remembering pearl harbor – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

January 16, 2017

Viveport’s Sundance Hub ‘VR on the Mountain’ to Feature World Premiere of My Brother’s Keeper by PBS Digital

The annual Sundance Film Festival opens in a few days and over the past few weeks VRFocus has reported on several virtual reality (VR) and 360-degree experiences debuting at the event. For those in attendance there’s going to be plenty of immersive content to explore, HTC Vive and Viveport are taking a lineup of apps as part of VR hub VR on the Mountain, which will be premiering PBS Digital’s My Brother’s Keeper.

A story-driven VR reenactment of the Battle of Antietam, My Brother’s Keeper is a companion piece to PBS’ Civil War series Mercy Street, set to debut a second series later this month. To create the experience PBS Digital partnered with StoryTech Immersive, Perception Squared and the Technicolor Experience Center, using a new action camera rig built by the filmmakers. My Brother’s Keeper is written and directed by Connor Hair and Alex Meader.

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One app being showcased at the hub will be Mindshow, an app enables users to improvise short animated vignettes in VR and share them with friends. “Mindshow lets you make VR cartoons with your body and voice,” describes the developer. Featuring a variety of playsets – from a distant planet to a comedy club stage – people can act out scenes using their bodies, then share content either as a VR scene visible through HTC Vive, or exported as 2D videos for online social channels.

In December VRFocus reported on the announcement that Baobab Studios’ sequel to popular VR animation INVASION!, ASTEROIDS! would be debuting at the festival. In fact ASTEROIDS! will be showcased at VR on the Mountain this Saturday 21st January, continuing the adventures of bumbling duo Mac and Cheez and their robot-dog, Peas.

Other titles exhibiting include: Deluxe VR and TIME-LIFE VR’s Remembering Pearl Harbor, The Price of Freedom from Construct Studios, Google Tilt Brush and Pearl from Google Spotlight Stories.

For any further news from the Sundance Film Festival, keep reading VRFocus.

December 8, 2016

TIME’s LIFE VR Unveils Remembering Pearl Harbor

Yesterday, December 7th, marked the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. One of the most notorious events, not only of World War II, but of the entire theatre of war. As Japanese forces, in an attempt to demoralise America and keep it out of the conflict, launched a surprise attack on the Hawaiian naval base. Leading to the deaths of 2,335 serviceman and 68 civilians whilst a combined total of 1,178 were also wounded.

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In memory of this anniversary TIME Inc.’s virtual reality (VR) platform LIFE VR, which debuted back in September, has launched a new room-scale experience charting the events of a defining moment in American history. An experience in three acts, developed in partnership with AMD, HTC Vive and produced by Deluxe VR. Users take on the perspective of Pearl Harbor veteran Jim Downing – at the time a sailor on board the USS West Virginia. Downing recalls the events of the attack as you travel through the day, examining virtual recreations of artifacts and taking in archive photo and video.

“VR has an incredible power not only to entertain, but to teach. We created this experience to give even the biggest history buffs an experience of this moment that might change the way they understand it.” Explained Mia Tramz, Managing Editor of LIFE VR and TIME’s Senior Multimedia Editor. “This is the first of what we hope will be many historical and educational VR projects that LIFE VR undertakes to solidify certain pivotal moments that have shaped where we are today.”

Remembering Pearl Harbor was shown at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and to members of the U.S. Congress at Capitol Hill yesterday during 75th anniversary events. It will continue to be shown for the rest of the week as part of a a special exhibition at Washington’s Newseum.

VRFocus will be bringing you more news and updates on the developing role of VR and 360 degree video in the education sector soon.

December 1, 2016

TIME-LIFE and HTC Launch 75th Anniversary ‘Remembering Pearl Harbor’ Experience for Vive

Launching today for $10 on HTC’s VR app store, Viveport, Remembering Pearl Harbor commemorates the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the 1941 tragedy that led the US to join World War II. A collaboration between TIME’s LifeVR, HTC, and Deluxe VR, the experience is told through the eyes of Lt. Jim Downing, one of the oldest living survivors of the attack.

TIME-LIFE drew upon their publication’s historical archives during the time of the attack, as well as information from the National WWII Museum and the Library of Congress in an effort to create an authentic retelling of the events that unfolded on that “date which will live in infamy.”

“Drawing from the extensive holdings of the LIFE archive, we were able to feature original issues of LIFE magazine that would have been in the homes of Americans at the time along with photos by the staff photographers throughout the experience,” said Liz Ronk, photo editor, LIFE + TIME history.

In the experience, exclusively available on the HTC Vive, you’ll see the world through the eyes of Lt. Jim Downing, one of the oldest living survivors of the attack, who narrates the journey which takes you from an American home of the era to sites of the tragedy.

A behind-the-scenes mini documentary video (above) details the creation and vision behind the experience.

In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the attack, Remembering Pearl Harbor will be open to the public from December 6-7 at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, and from December 5-11 at the Newseum in Washington DC.

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