‘Lion King’ Director’s VR Film ‘Gnomes & Goblins’ is Back From the Dead, Now “Coming Soon”

Back in 2016, director Jon Favreau, in association with immersive studio Wevr, released the Gnomes & Goblins preview, a demo of an (at the time) ambitious VR film project. While it was well received, it lay nearly forgotten as the years passed with no sign of a full release. Hope has been reignited thanks to a recently revamped website teasing that project is “coming soon.”

A testament to how quickly VR is moving; back in 2016, the idea that Jon Favreau (the director behind The Jungle Book (2016), Iron Man 1 (2008) & Iron Man 2 (2010), among others) was working on a VR film was pretty big news. An original story complete with immersive interactivity, Gnomes & Goblins seemed quite promising in its five minute preview which was released on Steam. Unfortunately the project’s intrigue slowly faded from memory as years passed with no indication that it was headed for a full release.

That all changed in the last week when Wevr, the immersive studio producing the project along with MWM, offered up a sly tweet to the project’s official website which has been completely revamped, now prominently featuring “coming soon” text at the top.

It’s likely no coincidence that this would happen now—shortly after the release of Favreau’s latest directorial project, The Lion King (2019), which used a purportedly groundbreaking virtual reality production process which Favreau himself likened to a “multiplayer filmmaking game” in a recent interview. And with the excitement surrounding new headsets like Quest, Rift S, and Index, it seems like an opportune time to revive the project.

While we still don’t know when it will launch, the revamped Gnomes & Goblins website now seems to have a firmer idea of what the VR film will actually be. While the original version of the site waxed about the experimental nature of the project—and rightly so, as the merger of cinematic narrative and interactivity in VR was still just barely being probed in 2016—the new version of the site quite concisely describes the experience as a “story driven game set in an enchanted world of gnomes and goblins with you as the protagonist” [our emphasis].

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Indeed, since the debut of the Gnomes & Goblins preview in 2016, a handful of successful examples blending strong narrative with interactivity in VR have come to fruition with projects like The Invisible Hours (2017), The Great C (2018), and Star Wars: Vader Immortal (2019). Granted, with a clearer picture of the language of VR storytelling, Favreau and his collaborators are now faced with modern expectations; to what extent Gnomes & Goblins has or hasn’t been reworked to fit in today’s VR landscape won’t be clear until its launch, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed.

The post ‘Lion King’ Director’s VR Film ‘Gnomes & Goblins’ is Back From the Dead, Now “Coming Soon” appeared first on Road to VR.

Dreamscape Immersive to Open Cutting-Edge VR Centre in LA Next Month

You may remember VRFocus reporting on location-based virtual reality (VR) specialist Dreamscape Immersive opening a pop-up location in Los Angeles earlier this year to showcase its brand new experience, Alien Zoo, for a month. That was just a precursor to today’s announcement, with the company announcing today that its flagship location in Westfield Century City will open this December.

Dreamscape Immersive Lavans_Magic_ProjectorThis first location will see the introduction of three original VR adventures, designed for guests of all ages to experience the magic of immersive storytelling.

  • Alien Zoo 
    • Allows viewers to travel to a larger than life, intergalactic haven where they come face-to-face with endangered alien creatures from across the galaxy.
  • The Blu: Deep Rescue
    • Dreamscape’s co-production with WeVR, a descent into the ocean to explore dazzling underwater worlds and aquatic life soon becomes an urgent mission to rescue a trapped baby Blue Whale and unite it with its mother.
  • Lavan’s Magic Projector: The Lost Pearl
    • Inside this heart-pumping adventure, participants will be challenged to unlock clues, escape treacherous traps, and work together as they discover the secret of The Lost Pearl.

“At its heart, Dreamscape is about merging the scope and emotional power of cinema with the pure visceral excitement of a great theme-park ride — all within a totally new VR technology that allows our audience to enter into and become part of the story,” notes Walter Parkes, co-chairman of Dreamscape Immersive in a statement.

Dreamscape Immersive TheBlu

The opening marks the start of a period of rapid expansion for Dreamscape Immersive, which includes the introduction of four new stand-alone and in-theatre venues via its partnership with AMC Theatres. Markets that AMC has identified for new Dreamscape destinations, include Dallas/Ft. Worth, Columbus Ohio, and the New York/New Jersey metro area. Plans are underway to open these locations during 2019.

What sets Dreamscape VR apart from all others are the magical minds responsible for crafting such captivating, immersive experiences, the likes of which has never been seen before,” said Adam Aron, CEO and President of AMC Entertainment. “Audiences have come to expect innovations from our company, and Dreamscape and AMC are going to deliver a next-level entertainment option.”

You can purchase advance tickets for the Westfield location starting today from Dreamscape Immersive’s website. For further updates keep reading VRFocus.

Life In 360°: The Jewels And The Crown

We round off yet another week of 360 degree videos here on VRFocus with the final entry in our music videos theme week. Monday saw us chilling and grooving with the Prince-like stylings of Swiss musician Seven back in 2015. Then on Wednesday we checked in with 2016 and former LMFAO member Redfoo for some party rock in 360°.

Life In 360° / 360 Degree VideoToday we move on from party rock to hip hop, though not from 2016 as we take in the song Crown performed by Run The Jewels. The video, which is both atmospheric and rather claustrophobic, was made in partnership with the team at Wevr.

“They just floored me,” Explains Peter Martin, creative collaborator at Wevr, on seeing the duo perform for the first time back at the Coachella Festival. They were doing this socially and politically driven rap music that I didn’t know even existed anymore. It reminded me of the glory days of hip hop like Grandmaster Flash. I wanted a band and a song that would tell a story and they seemed perfect.”

Run The Jewels were also keen when presented with the idea of a partnership. “I always thought it would be cooler to play video games from the inside.” Said Run The Jewels’ Killer Mike before elaborating on what Crown is all about. “It’s about me coming to terms with the guilt of being a low level drug dealer and that part of my life. This song gave me an opportunity to kind of exorcise those demons. Peter’s vision was always to do his best to bring our words to life and the actors that accompanied us were a big part in that.”

The video, which channels some of the visuals from the film Raging Bull, can be found below.  VRFocus will be back with another selection of 360 degrees videos next week.

Two New VR Experiences Added to Wevr

Two new virtual reality (VR) film experiences that have featured at the Tribeca and Sundance Film Festivals will be appearing on the Wevr Transport platform for room-scale and mobile VR experiences.

IF NOT LOVE and Auto are both critically acclaimed VR experiences that will be featured on the Wevr Transport platform later in the year. IF NOT LOVE is written and directed by Rose Troche and is an account of the consequences of hatred and intolerance, while Auto is a speculative fiction story about the role of a ‘self driver’ in a future world of self-driving autonomous cars which examines the role of technology and automation.

The two experiences premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival respectively and are the first VR experiences to appear on the Wevr platform that were not produced by Wevr.

“We chose Rose Troche’s ‘IF NOT LOVE’ and Steven Schardt’s ‘Auto’ because both simulations, grounded in compelling characters, tell complex stories about our current sociopolitical environment while simultaneously pushing the visual and structural language of live-action VR,” says Wevr director of development and acquisitions James Kaelan. “We couldn’t be prouder that these are the first two independent productions we’ve acquired for Transport.”

“Our goal with Transport is to give talented creatives from all different backgrounds and media a place to share their work with the world,” says Anthony Batt, co-founder and EVP of Wevr. “We want the VR community to know that Transport is where they can distribute their simulations to the widest possible audience, with the support of the Wevr team.”

VRFocus will bring you further news on additions to the Wevr platform and other new VR experiences as it becomes available.

Wevr Captures Performance by David Choe Band Mangchi in VR

Capturing live music in 360-degrees is not always easy. For many, the equipment needed can get in the way, or the speakers, amplifiers needed by the band obscure the image. Artist and performer David Choe defied those constraints to help Wevr capture a live performance of his band Mangchi.

Though Choe is mostly known as an artist and painter, he is also a musician and has assembled a talented group, including renowned Beastie Boys keyboardist Money Mark to join his punk band Mangchi. The 360-degree video of the performance not only captured the musical performance, but also Choe’s pre-performance ritual where he paints on the bodies of the other band members.

“I’ve been doing music my whole life,” Choe says. “I was in bands in high school, but was always there waiting for four other guys to get their shit together. I think because of my narcissism and ego, I went into art, and music became a hobby. So we just put this motley crew of weirdos together. And we’re making music just to make music.”

The team from Wevr said they knew immediately upon meeting Choe that they wanted to work with him. Wevr say on their blog: “Historically we have been reluctant to capture live music performances due to visual constraints. Choe assured us we would have total freedom and we went for it. The resulting 360° experience depicts Mangchi’s pre-performance ritual where Choe paints the other musicians conveying the feel of ancient warriors preparing for battle.”

“It’s very ritualistic before each show, where we just hang out and put on makeup and joke around,” commented Choe. “I really think Wevr capturing that in VR caught this weird intersection in our lives. I want people not to be scared and to be free. If you’re an artist, you just go for it.”

“We are convinced David Choe can bring something totally unique and vital to immersive experiences,” says Wevr co-founder Anthony Batt. “He is an artist in the most literal sense, where his vision is not confined to any one medium. He has a curiosity about the world that we find exhilarating. And whatever trip he wants to take, we want to be there to document it.”

The Mangchi Live at Viva Pomona 360-degree video is available for download via the Transport VR platform.

VRFocus will continue to bring you news on VR in music and art.

Wevr Teases ‘APEX’, Coming to Tribeca This Month From the Creator of ‘Surge’

APEX is the latest real-time VR music video experience directed by Arjan van Meerten, the creator of the acclaimed Surge (2015). The experience is set to debut at the Tribeca Film Festival this month.

In partnership with Wevr and House of Secrets, Arjan van Meerten’s APEX is said to be a “darkly beautiful apocalyptic vision set to an original score.” Wevr has released an official poster for the experience (shown below) and a new screenshot (heading this article), the first glimpses of the project since the teaser video debuted nearly a year ago.

apex-vrDetails on exactly what the APEX experience will entail are slim; it isn’t clear even how long the experience might last, though judging from Meerten’s prior VR work, we would guess not much longer than 10 minutes (though we’d be happily mistaken). Until we have a chance to see APEX at Tribeca, we have Meerteen’s words, as shared on the Wevr blog, to image the experience by:

Arjan van Meerten | Photo courtesy Wevr
Photo courtesy Wevr

I played in bands from when I was 16 – really loud death metal. But I had always been interested in electronic music as well and started make it. VR is a really intense and immersive way to experience music. The best way I can describe Apex is like when I was fifteen and went to a death metal concert, and what I felt being in the crowd as the band played, the aggression and the energy. And it’s overwhelming and kind of scary but it makes you feel something. And that’s what I wanted to do with Apex. There is destruction but there is also beauty in what you are seeing. It’s really more of an atmosphere than a traditional story. And that’s what I’m interested in doing now, putting people in worlds more than telling a traditional stories in those worlds. I like it when people take off the headset and have to adjust to the earth again.

And there’s of course also the teaser released last year:

Surge, the predecessor to APEX launched in 2015 to much acclaim. The short real-time VR music video experience is available today for free on the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

The post Wevr Teases ‘APEX’, Coming to Tribeca This Month From the Creator of ‘Surge’ appeared first on Road to VR.

The Blu’s Deep Sea Majesty is Now a Museum Exhibit in Los Angeles

The Blu’s Deep Sea Majesty is Now a Museum Exhibit in Los Angeles

Wevr said that its virtual reality experience, The Blu, will be displayed at theNatural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLA).

The immersive adventure makes you feel like you are underwater, exploring the majesty of the ocean and its different habitats. You come face-to-face with some of the most awe-inspiring species on the planet. The VR series was created by Wevr, a Venice, California-based VR studio.

Highlights of the three environments in the 6-minute experience include: an encounter with an 80-foot blue whale as it swims past a sunken ship; a magnificent undersea migration on the edge of a shallow coral reef, with turtles and swarms of jellyfish gliding by, and colorful anemones that react to the guest’s touch; and a deep dive into the an iridescent abyss, where hidden creatures including angler fish and squid appear with the use of a virtual flashlight.

“The museum has integrated technology and multimedia into our newer exhibits and is now exploring ways to enhance digital engagement with the natural world. This iconic deep dive VR experience from Wevr brings us to a new level of interactivity — and our visitors come along for the ride,” said Lori Bettison-Varga, NHMLA director and president, in a statement. “Engaging and inspiring visitors is what we do — and theBlu: An Underwater VR Experience is beautiful, powerful storytelling. It would not surprise me if the next generation of marine biologists — and VR developers — are inspired by this exhibit.”

The Blu: An Underwater VR Experience is directed by Jake Rowell (Call of Duty, Final Fantasy, Superman Returns), and has already been recognized as one of the most iconic room-scale VR experiences to date, being named a Sundance Film Festival 2016 New Frontiers selection.

Wevr’s team consulted with museum scientists during the making of theBlu to help inform the creative process. “TheBlu: An Underwater VR Experience has become an icon in the VR community, and is both immensely engaging and informative. We are delighted that the Natural History Museum is hosting this immersive simulation that we know will captivate visitors of all backgrounds and age groups,” said Wevr cofounder and CEO Neville Spiteri, in a statement.

Visitors to theBlu: An Underwater VR Experience begin their journey in a lounge area inside the museum gallery space, where they are acclimated to the technology ahead amid glowing NHMLA ocean specimens on display and projections of reef footage. They’re then led into five “pods” in the gallery, and assisted as they put on HTC Vive virtual reality headsets. At a seating area nearby, friends and families can watch the action on a monitor that shows the user’s interactive underwater experience streaming in real time.

“Here’s what it’s like, from someone who has done a lot of SCUBA diving: It’s fantastic to see all those underwater creatures, and not be underwater and cold — especially the deep-sea chapter, where you couldn’t even dive in real life,” said Chris Thacker, NHMLA fish curator, in a statement. “Users get an up-close look at the animals, particularly the whale and the turtle, and interact with jellyfish and see how they respond. The experience is scientifically accurate and does a good job of replicating what it’s like underwater, all while you’re just standing there, warm and dry.”

Advanced timed-tickets are required and can be purchased online at NHM.org starting February 9. Tickets are $8 for members and $10 for non-members. The exhibit is for people 10 years and older.

This post by Dean Takahashi originally appeared on Venturebeat.

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Wevr’s theBlu Lets Dubai Aquarium Visitors Go Beyond The Glass

Wevr’s theBlu Lets Dubai Aquarium Visitors Go Beyond The Glass

The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo now lets visitors go beyond the glass and having an astonishingly intimate encounter with sea life thanks to the HTC Vive.

Wevr’s theBlu, one of the first experiences to feature on the SteamVR headset, is one of a handful of VR apps on offer at the site’s new VRZOO. Visitors will be able to put on the headset and experience the brief, atmospheric encounter with a whale and other creatures that so many Vive owners will have already seen for themselves. The Vive it setup to support room scale play.

Offering a number of memorable encounters, theBlu is one of the most powerful examples of the sense of scale and immersion that VR can deliver, and appeals to just about anyone, not just gamers. If you haven’t checked it out for yourself, it’s available on Steam for $9.99.

While theBlu will create a sense of wonder, the VRZOO also hopes to educate its audience on the challenges that animals of all kinds face. In addition to the CG experience, live action, 360 degree footage will also showcase life both above and below the ocean in Uganda, South Africa, Maldives, Egypt, Australia and Mafia Island. These 3D clips will focus on aquatic wildlife facing extinction, aiming to raise awareness and support for their preservation. The installation was setup with the help of Emaar Entertainment.

VR is becoming an increasingly important tool in raise the awareness of many campaigns like these. When done right the connection users are able to grow with subjects inside headsets can be much more powerful than anything you’d see on a standard display, offering the next best thing to being there yourself. We’ve also seen the tech used to shine a light on the ongoing immigrant crisis that the world is facing and create a better understanding of historical events.

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Wevr’s theBlu to Feature at Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo’s ‘VRZOO’ Attraction

Earlier this month VRFocus reported on virtual reality (VR) studio Wevr’s collaboration with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles (NHMLA) to exhibit theBlu: An Underwater VR Experience. The company has now announced it’s working with Emaar Entertainment to bring theBlu to the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo.

As part of a new attraction called VRZOO which focuses on awareness and conservation efforts, theBlu: Season 1 will be used to allow visitors to explore multiple underwater habitats and come into virtual contact with creatures of the deep. Wevr has customised the experience specifically for VRZOO.

VRZOO

VRZOO will also feature a live-action 360-degree section from locations including Uganda, South Africa, Maldives, Egypt, Australia and Mafia Island, where users can see some of the world’s most captivating species, all of which are on the brink of extinction.

Maitha Al Dossari, Chief Executive Officer of Emaar Entertainment, said: “Emaar Entertainment is committed to providing visitors of all ages with interactive edutainment experiences. VRZOO is the latest addition, designed to broaden the mind and provide deeper connections to the world around us, using informative and interactive platforms. VRZOO demonstrates our commitment to education as we work toward a safe and more informed future for animals and humans alike.”

“Educating the public about endangered species is a key priority at Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo and we’re glad to be able to reflect that mission in the new VRZOO attraction,” said Paul Hamilton, General Manager & Curator, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. “As we continue to expand our offering, VRZOO is the next step in diversifying our educational platforms. The experience brings adventurers closer than ever to incredible creatures such as African Elephants and Dugongs, in a safe environment, where they can come face-to-face in a way that’s not possible in the wild. VRZOO carries an important message in that all the species showcased could be lost forever in the near future without intervention. It is frightening to think that in our lifetime, some of these species may become extinct and only live on in VR for future generations.

“For Emaar Entertainment, the conservation journey started at Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo with the world’s first Sand Tiger Shark artificial insemination programme; with this new initiative, we’re able to build on that, combining interactive technology and education in a fun, new way. We want people to feel a connection to the animals, and hope it leads to awareness and a deeper desire to get involved in conservation initiatives.”

If you can’t make it to Dubai to see VRZOO, you can always experience the normal version of theBlu on Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. For any further Wevr updates, keep reading VRFocus.

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles to Exhibit Wevr’s theBlu

Virtual reality (VR) studio Wevr has announced a collaboration with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles (NHMLA) to exhibit theBlu: An Underwater VR Experience, a specially curated cut of multi-award-winning VR series, theBlu.

theBlu: An Underwater VR Experience, directed by Jake Rowell (Call of Duty, Final Fantasy, Superman Returns), is a unique 6-minute presentation for NHMLA visitors, highlighting three environments. They’ll be able to encounter a 80-foot blue whale as it swims past a sunken ship; an undersea migration on the edge of a shallow coral reef, with turtles and swarms of jellyfish gliding by; and a deep dive into an abyss, where hidden creatures including angler fish and squid appear with the use of a virtual flashlight.

theblu_screen_008

“The museum has integrated technology and multi-media into our newer exhibits and is now exploring ways to enhance digital engagement with the natural world. This iconic deep dive VR experience from Wevr brings us to a new level of interactivity—and our visitors come along for the ride,” said Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga, NHMLA Director and President. “Engaging and inspiring visitors is what we do—and theBlu: An Underwater VR Experience is beautiful, powerful storytelling. It would not surprise me if the next generation of marine biologists—and VR developers—are inspired by this exhibit.”

“Here’s what it’s like, from someone who has done a lot of SCUBA diving: It’s fantastic to see all those underwater creatures, and not be underwater and cold—especially the deep-sea chapter, where you couldn’t even dive in real life,” says Dr. Chris Thacker, NHMLA Fish Curator. “Users get an up-close look at the animals, particularly the whale and the turtle, and interact with jellyfish and see how they respond. The experience is scientifically accurate and does a good job of replicating what it’s like underwater, all while you’re just standing there, warm and dry.”

Before starting the experience visitors are acclimated to the technology amid glowing NHMLA ocean specimens on display and projections of reef footage. They’re then led into five “pods” in the gallery, each containing a HTC Vive headset. For friends and families, a seating area is located nearby, where they can watch the action on a monitor.

theBlu: An Underwater VR Experience will be open to NHMLA attendees from 6th March – 28th Apriladvanced timed-tickets can be purchased online, at NHM.org.

For all the latest VR news from around the world, keep reading VRFocus.