Category: Under the Canopy

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WeLens Breaks Record For Synced Wireless VR Screenings

Tech start-up WeLens has made its mark on the history of virtual reality (VR) by using its software to set a new world record for the largest group in a wirelessly synchronised VR viewing in one location.

The screen occurred as part of Conservation International’s 30th Anniversary fundraiser, where a screening of Under the Canopy was shown. Under the Canopy is an interactive VR film that takes viewers on a journey through the Amazon rainforest, guided through the lush jungle landscape by the indigenous people who live there to discover more about the ecosystem of the rainforest and why it is so vital to the planet and our survival. The film was directed by filmmaker Patrick Meegan, and was shown to an audience of 425 viewers at the gala, which took place in 2nd November in Culver City.

Several well-known celebrities were in attendance, including Conservation International’s executive vice chair, Harrison Ford, along with other celebrity guests such as Calista Flockhart, Sophia Bush and Vanessa Carlton.

“WeLens has developed this new wireless technology to sync audiences together in VR and our LensPass remote control software brings the experience to a whole new level,” said James Levy, WeLens’s founder and CEO. “With LensPass, you can monitor how many devices are connected as well as tract their status and health stats like battery and temperature, not just for one or two devices but several hundreds.”

While large-scale viewings of VR experiences have been done before, the amount of data and the bandwidth required has previously meant such screenings were handled using tethered VR devices, such as one at the 2015 Oculus Connect keynote delivered by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

The screening formed part of a showcase for the fundraiser, which was dedicated towards a six-year reforestation effort that is seeking to re-plant up to 73 million trees in the Brazilian Amazon by the year 2023.

VRFocus will continue to report on new VR-related events.

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SC Johnson Produce VR Film to Promote Rainforest Conservation

Maker of household products such as Glade and Pledge, SC Johnson have produced a 360-degree virtual reality (VR) film called Under The Canopy as part of their campaign to promote conservation of the rainforest.

Under The Canopy is a journey through the Amazon rainforest, in which the viewer is guided through the lush tropical landscape by the indigenous people who live there. Viewers can have the experience of swinging from trees and diving into rivers as they find out more about the rainforest and why it is so important to our planet.

SC Johnson has launched the VR film as part of a broader campaign to raise awareness and help conservation efforts. The company has announced that for every acre of rainforest that is protected through donations to Conservation International (CI), SC Johnson will match the donation acre-for-acre up to 5,000 acres.

“SC Johnson has supported a number of global forest protection efforts over the years as part of our commitment to sustainability,” said Kelly M. Semrau, Senior Vice President – Global Corporate Affairs, Communication and Sustainability at SC Johnson. “We will continue to work to support the preservation of rainforests and Earth’s other critical resources for future generations.”

SC Johnson says it is committed to trying to attain net zero deforestation by 2020, by implementing the use of sustainable pulp, paper and packaging.

You can experience the Under The Canopy VR film through the Jaunt VR app. Donations to Conservation International that will be matched by SC Johnson can be made at the CI website.

VRFocus will bring you further news on VR films and related topics as they come in.

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Discover Riches and Ruin in Amazonia as Jaunt Releases Under the Canopy

At last month’s Sundance Film Festival Jaunt and Conservation International screened Under the Canopy, a 360-degree film highlighting the plight of deforestation in the Amazon. Now the virtual reality (VR) company has launched the experience for everyone to watch.

Directed by Patrick Meegan, Jaunt’s creative director, Under the Canopy was shot using the Jaunt ONE camera and narrated by indigenous guide Kamanja Panashekung and actor Lee Pace. The film takes viewers on a journey into the largest rainforest in the world, which because of rampant deforestation each year loses an area more than 1.5 times greater than the size of Yellowstone National Park.

Under The Canopy - Sloth

As Panashekung guides you through the forest he shows you how the forest supplies food, income and more, while he and his community draw on their collective knowledge in protecting its trees, waters and wildlife.

“Kamanja’s community is one of over 350 indigenous communities throughout Amazonia that depend on the rainforest, as we all do — for the air we breathe and the water we drink,” said Dr. M. Sanjayan, Conservation International executive vice president and senior scientist. “‘Under the Canopy’ gives those who may never visit the Amazon rainforest an opportunity to repel down a 200-foot tree, see its wildlife up close, and understand what is at risk. Sustaining the Amazon is not an option, it is a necessity.”

“In approaching this project we wanted to not only illustrate the importance of conserving the rainforest in relation to climate change, but to create a thrilling experience for audiences far and wide,” said Meegan, creative director at Jaunt. “To do this, we married the experience of veteran nature filmmakers with up-and-coming technologists to develop new techniques and achieve VR shots — such as the vertical moves from canopy to forest floor — that are the first of their kind. We also took the Jaunt ONE camera to new heights — achieving impressive VR encounters with tropical birds, butterflies, sloths and more.”

Under the Canopy can be viewed below or in fully immersive VR via the Jaunt VR app available on iOS, Android, Gear VR, PlayStation VR, Google Daydream, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

For all the latest Jaunt news, keep reading VRFocus.