Lucasfilm – Page 2 – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

November 21, 2017

Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire is Coming to London, Tickets on Sale Now

During October, right in the middle of the Oculus Connect 4 (OC4) announcements, The VOID, ILMxLAB and Lucasfilm decided to reveal that tickets were available for virtual reality (VR) experience Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire. Whilst the timing may not have been great, the announcement would certainly have peaked the interest of Star Wars fans the world over, especially those in the US as it would be featuring at just two Disney resorts. For those fans based in Europe – and certainly the UK – they’ll be pleased to hear that there will be a limited time chance to head to a galaxy, far, far, away starting this December.

The VOID will be running one of its ‘hyper-reality’ experience locations at the Westfield London (Shepherd’s Bush) shopping centre for 12 weeks, starting from 16th December 2017.

Just like Ghostbusters: Dimensions, attendees will use The VOID’s own custom built, untethered VR system to freely move about the multi-sensory experience. As for what to expect in Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, The VOID has detailed some of the story: “Under the orders of the budding rebellion, your team will travel to the molten planet of Mustafar. Your mission is to recover Imperial intelligence vital to the rebellion’s survival. Alongside the pragmatic droid K-2S0, your team must navigate through an enemy facility walking into danger at every turn. Disguised as stormtroopers, grab your blaster, solve puzzles, and fight giant lava monsters in an effort to fulfill your team’s orders.”

What you really want to know is how to book and how much. Well from 16th December you can just walk down to the location and try to buy a ticket, with the likelihood that they’ve already been purchased. The best way to secure yourself a spot is to book online through The VOID’s website. The experience puts you in teams of four, so if there are more of you then you’ll be split. Tickets are priced at £32.50 GBP and there doesn’t seem to be any concessions online.

With the short three month run – and especially over Christmas – tickets will probably go quite quickly. For any fruther updates on The VOID, keep reading VRFocus.

November 2, 2017November 29, 2017

‘Star Wars: Droid Repair’ VR Experience Comes to Consumer Headsets Next Week – New Trailer

Hold onto your extendable plastic lightsabers, kiddies, because ILMxLAB and Lucasfilm recently announced a new Star Wars–themed VR experience, Star Wars: Droid Repair Bay — Astro-Mechanic for the Resistance. While the experience was originally only announced to debut… for some reason… in Nissan car dealerships, the experience is now set to launch next week on SteamVR, Viveport, and Gear VR.

Update (11/29/17): Announced earlier this month, Star Wars: Droid Repair Bay became available first in select Nissan car dealerships, but today ILMxLab announced the experience will launch come December 6th on SteamVR, Viveport, and Gear VR. A new trailer accompanied the news:

Though the announcement makes no mention of the Rift, it’s expected the SteamVR version will work fine given the platform’s inherent Rift support, and that the prior Trials on Tatooine (2016) experience works with the Rift. No price is mentioned in the announcement, though it isn’t clear whether or not the experience will launch for free.

Original Article (11/2/17): As chief astromech technician aboard General Leia’s ship, users are tasked with repairing BB-8 and a number of (less-marketable) droids that are needed for the war effort, according to the Lucasfilm’s Star Wars blog. Developed for HTC Vive and Samsung Gear VR, the experience is coming soon to select Nissan dealerships in the US, Mexico, and Canada.

From the description, it sounds like a neat diversion, similar to Valve’s Portal: Aperture Robot Repair released as an early demo for HTC Vive. Hocking it in Nissan dealerships feels odd, though it’s likely that Nissan paid to have the experience produced to draw people into their dealerships as part of their broader Star Wars themed marketing campaign.

As Lucasfilm’s experimental immersive media wing, ILMxLab has been producing its distinctly Star Wars–flavored pieces for VR like Star Wars Trials on Tatooine since it was founded in 2015, which ideally immerse you in the galaxy far far away as a bid to keep you living and breathing Star Wars until they can get you into theaters for the next big franchise movie. And as the next Sisyphean Star Wars hype cycle moves into full swing, I can’t help but think this was whipped out, or re-purposed to fulfill a contractual obligation to provide Nissan with something, anything for its ‘Master The Drive’ sales event.

Given it’s an official VR experience promoting Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it’s also hard to imagine anything more banal than experiencing the Earth-shattering debut of “brand new astromechs with their own unique personalities and original designs” while waiting for the salesman to finalize your Altima lease, but at least it’s sure to be realized in the same high-quality we’ve come to expect from ILMxLab.

Fix BB8 And Pals In A New Star Wars VR Game Made By ILMxLAB

Whether you’re in the highest of high places or camped out in the dustiest of dustbowl planets in the back of some uncharted system technology will always fail you. It’s a great equaliser. And what are you going to need when it does go wrong? Someone to fix it all up. Whether you’re in the middle of a war (the sort involving clones and separatist robots), running the first Galactic Empire, a fledgling rebellion or some sort of new ‘order’ you’re all in the same situation when the aircon doesn’t work, the deathstick machine is busted or you have to dump your cargo at the first sign of an Imperial starship because your hyperdrive has a transponder loose.
Not that you want to be selling anyone any deathsticks anyway. You should go home and rethink your life if so.

No, in all of these situations you’re going to need a mechanic – unless you and some Wookie are really going to fix that hyperdrive? Yeah, I’m sure that’ll work out great. For the Resistance there’s likewise always, always, a need for a good skilled mechanic. After all, those astromechs do have a tendency to blow a gasket over the most trivial of things. That or they get shot. They have been known to get shot. Particularly the brave ones.

In a new virtual reality (VR) game from ILMxLAB and Lucasfilm, Star Wars: Droid Repair Bay — Astro-Mechanic for the Resistance, you will take on the role of said mechanic (more specifically an astromech technician) as it attempts to fix the likes of everyone’s favourite spherical droid BB8 of various faults and maladies. The videogame, connected to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, (StarWars.com refers to it as “the official VR experience” connected to the film) is an immersive experience that will work on both the HTC Vive and the Samsung Gear VR. However, there is a catch.

Star Wars: Droid Repair Bay is made in partnership with car manufacturer Nissan and will be coming to “select dealerships” in North America (U.S, Mexico, Canada). No information was given regarding a general release or a release to any other markets such as Europe and Asia. You can see some screenshots below.

There’s more still to come with regards to this and VRFocus will bring you that informtaion as we get it.

October 14, 2017

‘Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire’ Disney World VR Attraction Gets New Trailer, Tickets on Sale

Tickets are now available for location-based VR company The VOID’s latest experience, Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire. The collaboration between Lucasfilm, ILMxLAB, and The VOID debuts on December 16th at Disney World, Florida and opens at Disneyland, California on January 5th.

Described as a “first of its kind hyper-reality experience”, The VOID uses customised VR headsets, props, backpack PCs, and commercial tracking technology in large, interactive sets to create an immersive environment for groups of players to enjoy simultaneously. The combination of dedicated props, interactive sets with real-time effects, and multiple tracked users in a single space takes VR gaming beyond what is normally possible at home.

First announced in August, Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire is the result of Disney’s investment in The VOID as part of their tech-startup incubator program, Disney Accelerator. The VOID had already proven its technology to be highly effective and commercially viable with their first major production, Ghostbusters: Dimension, which opened at Madame Tussauds in New York, The Rec Room in Toronto, and the company’s headquarters in Lindon, Utah.

As described on the official website, the Star Wars experience involves groups of four players travelling to the molten planet of Mustafar, infiltrating the enemy base disguised as Stormtroopers with “danger at every turn”, tasked with recovering “Imperial intelligence vital to the rebellion’s survival.”

“We are so excited about this magical collaboration between three boundary-pushing companies in the burgeoning out-of-home VR entertainment sector,” says Curtis Hickman, co-founder and chief creative officer at The VOID. “We can’t wait to share the experience of hyper-reality with everyone.”

“People have longed for a chance to step into the Star Wars universe and this incredible new hyper-reality experience will allow them to do just that in a totally unique way,” notes Vicki Dobbs Beck, executive in charge, ILMxLAB. “It’s a group experience that evokes the senses in bold new ways.”

Though the experience doesn’t open until the end of the year, tickets for the 30 minute experience can already be pre-ordered at The VOID website, priced at $30.

The post ‘Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire’ Disney World VR Attraction Gets New Trailer, Tickets on Sale appeared first on Road to VR.

October 14, 2017

‘Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire’ Disney World VR Attraction Gets New Trailer, Tickets on Sale

Though the experience doesn’t open until the end of the year, tickets for the 30 minute experience can already be pre-ordered at The VOID website, priced at $30.

The post ‘Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire’ Disney World VR Attraction Gets New Trailer, Tickets on Sale appeared first on Road to VR.

October 11, 2017

Tickets now on Sale for The VOID’s Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire VR Experience

Whilst it may not have been the best time to make a virtual reality (VR) announcement during the Oculus Connect 4 (OC4) keynote address, The VOID, ILMxLAB and Lucasfilm have just revealed that tickets for Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire are now on sale ahead of the experience’s opening later this year.

First announced back in August, Star Wars fans can now purchase tickets for the hyper-reality experience, which is due to debut at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando on 16th December and Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim on 5th January 2018.

“We are so excited about this magical collaboration between three boundary-pushing companies in the burgeoning out-of-home VR entertainment sector,” says Curtis Hickman, co-founder and chief creative officer at The VOID in a statement. “We can’t wait to share the experience of hyper-reality with everyone.”

“People have longed for a chance to step into the Star Wars universe and this incredible new hyper-reality experience will allow them to do just that in a totally unique way,” added Vicki Dobbs Beck, executive in charge, ILMxLAB. “It’s a group experience that evokes the senses in bold new ways.”

In groups of four: “Under the orders of the budding rebellion, your team will travel to the molten planet of Mustafar. Your mission is to recover Imperial intelligence vital to the rebellion’s survival,” reads the official description. “Alongside the pragmatic droid K-2S0, your team must navigate through an enemy facility walking into danger at every turn. Disguised as stormtroopers, grab your blaster, solve puzzles, and fight giant lava monsters in an effort to fulfill your team’s orders.”

VRFocus will continue its coverage of The VOID, reporting back with the latest announcements.

August 3, 2017

Experience Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire at The VOID’s two new Disney Experience Centres

Anything Star Wars related tends to be big news, so today, location-based virtual reality (VR) specialist The VOID has revealed a major announcement. In partnership with Lucasfilm and ILMxLAB, the company has unveiled Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, an immersive experience that’ll feature at The VOID’s two new experience centres in the US.

These two centres will be located at Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort and Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort, opening this holiday season.

ILMxLAB, created the experience, in collaboration with The VOID, putting guests directly into the iconic Star Wars galaxy. Using The VOID’s own custom built, untethered VR system – as used in the Ghostbusters: Dimensions experience – attendees will be able move freely throughout the multi-sensory experience as they interact and engage with friends, family and Star Wars characters.

“At The VOID, we combine the magic of illusions, advanced technology and virtual reality to create fully immersive social experiences that take guests to new worlds, said Curtis Hickman, co-founder and chief creative officer at The VOID in a statement. A truly transformative experience is so much more than what you see with your eyes; it’s what you hear, feel, touch, and even smell. Through the power of The VOID, guests who step into Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire won’t just see this world, they’ll know that they are part of this amazing story.”

“At ILMxLAB, we want people to step inside the worlds of our stories, explained Vicki Dobbs Beck, executive in charge of the division. Through our collaboration with The VOID, we can make this happen as guests become active participants in an unfolding Star Wars adventure. By combining Lucasfilm’s storytelling expertise with cutting-edge imagery, and immersive sound from the team at Skywalker Sound, while invoking all the senses, we hope to truly transport all those who experience Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire to a galaxy far, far away.”

As the company continues its expansion, earlier this year The VOID appointed former Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic CTO, Cliff Plumer, as CEO. While in July it joined the Disney Accelerator Program.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of The VOID, reporting back with the latest announcements.

April 24, 2017

Nokia Partners with Lucasfilm for Star Wars: The Last Jedi VR Experience

Fans of the Star Wars franchise will be happy to hear that Nokia has announced a multi-year partnership with Lucasfilm providing immersive behind-the-scenes content, with the first film being Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

The virtual reality (VR) agreement between the two companies will see The Walt Disney Studios utilise Nokia OZO cameras as well as its software solutions to create immersive experiences to complement Disney’s theatrical releases.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Lucasfilm and Disney to bring the magic of immersive VR storytelling to one of the most exciting and anticipated movie experiences of all time,” said Brad Rodrigues, interim President of Nokia Technologies. “OZO will enable Star Wars fans around the world to be transported into the incredible worlds depicted in the story, and truly feel the power of The Force together.”

“We want nothing more than to share the Star Wars universe with fans around the world and fans tell us they love to have the opportunity to learn more about the process of filmmaking,” said Brian Miller, Senior Vice President, Franchise Creative & Strategy at Lucasfilm. “Utilizing the Nokia OZO to capture our behind the scenes material allows viewers to be transported to fantastical locations and virtually visit the incredible sets where their favorite Star Wars scenes were captured.”

Previously, Disney has created VR experiences for Pete’s Dragon, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and The Jungle Book.

Details haven’t been released on what the VR content will be or the availability for Star Wars: The Last Jedi VR experience. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is set to arrive in cinemas this December so expect further news nearer the time.

With it being a multi-year deal, there’s the very good likelihood that all the upcoming Star Wars movies will get the same treatment, and anything else Disney makes.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Nokia, Disney and Lucasfilm, reporting back with the latest updates.

February 27, 2017

Star Wars: Rogue One’s Director Used VR To Get The Best CG Shots

Star Wars films, new and old, are recognized regularly for incredible and grand filmography. The science fiction epic is larger than life and that demands a collection of practical effects and computer generated scenery to bring the many aliens, their worlds, and the massive battles to the big screen.

Rogue One Director Gareth Edwards, no stranger to massive feats in film considering he also directed the most recent Godzilla, had the honor of creating a prequel tale in the Star Wars universe and utilized VR get some of the shots just right.

Rogue One was an exciting visual feast that was well received by fans of the franchise and critics, even receiving a couple Oscar nominations. In addition to a nomination for sound mixing, it received one for best visual effects. On BBC Click, viewers were given an inside look into the visual effects and filmography of Rogue One and it was interesting to see the way VR was able to help Gareth Edwards and the production crew.

A staff member at Industrial Light and Magic, the George Lucas founded visual effects team, noted that Edwards has a very hands on approach when directing. He’s notorious for grabbing onto cameras himself and showing just how he wants the shot to be framed, but that isn’t something he can do when it comes to computer generated scenes typically.

For Rogue One the team developed a system where Gareth navigates those CG scenes via VR. With an iPad in hand that has an HTC Vive controller attached to it, the director moved around a room to find where he wanted scenes to start and end. As opposed to recreating his ideas from vague descriptions and having to potentially re-do them multiple times to even come close to his vision, the team was able to be create scenes that closely matches his desires and get drafts back to him relatively quickly.

Immersive storytelling in VR short film has been embraced heavily since VR headsets hit the consumer market. IMAX is investing in VR centers and major actors like Don Cheadle are getting involved in the medium, but it’s encouraging to see VR spread throughout Hollywood in other ways like what was done for the Rogue One film. Time will tell if other production crews embrace this idea or find even newer ways to get VR involved.

Tagged with: lucasfilm, oscars, rogue one, Star Wars, VR