Last October Time Inc.’s Sports Illustrated and Endemol Shine Beyond USA announced a collaborative effort to record the ascent of Mount Everest in 360-degrees. Today the four-part series Capturing Everest has launched on LIFE VR and several other platforms.
The four episodes – The Journey, The Blessing, The Icefall and The Summit – follows the journey of three climbers as they attempt to make the summit. They were Jeff Glasbrenner, a Paralympian and 25-time Ironman who became the first American amputee to summit Mount Everest on this expedition; Lisa Thompson, a breast cancer survivor who quit her job to take on the mountain; and Madison Mountaineering guide Brent Bishop, son of the legendary climber Barry Bishop, a member of the first American team to summit Everest, in 1963.
Capturing Everest was shot over a two-month period last spring, the first time the mountain has been deemed safe enough for climbers after two years of cancellations due to bad weather and safety concerns. Using a variety of 360-degree capture methods, the team built specialised cameras rigged to zip lines and body harnesses on the climbers offer first-person views of Mount Everest.
The documentary is available through LIFE VR as well as a microsite on SI.com. On the project editors of SI wrote in a statement: “It was no ordinary expedition, and it was captured in an extraordinary way…. You’ve seen photos and video from the peak. But you’ve never felt Everest like this… Capturing Everest is yet another example of how SI is delivering the access and storytelling for which we’ve always been known in cutting-edge ways—and it’s the jumping-off point for a new idea of what a magazine can be.”
“We are thrilled that Capturing Everest is getting this amazing launch platform thanks to our partners at Sports Illustrated and LIFE VR,” says Bonnie Pan, President, Endemol Shine Beyond USA. “This is such a special series, featuring an amazingly brave team of climbers who captured a view of Everest that has never been seen before.”
LIFE VR is a free app for iOS and Android, and can be watched through a Cardboard head-mounted display (HMD) as well as Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive.
For further LIFE VR updates, keep reading VRFocus.
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.
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.
For history buffs virtual reality (VR) provides an immersive opportunity to delve into the past, being able to better understand or relive key moments. Today HTC and Time Inc.’s LIFE VR have announced the launch of RememberingPearlHarbor, a virtual reality (VR) experience commemorating the 75th anniversary of the attack that brought the US into World War II.
Developed in partnership with Deluxe VR, Remembering Pearl Harbor takes viewers inside key moments of the event’s aftermath through historically authentic and fully interactive environments. The experience also uses interactive archival news material from iconic TIME and LIFE publications, the National WWII Museum and the Library of Congress, including famous radio broadcasts from Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.
“‘Remembering Pearl Harbor’ is a historical and educational room-scale VR experience told through the eyes of Lt. Jim Downing, one of the oldest living survivors of the attack,” said Mia Tramz, Managing Editor of LIFE VR. “As postmaster of the USS West Virginia, Lt. Downing had a unique experience in this pivotal moment in history that we’ve brought to this piece. We’ve created this app with the hope it will bring a new understanding of this event to even the most enthusiastic history buffs.”
“We’re honoured to partner with LifeVR in telling Lt. Downing’s story through such a visceral experience on the Vive,” said Chris Chin, Senior Director of Content at HTC Vive and Executive Producer on Remembering Pearl Harbor. “For the first time ever, viewers can immerse themselves in a virtual recreation of World War II America through this incredibly moving and educational narrative.”
Remembering Pearl Harbor is available to download now for HTC Vive through Viveport for £6.96 GBP . The experience will also launch through Time Inc.’s dedicated LIFE VR app for iOS and Android in the coming weeks.
Another week has gone by and as ever there’s been plenty of virtual reality (VR) sports news about. Sports Illustrated has created an experience for the New York City (NYC) marathon, New England Patriots have invested in Wi-fi for a more connected stadium and NextVR has partnered with NFL for immersive post-game experiences.
Time Inc.’s Sports Illustrated along with media company CyberLink have collaborated on an exclusive VR experience for the NYC Marathon. Called “26.2 in 360,” puts viewers in the shoes of a 10-time NYC marathon runner at the 2016 race.
Recorded by runner Alex Christison using a special stabilisation rig and a Samsung Gear 360 camera, the experience is available on Time Inc.’s LIFE VR app for iOS and Android, with a 360-degree version on SI.com.
“With the launch of 26.2 in 360, we’re able to not only take our viewers on a journey that many will never otherwise take, but we are particularly excited about the timeliness of offering this experience,” said Mia Tramz, managing editor of LIFE VR. “This year’s world-famous NYC marathon took place just a day ago, and by collaborating with the talented teams at Sports Illustrated and CyberLink, we’re thrilled to be able to offer this to our viewers the morning after the race.
“Each year millions cheer from the sidelines and tune in to watch the runners of the NYC Marathon, but the technology advancing as fast as the marathon’s participation, we wanted to create a method to allow viewers to experience the marathon firsthand as a runner,” said Richard Carriere, Senior VP of Global Marketing from CyberLink. “We looked to Sports Illustrated as the natural partners in this space, and with Time Inc.’s LIFE VR pushing the envelope in offering new and immersive experiences to the masses, this collaboration was the perfect fit.”
Extreme Networks Expands Partnership with the New England Patriots to Complete the Industry’s First Wave 2 Stadium Implementation at Gillette Stadium
Extreme Networks, Inc., the Official Wi-Fi Solutions Provider of the National Football League (NFL), announced this week that it’s extended its partnership with the New England Patriots to deploy its advanced flow-based 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless technology at Gillette Stadium. The aim is to meet demands for fans demands for connectivity including augmented reality (AR) functionality.
To ensure that the stadium continues to meet the needs of its ever-growing fan base, the Patriots are upgrading to further leverage ExtremeWireless, ExtremeSwitching, ExtremeManagement, ExtremeControl and ExtremeAnalytics to elevate Gillette’s Wi-Fi to a newfound level of efficiency and meet the growing expectations of fans.
Fred Kirsch VP of Content, New England Patriots and Kraft Sports Productions said: “We recognize that in-stadium, high-density Wi-Fi connectivity is the next frontier for the NFL and we’re proud to partner with Extreme to deploy such an advanced solution. Looking ahead, we’re confident that we’re prepared to meet our fans’ increasing connectivity demands. Whether it’s wearables, augmented reality or accessing next-gen player stats, we’ll be ready with the best available technology to support our fans.”
“As one of the first NFL stadium venue Wi-Fi deployment in 2012, and now the first in-stadium Wave 2 implementation in 2016, we’re thrilled to bring our relationship with the Patriots to the next level with the expansion of our most advanced wireless technology available in the industry today. With more devices on the network and a higher demand for engagement at Gillette Stadium, we understand that advanced Wi-Fi technology is necessary to connect fans with their favorite apps and deliver an exceptional game day experience,” commented John Brams, Director of Sports, Entertainment and Hospitality, Extreme Networks.
NFL and NextVR to Produce VR Post-Game Experience
The National Football League and NextVR, the VR broadcasting specialist for live events, are collaborating to bring fans a immersive post-game experience featuring highlights from three 2016 NFL regular season games.
Available for free to fans worldwide following the San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals game on 13th November, two additional post-game experiences will be produced and distributed following the Chicago Bears at New York Giants game on 20th Nov. and the New York Giants at Cleveland Browns game on 27th Nov.
“Adding the NFL to our growing portfolio of content partnerships further validates our unmatched technology and our ability to deliver an incredible virtual reality experience to sports fans,” said Brad Allen, NextVR Executive Chairman. “NFL fans are constantly craving more football and this partnership will meet this demand by delivering an unprecedented virtual reality experience to fans both in the U.S. and around the globe.”
“Virtual reality is a rapidly evolving technology, and this is a great opportunity for the NFL to continue experimenting with the capabilities and distribution of VR experiences,” said William Deng, Director, Media Strategy and Business Development at the NFL. “We’re excited to work with NextVR to bring this first-of-its-kind experience to our fans.”
The VR experiences will be approximately 10 minutes in length and hosted by veteran broadcaster Danyelle Sargent and 13-year NFL veteran Ephraim Salaam, providing expert commentary alongside game highlights. As with all NextVR content the app is freely downloadable for the Samsung Gear VR headset.
Last month Time Inc. launched a new multiplatform virtual reality (VR) called LIFE VR to deliver immersive stories from around the world. Now Time Inc.’s Sports Illustrated and Endemol Shine Beyond USA, have collaborated on a 360-degree documentary series following the journey of four climbers during their 2016 summit of Mt. Everest.
The production, called Capturing Everest was shot on location across a two-month period, utilising specialised 360-degree cameras rigged to zip lines and body harnesses on the climbers offering first-person views of Mt. Everest.
The series follows a team led by Garrett Madison, a six-time Everest summiteer who has led 37 climbers to the summit, as well as Brent Bishop, a three-time Everest summiteer, who is the son of legendary climber Barry Bishop. There’s Jeff Glasbrenner an American amputee hoping to be the first to summit Everest, Lisa White, the lone female member of the team and a cancer survivor, and Nick Perks who’s fulfilling a promise to climb Everest in memory of his late father.
“Attacking the world’s highest summit seemed like the perfect place to go with our new VR initiative, and by partnering with Endemol Shine and adding in the world-class storytellers from Sports Illustrated, I think we have something truly special and unique to offer our audience,” said Mia Tramz, Managing Editor of LIFE VR. “We can’t wait to bring viewers along for this once-in-a-lifetime journey. This is exactly the type of experience LIFE VR was created for.”
Capturing Everest will premiere in early 2017 on Time Inc.’s new LIFE VR platform and SI.com in 360-degree video. Sports Illustrated will also feature coverage of this endeavour across its print and digital properties.
“This groundbreaking production is going to allow anyone with a smart phone to virtually climb Mt. Everest,” says Bonnie Pan, President, Endemol Shine Beyond USA. “VR is allowing us to tell stories in new and unique ways, and with this series, our brave team of climbers captured a view of Everest that’s going to blow people’s minds. And who better to partner with for such a breathtaking series than the teams at Sports Illustrated and LIFE VR at Time Inc., who are really pushing the scale of these experiences.”
“Summiting Everest has captivated the imagination like few other athletic feats,” said Chris Stone, Editorial Director of Time Inc.’s Sports Illustrated Group. “Capturing an ascent in VR makes the unattainable seem attainable while at the same time reinforcing the mythology of Everest. This production is both extraordinarily real and unreal all at once. We are thrilled to bring the viewer along for the odyssey.”
The LIFE VR app is free for iOS and Android, with support for the Google Cardboard head-mounted display (HMD), as well as Gear VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive.
For all the latest LIFE VR news, keep reading VRFocus.
Time Inc., the publisher of the iconic Life magazine that closed in 1972, is relaunching the title — in virtual reality. The new Life VR features immersive storytelling, the company said in its announcement last...
