Positron Voyager VR – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

November 28, 2019

Virtual Arena: London Calling LBE – Into The Tomb! (Part 3.)

In the latest coverage of the immersive Out-of-Home entertainment scene for VRFocus, in his latest Virtual Arena column, Kevin Williams reports on an explosion of brand new LBE XR entertainment properties making the capital their home. In this third and final part of this series of reports, we look at the ‘TUTANKHAMUN: Enter The Tomb’ VR experience – and at the first ticketed Positron installation.

Not all applications of VR in LBE are associated with videogame playing – the technology is also making strides in new levels of storytelling, and narrative-driven experiences. One such example that also opened in London draws on the development of an immersive experience in the museum and heritage sphere of commercial entertainment.

Part of the popular ‘TUTANKHAMUN: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh’ exhibition taking place at the Saatchi Gallery in the capital, the organizers and supporters of the impressive collection of artefacts from the illustrious historical excavation have augmented with an independently produced experience called ‘TUTANKHAMUN: Enter The Tomb‘ – an immersive VR theater exhibition combined with the main ticket, owned and produced by immersive entertainment company, CityLights, (directed by Joel Newton, founder of the company).

Tutankhamun: Enter the Tomb — The long lines to experience the Tutankhamun traveling exhibition: Source: KWP

This VR theatre sees the deployment of some 18 of the latest Positron ‘Voyager’ cinematic VR chairs. These unique platforms described as a new kind of movie storytelling, the VR motion seat system having been deployed mainly in promotional marketing and a number of VR movie experiences – most recently deployed as part of the ‘How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World’ promotional movie VR experience, in partnership with Dreamworks and Walmart.

Positron’s first ticketed immersive VR theatre, the systems deployed comprise a 6-DoF motion platform, with haptic feedback built into the pod seat. The audience using the Samsung Odyssey+, Windows MR headset to view the experience. All this to recreate ‘Enter The Tomb’, an immersive experience through the historic tomb, recreated by the producers at CityLights.

The guest traverses through the various chambers of the tombs immersed in the wonders and treasures – the cinematic VR adding to the storytelling of the experience – which lasts some 8-minutes. The narrative of the excavation and exploration of the tombs and their vast treasures is told by Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville, giving a good representation of the historic site, employing the best of VR storytelling.

Positron - Voyager — The line-up of Positron ‘Voyager’ systems in operation. Source: KWP

Positron sees their VR system much more than an equivalent to the conventional 4DX cinema seating or the once-popular 9D Chinese egg shape VR ride seats. Offering a nuanced motion system with haptic effects, this has been a tool for virtual storytelling, a scalpel rather than a sledgehammer. Producers CityLights working with Positron to create a library of “Edutainment” experiences.

The experience has been so popular that IMG has added more sessions to meet demand. The travelling exhibition has already seen over a million tickets sold when in Paris. Producers at CityLights plan to create a library of Edutainment experiences.

The influence of VR storytelling narrative in commercial entertainment was seen at the momentous VR Awards 2019, held in the heart of the capital during November. An event that saw ‘War Remains’, by MWM Immersive & Flight School Studio – winning Out-of-Home VR Entertainment of the Year. This VR experience transports the audience to the trenches and battlefield of World War I. The separation of ‘interactive’ VR experiences and ‘passive’ VR storytelling presentations – sees more galleries, museums and educational centres, looking at immersive presentations to achieve a new level of audience engagement.

VR Awards 2019 - KWP — VR Award 2019 winners on stage at the star-studded event. Source: KWP

That concludes our latest three-part coverage, but the next major developments from the Out-of-Home Entertainment VR arena will be coming in the next few days.

October 4, 2018

Journey to the Moon With the First Man VR Experience

You’ve been to Mars thanks to movie tie-in The Martian: VR Experience so it makes sense that a film about the moon might get a virtual reality (VR) addition as well. Ryan Gosling’s latest feature First Man is due to hit cinemas next week, and for US fans certain AMC cinema’s the First Man: VR Experience to lucky guests.

First Man

Following the story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight, First Man sees Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for this visceral account based on the book by James R. Hansen.

Guests attending AMC Theatre lobbies in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City and Washington, D.C. will find the First Man: VR Experience. Created by RYOT and CreateVR in collaboration with Universal Pictures, the VR experience uses the full motion Positron Voyager chair which has been specifically designed for cinematic VR.

The experience works as follows:

You begin our journey in NASA’s Mission Control, where you can explore and see exclusive video of First Man, including interviews with Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle (La La Land), and stars Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy about the courage and daring of the Apollo 11 mission.
You are then placed in Armstrong’s shoes — and in his seat — inside the Apollo 11 Command Module, seconds before launch. The interior of the spacecraft is historically accurate and finely detailed in the placement and appearance of every switch, knob, dial and window.
You feel the immense, barely contained power of the Saturn V rocket as it lifts you out of Earth’s orbit and into zero-gravity.
Then, you will arrive at Day 4 of the mission, in lunar orbit, and will begin the descent to the surface of the moon.
You will pilot the Lunar Module, The Eagle, next to fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin (Corey Stoll), as you experience, firsthand, Armstrong’s grit, determination and nerves of steel as you land safely on the lunar surface. Both the Earth and the moon are built to scale, so the veracity and authenticity of the experience is as close to reality as possible.

“The First Man: VR Experience has been specially designed and customized for Voyager,” says Positron CEO Jeffrey Travis. “The unique motion and haptics in the chair, combined with a true volumetric environment, recreates an unmatched, spine-tingling experience of journeying inside the Apollo 11 from take-off to the first lunar landing. In addition, First Man is the first VR experience for Voyager that brings 6DOF (6 degrees of freedom) and interactivity to the Voyager platform. We can’t wait for audiences to experience this new level of immersion, and we are proud to partner with Universal on this historic project.”

For further updates on First Man: VR Experience, keep reading VRFocus.

WHERE:	Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood, Los Angeles
	AMC Metreon 16, San Francisco
	AMC Georgetown 14, Washington, D.C.
	AMC Lincoln Square, New York City

WHEN:	Friday, October 5 – Sunday, October 14 in LA, San Francisco, Washington, D.C.
	Saturday, October 6 – Sunday, October 14 in New York City

August 25, 2018

‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Is Making His VR Debut In A New Short Film Entitled “Shady Friend”

It seems that the ever popular ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic is making his virtual reality (VR) debut in a new comedic short film called Shady Friend. The film is being produced exclusively for the Positron Voyager VR motion chair and that could lead to a rather interesting result, given the kind of work Yankovic is known for you.

The news comes from Variety who note that Shady Friend is all about a heartbroken hero who accidentally takes some psychedelic drugs, his less-than reputable buddy has brought over to his apartment. Apparently the experience will also feature scents and haptic elements, along with the motion of the Positron Voyager VR motion chairs.

Principal photography for Shady Friend has concluded, though there is no word on a release date at this point. Alongside Yankovic the title will also stars former SNL writer Nick Kocher, Nick Rutherford (Brigsby Bear) and Minka Kelly (The Roommate, Friday Night Lights). It is being written by Andrew Disney and Bradley Jackson and is being directed by the former. The whole project is being jointly produced by Positron and Ralph Smyth Entertainment.

“What I love most about the Voyager platform is that it allows filmmakers to curate VR experiences in a cinematic way,” Said director Andrew Disney, to Variety. “Positron has created quite an amazing tool for immersive storytelling.”

This will be the first time that a VR film has been created exclusively for the Positron Voyager VR motion chairs, which till now are only available as select theaters and VR centers. Originally debuted back at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival as part of its New Frontier programme, the chairs offer a more immersive way for users to enjoy content. They offer motorized rotation, pitch, and haptics that will enable directors and content creators sync the motion of the chair with the visuals and audio of the media.

As mentioned, there is no word on a release date just yet or what viewers can expect from the experience but given Yankovic’s history and the subject matter, it is sure to be a trippy and thrilling comedy experience. For all the latest on Shady Friend in the future keep reading VRFocus.