Category: Start VR

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Start VR Develops ‘SJx’ a Portable VR Training Solution for St John Ambulance Victoria

Australian immersive content specialist Start VR has created a number of dramatic virtual reality (VR) experiences including Awake and the Battle of Hamel. Today, the studio will be releasing a very different project designed as a portable training solution St John Ambulance Victoria.

Start VR

Called SJx, the interactive VR solution is a first aid training service built for St John Ambulance Victoria and designed for business to train groups of up to 20 people at once.

Compatible with Oculus Go headsets, students are presented with real-life simulation of a medical emergency and are led through the various stages of CPR training. They will have to identify hazardous objects and make time-critical decisions to gain their first aid certificate.

Start VR claims the solution reduces training time by 75% so that students can gain the qualification with one hour. “St John Ambulance Victoria are taking it to the next level by delivering a portable solution that ensures consistent premium training experiences, which are more efficient and economical. This life-saving training solution, enables businesses to train their staff on-site (a huge boost to productivity) and reach remote and busy communities who would otherwise find it difficult to receive training,” says Start VR, CEO, Kain Tietzel, in a statement.

Start VR

“Our studio team have produced a suite of content that is interactive, cinematic and engaging, and through our Startgate platform, St John Ambulance Victoria can rollout their SJx initiative at scale,” Tietzel adds.

The VR course will allow students to attain the Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation certificate: “With thousands of people dying from cardiac arrest each year, it’s crucial that we make the process of undertaking first aid training accessible. Using Start VR’s invaluable expertise in virtual reality, we are able to ensure our students receive the highest quality learning experience while significantly cutting down the time it takes to deliver a market-leading first aid course in Australia,” comments St John Ambulance Victoria CEO, Gordon Botwright. “We are excited to pave the way for a new evolution of first aid training in Australia to improve cardiac arrest response times and ultimately, survival rates.”

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Start VR, reporting back with the latest updates.

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Cinematic Experience AWAKE: Episode One Now Available for HTC Vive

There seems to be a growing influx of cinematic virtual reality (VR) content – which is no bad thing – whether its Baobab Studios’ Crow: The Legend or Spheres for example. The latest to arrive is Start VR’s immersive movie AWAKE: Episode One, arriving today solely for HTC Vive. 

AWAKE: EpisodeOne

Having toured the international film circuit, receiving official selection at SXSW, Cannes NEXT, Melbourne International Film Festival, New York Film Festival and London’s Raindance Film Festival, HTC Vive owners can now see what all the fuss is about.

AWAKE: Episode One blends photorealistic real-time sets and effects with volumetric video performance, enabling viewers to have full room-scale freedom. In this first episode you’ll learn that protagonist Harry, is obsessed with discovering the truth behind the recurring dream of a strange pattern that contains a cryptic message.

With a run time of around 20 minutes, AWAKE: Episode One includes over 15 minutes of holographic performances captured at Microsoft’s Mixed Reality Capture Studio.

AWAKE: EpisodeOne

“With AWAKE I have tried to present a new kind of story that raises the bar in immersive entertainment, creatively, technically and at every turn. It’s the kind of thought-provoking immersive experience I have always wanted to have, but have not yet seen, so I’m incredibly excited to finally share it with audiences,” said Martin Taylor, Chief Creative Officer at Start VR is Creator & Director of AWAKE in a statement.

“As a small and ambitious content studio, we aimed extremely high with AWAKE. In particular, we wanted to showcase Volumetric Video like never before, in a complex cinematic narrative that destroys the myth that it’s not ready as a production technique. We want to champion the actor’s craft and give audiences the opportunity to come face to face with their heroes in ways that match their favorite epic moments from the big screen,” Taylor adds.

AWAKE: Episode One is available today for HTC Vive and HTC Vive Pro via Steam and Viveport. Windows Mixed Reality headsets will get support in early 2019, with Oculus Rift due shortly after. When Start VR release new information about the next episode, VRFocus will let you know.

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VRLO Returns for a One Day Celebration in December

Now that Halloween is over its time to start ramping up the festivities for 2018’s next big celebration, good old Christmas. Ahead of the big day full of presents and too much food media company REWIND (The Magic Flute, Ghost in the Shell VR) will be hosting the last VRLO event of the year in London, UK.

They Suspect Nothing - Screenshot - Stamp

The one-day event will be an evening of talks, demos and networking opportunities all wrapped up with some festive celebrations.

Sponsored by HP, Jigsaw24 and Bluegfx, HP and Jigsaw24 are teaming up to bring the HP Z VR Backpack PC to VRLO, with a demo version of REWIND’s Silicon Valley: Inside the Hacker Hostel VR.

Also at VRLO will be Coatsink Software, with the studio set to demo relaxing title A Night’s Sky and comedy mini-game collection about robots They Suspect Nothing. Vive Studios will be on hand to showcase 7 Miracles, an immersive adaptation of the seven miracles of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of John. It will be the experience’s second showing in London after its World Premiere at Raindance Film Festival last month. Finally, Start VR will demo AWAKE, a character-driven interactive cinematic VR series that blurs the line between dream and reality.

Awake - StartVR

And as a festive treat REWIND will be holding The Santa’s Helper Challenge, you’ll have to attend to find out more.

VRLO will be taking place on Wednesday, 5th December 2018, starting at 7pm and running through to 11pm. It’ll be held at The Microsoft Reactor London, with tickets being free, and entry will be granted on a first-come-first-served basis. For further details and to grab a ticket head to the VRLO Eventbrite page. VRFocus will continue its coverage of REWIND and VRLO, reporting back with further updates.

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Woolmark and Start VR Team Up To Promote Wool In VR

An increasing number of brands and businesses are turning to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) as a means of engaging with customers. One of the latest to engage with immersive technology is Australian brand The Woolmark Company, who have teamed with Start VR to showcase its product in VR.

Woolmark VR have created a new tool for its sales teams called the ‘fly-out’ window. This window allows Woolmark sales personnel to show various designs and textiles. There are also several immersive 360-degree videos available through a customised Startgate app.

The Woolmark Company

The 360-degree videos were all filed at rural farms dating back to Victorian times, where viewers can follow an Australian outback shearer as they herd their flock and shear the sheep to produce the wool used for Woolmark products.

“Rather than just another 360 video piece, we wanted to create a unique interactive experience and hence chose Start VR because of their creative approach and desire to push the boundaries of what is possible,” says Damian Madden, Global Digital Manager of The Woolmark Company.

“The high end cinematic content they produce perfectly reflects our premium look and positioning as a leader in quality, and the techniques used throughout – from filming, to fashion stills, app Design and development – were all tailored to promote The Woolmark Company’s ethos of high end fashion combined with innovative technologies.”

Start VR say they were excited to collaborate with The Woolmark Company and say that Woolmark VR represents the ability for interactive and immersive apps to interest audiences, both for general consumers and business-to-business operations

The Woolmark Company

“It’s incredibly exciting to collaborate with such an established and well-respected brand. Together, we’ve built an interactive VR experience that showcases the innovation of The Woolmark Company, giving Woolmark a new sales tool to excite audiences worldwide,” says Start VR Managing Director Angus Stevens.

The Woolmark VR app is available on iOS, Android and Samsung Gear VR. Further news on new and upcoming VR content will be covered here on VRFocus.

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VR Film ‘Awake’ Releases Teaser Trailer

Start VR have released a new teaser trailer showing off their upcoming virtual reality (VR) film Awake in action.

Awake: Episode One, is a thrilling interactive cinematic VR experience from the creative minds at Start VR. A technical and creative marvel, the film is using the latest in Volumetric Holographic capture techniques to bring real-life human performances into VR. The character-drive cinematic series will blur the lines between dream and reality, as the viewer is drawn into the perplexities surrounding space, time and the human psyche in its most vulnerable state.

The film is staring Jake McDorman (American Sniper, Limitless, Die Hard 4.0) as the protagonist Harry, a sharp and misjudged man with a mysterious past and a unique insight into the unseen worlds that exist around him. Analeigh Tipton (Crazy, Stupid, Love and Warm Bodies) will play the part of Rose, the love of Harry’s life at the centre of his favorite memories and Nicholas Hope (Bad Boy Buddy and VR Noir) is also involved in the project though in an undefined role.

Awake: Episode One will take viewers on a journey to see the life of protagonist Harry, now a prisoner in his own house, obsessed with discovering the truth behind a recurring dream that focuses on his long-lost wife Rose. With a cryptic message that keeps appearing as well, Harry becomes obsessed with unearthing the mysteries that haunt him and correcting a mistake that cost him everything. As the viewer, your arrival signals a life-changing event that is capable of saving Harry from the darkness that surrounds him and unlocking the true potential of humanity’s future.

As previously reported, the VR film is being directed by Start VR’s Chief Content Officer Martin Taylor, who has been working on the project for a few years now. It is currently in development for the HTC Vive, HTC Vive Pro and Windows Mixed Reality (MR) but attendees at the recent South by South West (SXSW) 2018 had the opportunity to view the film in a special premiere.

Awake: Episode One will be releasing sometime in Q2 2018 and you can view the newly release teaser trailer below.

For more on Awake in the future, keep reading VRFocus.

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Get Put on Lockdown with Wentworth VR

Start VR, in co-production with FremantleMedia Australia, has launched an interactive virtual reality (VR) experience based on the critically acclaimed prison drama, Wentworth. Available now, the new app contains two episodes: “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Choose Your Side”.

Wentworth VR screenshot

The Wentworth VR experience transports viewers to the confrontational world of the Wentworth Women’s Correctional Facility where they experience life behind bars alongside some of the characters from the show. True to the world on-screen, this experience is adult-rated content.

In Wentworth VR, the viewer takes on the role of a new inmate being processed into the familiar Wentworth prison system alongside Jodie Spiteri, played by Pia Miranda (Neighbours, All Saints, Looking for Alibrandi, Garage Days). Spiteri serves as the Wentworth guide, offering her long-gathered expertise and insight as you navigate the dangerous and dark world of Wentworth Correctional Facility. This exclusive viewpoint draws viewers from the 2D separation of the television show and into the world of the prison itself.

Wentworth VR marks FremantleMedia’s first step into the innovative VR space and is an official companion piece for Wentworth that mines the intense drama and confronting challenges of inmates in an uncompromising all-female prison. The series airs on Foxtel in Australia and is available on Netflix in the US.

“This is our first global foray into VR and a first for extended narrative in the VR medium so we are experimenting with the commercial model of ‘freemium’ to give fans, and new Christmas VR purchasers alike, a true Wentworth experience,” stated Zara Curtis, FremantleMedia Australia General Manager of Commercial, Digital and Branded Entertainment. “We are keeping the pricing low to prevent a barrier to entry though we are confident that people will be surprised at what the experience offers. We will add additional in-app product purchases available in 2018 to keep audiences engaged and coming back for more. We are really proud of our partnership with Start VR.”

Wentworth VR screenshot

Wentworth VR is available now on Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard and Google Android Devices, and will soon be available for iOS devices. The Wentworth VR app is free to download and will include the first episode, “Welcome to the Jungle,” at no cost. The second episode, “Choose your Side,” is a premium episode that can be download separately for $2.99 USD/ $3.49 AUD.

As stated by Curtis, additional content will be made available in 2018, but in what form and when this will be delivered has not yet been announced. VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest details on the Wentworth VR app and future content releases from Start VR.

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Start VR Announces New VR Film Awake

Australia-based virtual reality (VR) studio Start VR has already produced several live-action cinematic VR productions, most of which have been released on the Samsung Gear VR. The studio have now announced its next project, an interactive VR cinema experience called Awake.

The film is being directed by Start VR’s Chief Content Officer Martin Taylor, who has been developing the concept behind the experience for several years and is now bringing the idea to life. Supporting the project are Screen Australia and HTC Vive, and Animal Logic will be providing VFX and animation to the film, with Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture also acting as a creative collaborator.

Awake is described as a thought-provoking and character-driven story that straddles the line between dream and reality as it follows the life of protagonist, Harry Whitbread. An exploration of Harry’s past forms the core of the story, as Harry once made a choice that changed his life and cost him everything he loved and cared about. Viewers will delve into the depths of the past and present of this broken man, reliving key memories and trying to solve the mysteries behind his choices and try and guide Harry towards atonement by interacting with various objects and hunting down hidden clues.

Actor Jake McDorman, known for his roles in Lady Bird, Limitless and American Sniper, is playing the role of Harry Whitbread, with Analeigh Tipton of Crazy Stupid Love, Lucy and Warm Bodies is playing Harry’s wife Rose.

Start VR hope that Awake will represent a step forward in immersive and interactive cinematic experiences, and the studio asserts its commitment to prioritising audience participation and creative storytelling.

Awake is expected to launch in early 2018, though a firm release date has yet to be confirmed. Awake will be available on HTC Vive and Microsoft Mixed Reality headsets. Compatibility with other headsets is expected to be confirmed at a later date.

Further information can be found on the Start VR website.

VRFocus will bring you further information on Start VR as it becomes available.

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Explore the World with Start VR’s Travel Experience Atlas Obscura VR

Australian virtual reality (VR) studio, Start VR has created several immersive experiences for Samsung Gear VR, such as live action, cinematic film VR Noir, StartGATE and helping patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Its latest project is travel-based, releasing Atlas Obscura VR for the mobile headset this week.

Atlas Obscura VR has been made in collaboration with Atlas Obscura, which creates guides to the world’s hidden wonders. The app offers a curated selection of content, with the first season featuring experiential visits to The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, CA; The Temples of Humankind: Damanhur in Italy and The Salina Turda salt mine in Romania.

Atlas Obscura VR by Start VR Episode 1 Winchester House

Discussing the app Start VR’s Chief Content Officer Martin Taylor said in a statement: “We strongly believe VR is more compelling as an interactive medium when it engages the visitor in the story. For this project we captured the most fascinating features and stories from each destination to provide visitors with the impression that they’re traveling with a companion and to give them the intuitive freedom to explore and interact at their own pace.”

Each episode is 15 minutes long with holographic versions of Atlas Obscura co-founder Dylan Thuras and Senior Editor Ella Morton hosting.

“Many VR nonfiction apps, especially in travel, approach the VR medium by simply dragging the viewer along, or plopping them down somewhere with no ability to explore, but that’s not the true experience of travel! With Atlas Obscura VR, we wanted to capture the experience of exploring a fascinating location and not knowing what’s around the corner,” said Thuras. “We wanted to push what the VR nonfiction experience could be, both by choosing the most unusual, incredible locations possible and by using a mix of photogrammetry, high-resolution stereo imagery and documentary all set within an environment where the explorer gets to decide where to go and what to do next.”

The Temples of Humankind: Damanhur episode is free to download with the following two episodes available for purchase.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Start VR, reporting back with further updates.

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VR Introduced To Chemotherapy Patient Program

Chemotherapy treatment is an arduous process, with a great number of painful and difficult side affects. Samsung and Start VR are attempting to make the process a little easier by introducing virtual reality (VR) to allow patients to escape the hospital environment.

The project aims to use VR to help ease psychological stress and provide a form of ‘distraction therapy’ for patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Patients at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse were provided with a Samsung Gear VR headset and the option to select an experience either from the Gear VR store, or from Start VR’s specialised catalogue.

Start VR LifehouseBTS_8

The Chris O’Brien Lifehouse is one of two comprehensive cancer treatment centres in Australia. It is also one of Austalia’s biggest cancer clinical trial centres and sees over 40,000 patients a year for both public and privately funded treatment.

The VR experiences on offer ranged from transporting patients to a relaxing travel destination such as a sunny beach, or a high-adrenaline skydiving experience to taking a soothing boat ride through Sydney Harbour, or petting koalas at a zoo.

The project was devised by Start VR Head of Content Martin Taylor, who collaborated with Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and Samsung Australia to bring the project to fruition. Taylor had this to say: “Our main goal is to create compelling virtual reality content and initiatives that make a positive impact on the lives of consumers. We wanted to determine if VR had the potential to change people’s outlook on their current environment and we felt that a healthcare setting, where people sit and wait for periods of time, worried about unknown outcomes would be the right place to start. Though after months of theory and planning, the true reward was meeting these incredible patients and seeing them experience instant joy through the power of VR.”

Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Complementary Therapy Director Michael Marthick adds: “Allowing patients to escape the experience of chemotherapy gives them a bit of space to forget what’s going on. In settings such as before surgery, patients are even more anxious. This gives them a distraction and allows them to keep their spirits up. Wellness isn’t just about the physical side of things, it’s also about mental wellbeing.”

Use of VR in healthcare is a growing area. As always, VRFocus will keep you up to date on developments in this area.