worldwide, but Oculus has today published the VR experience so you can get a slice of the android-kicking action direct on your Gear VR or Oculus Rift.

Created by VR studio Here Be Dragons in partnership with Oculus Studios and Paramount Pictures, the Ghost in the Shell VR Experience takes you on an on-rails journey of the iconic opening scene of nearly every Ghost in the Shell series to date, the ‘building dive’ where Major, the film’s cybernetically enhanced protagonist, jumps off a skyscraper wearing a hip-hugging thermoptic camouflage suit.

The digital representation of Major, played by Johansson in the film, straddles the uncanny valley somewhat, but the 360 action more than makes up for it as Major shoots her way through killer android geishas and bad guys of all types. Near the end, diving ever deeper into her mind, there’s a moment when you come to to a jelly fish-filled pool that’s nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Download ‘Ghost in the Shell VR Experience’ for Rift

Download ‘Ghost in the Shell VR Experience’ for Gear VR

What’s more, Oculus Rift owners (and Vive owners using ReVive) get to enjoy a real-time rendered version of the experience, meaning you get an eye-full of some pretty crisp graphics with the immersive power of the headset’s positional tracking.

The Gear VR version, while still inspiring, is a 3D 360 video—with all the caveats of the medium including lower fidelity and some weirdness around the top and bottom poles of the video capture. None the less, the Gear VR version is clear above average for 3D 360 videos.

If you don’t own a VR headset, you can also watch the 360 video on Facebook, although you’ll truly be missing out on one of the slickest film tie-ins in VR to date.

VR studio Here Be Dragons (ex-VRSE) is known for producing critically acclaimed VR experiences and 360 film from a number of collaborators such as The History of Cuban Dance, The Mr. Robot VR Experience, Catatonic, and The Evolution of Verse to name a few.

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