SXSW VR Experience The Atomic Tree now Available on Within

The SXSW festival took place earlier this month in Austin, Texas, with plenty of immersive 360-degree films and experiences for guests to enjoy. Today WITHIN has announced that one of those films, The Atomic Tree is now available via its virtual reality (VR) app.

The Atomic Tree

The Atomic Tree is a ten-minute journey into the life of a very special tree – a 400-year-old Japanese White Pine bonsai that survived the atomic blast in Hiroshima. Adapted from David Haskell’s book The Songs of Trees, the short film was directed by Adam Loften and produced by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, the creators of award-winning VR experience Sanctuaries of Silence.

The synopsis explains that: “The Atomic Tree is a journey into the memories of one of the most revered trees in the world’s 400-year-old Japanese White Pine bonsai that witnessed and survived the atomic blast in Hiroshima. From Japan’s ancient cedar forests and Buddhist temples to the family home in Hiroshima where the pine was nurtured for five generations, this VR experience explores the unbroken chain of living stories held within the rings of this tree. The delicate shape of this bonsai contains sacred forests, human family, and deep time, inviting us to reflect on the living strands of kinship that are woven between human and non-human worlds.”

The Atomic Tree

To view The Atomic Tree you can either watch it on the WITHIN website or download the free app which supports all major headsets, including Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, and Google Daydream.

Founded in 2014, WITHIN creates, acquires, and distributes premium augmented reality (AR) and VR experiences, recently releasing a Fright Fest Collection for Halloween and AR app Wonderscope for new storytelling possibilities.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of WITHIN and the company’s latest content releases, updating you with the most recent announcements.

Visit SXSW 2019 This Week Through Oculus Venues

The annual SXSW 2019 festival has begun in Austin, Texas, celebrating the interactive, film and music industries for the next week. Naturally, virtual reality (VR) technology makes a number of appearances with Oculus taking part, not only displaying projects from its VR for Good initiative but also giving everyone the opportunity to be at the event thanks to Oculus Venues.

Oculus VR for Good SXSW19

Three Oculus VR for Good Creators Lab projects have been chosen as part of SXSW’s Virtual Cinema Program, Girl Icon, Home After War and Mercy.

Girl Icon an immersive look at women’s empowerment in India, following 17-year-old Rani, from Varanasi as she breaks away from the country’s caste system, determined to finish school and go to college.

Home After War is an interactive VR experience which follows Ahmaied Hamad Khalaf and his family as they return to their home in Fallujah after the war ended. Khalaf’s story revolves around how they fear their home, with many buildings still booby-trapped with IED’s.

Lastly, there’s Mercy, the story of 14-year-old Edith. “At the age of seven, Edith started to feel a pain that eventually grew into a tumor on her lower right jaw the size of lemon [sic]. Edith is mocked and teased at school, and even accused of being the victim of witchcraft. In Mercy, we follow Edith as she travels by foot through the jungle for days in order to have a life-transforming surgery,” explains the synopsis.

Mercy screenshot

And for many of you who can’t go to SXSW 2019, Oculus is bringing a little slice of the festival to you, by way of Oculus Venues. The company has partnered with Supersphere and SXSW to bring you 90+ acts over four days, starting on 12th and running through to 15th March.

Here’s the lineup:

Margin Walker “All Are Welcome” Party
March 12 // 11:00 am – 6:00 pm PT
Lineup: Ghostland Observatory • The Bright Light Social Hour • Helena Deland • Elder Island• Barrie • Black Belt Eagle Scout • FADE • Morabeza Tobacco • Sorry Girls • Divino Niño • Das Body • Graham Van Pelt • Munya

Nine Mile Records Party
March 12 // 5:00 – 11:59 pm PT
Lineup: Golden Dawn Arkestra • Sweet Spirit • Spiral Stairs • Night Glitter • Chris Staples • Low Cut Connie • Go Fever • Carson McHone • The Night Thief • Tinnarose • Kevin Galloway• Izaak Opatz

Paradigm Talent Agency Showcase
March 13 // 11:00 am – 6:00 pm PT
Lineup: DJ Jazzy Jeff (Host) • Durand Jones & The Indications • The Black Angels • The Strumbellas • Chromeo (DJ Set) • Westerman • Celeste • CHAI • Pink Sweat$ • Omar Apollo

Polyvinyl Records Party
March 13 // 6:00 – 11:59 pm PT
Lineup: Pedro the Lion • The Get Up Kids • Shy Boys • Orchards • Hovvdy • Why Bonnie • Proper. • Lomelda • Sidney Gish • Paul Cherry • Pkew Pkew Pkew • Good Fuck

Margin Walker x Brooklyn Vegan “Lost Weekend” Party
March 14 // 11:00 am – 6:00 pm PT
Lineup: Phony Ppl • Priests • Japanese Breakfast • Les Louanges • Control Top • Hubert Lenoir

Oculus x Supersphere Showcase
March 14 // 6:00 – 11:59 pm PT
Lineup: Ben Kweller • Bully • Japanese Breakfast • Strand of Oaks • Garcia Peoples • Nonconnah • Grandchildren • Flower • PAWS • Versus

Margin Walker x Brooklyn Vegan Party
March 15 // 11:00 am – 6:00 pm PT
Lineup: The Beths • Amanda Palmer • Laurea Jane Grace • Fury • Sidney Gish • Otoboke Beaver • yahyel • J.S. Ondara

New West Records Party
March 15 // 6:00 – 11:59 pm PT
Lineup: Robert Ellis • The Nude Party • Steve Earle & the Dukes • Lily & Madeleine • Seratones • The Texas Gentlemen • Nikki Lane • Parker Gispert • Los Coast • Justin Townes Earl • Dan Luke and the Raid • Wild Moccasins

Oculus Venues is a free app which is compatible with Oculus Go and Samsung Gear VR headsets. For further SXSW 2019 updates, keep reading VRFocus.