Schlagwort: film festival

  • Venice Film Festival’s VR Selection to Release on Viveport

    Venice Film Festival’s VR Selection to Release on Viveport

    Reading Time: 12 minutes

    Since film festival attendees can’t experience “la dolce vita” in person this year, the 77th Venice International Film Festival’s VR selection will be held entirely virtual in 2020. HTC Vive is partnering with La Biennale di Venezia to bring Venice VR Expanded, the official Virtual Reality selection of the festival, to the Viveport platform.

    From September 2 – 12, VR fans will be able to experience 25 virtual reality experiences and games on Viveport and nine 360° films on Viveport Video from the Venice VR Expanded selection. In addition to this, Venice Film Festival will be hosting the networking element of the festival in the custom-built world inside VRChat, also available through Viveport.

    Highlights from the Venice VR Expanded include ‘Gnomes and Goblins’ directed by John Favreau (WEVR), The Room VR: A Dark Matter’ (Fireproof Studios), ’Down the Rabbit Hole’ (Cortopia), ‘The Metamovie presents: Alien Rescue,’ a live virtual performance directed by Jason Moore, hosted by NEOS platform and ‘Il Dubbio’ (Reframe VR co-produced with VIVE Arts).

    Below you’ll find the entire lineup of the Venice VR Expanded experiences found on the Viveport platform. Note your favorites, pour a glass of vino and prepare to be transported, in VR, to the city of water:

    4 FEET HIGH by MARIA BELEN PONCIO, ROSARIO PERAZOLO MASJOAN, DAMIAN TURKIEH – Argentina / France – Detona Cultura / Red Corner / ARTE France / Realidad 360

    Seventeen-year-old Juana, who is stuck on a wheelchair, is willing to explore sexuality but is ashamed of her own body. In the process of trying to fit in at her new school, she is to face failure, friendship and fear before learning to accept herself.

    AFRICAN SPACE MAKERS by THE NRB BUS COLLECTIVE – Kenya / Germany – The Nrb Bus Collective

    This VR series depicts a new generation of emerging creatives. The journey begins in Nairobi, Kenya, one of the liveliest metropolises in sub-Saharan Africa.

    AGENCE by PIETRO GAGLIANO – Canada – Transitional Forms / National Film Board of Canada

    In this animated and interactive experience, the fate of artificially intelligent creatures known as Agents is in the viewer’s hands. In this algorithmic universe, Agents live on small planets according to a preordained plan until they slowly build a sense of self-awareness. Should the viewer decide to let them live in social harmony, or disrupt this balance?

    AJAX ALL POWERFUL by ETHAN SHAFTEL – USA / China – VeeR / easyAction

    Henry Winkler is a genie addicted to the human souls he collects in exchange for granting wishes to gullible humans. However, something is different about the seemingly naive little girl who has rubbed his lamp this time. For one thing, she has hired a strait-laced lawyer (Chris Parnell) to negotiate her wishes.

    AU PAYS DU CANCRE MOU (IN THE LAND OF FLABBY SCHNOOK) by FRANCIS GELINAS – Canada – couleur.tv

    with Catherine Cyr, Saule Gélinas, Francis Gélinas, Lileyna Joy, Monique Thomas, Daniel Judson

    In this animated experience, a young boy asks his elder sister how she managed to stop being afraid of the dark. She shows him a number of dreamlike drawings that come alive little by little and help him conquer his fears.

    BEAT by KEISUKE ITO – Japan – WOWOW Inc. / CinemaLeap Inc.

    Beat is a story literally born out of viewers’ heart since their heartbeat is faithfully reproduced in animation. Viewers also meet a rusty and heartless robot they can give their heart to by placing it in his metallic body. The happy robot stands up and starts moving around. After meeting new robots, though, he does not know how to communicate with them. His “heart” is key to the story’s progress and, through the robot’s personal growth, of viewers’ awareness of their own heart.

    DREAMIN’ ZONE by FABIENNE GIEZENDANNER – France / Sweden / Germany / South Korea – Zéro de Conduite Productions / CINÉ-LITTÉ PRODUCTIONS / FAUVEA Studio / STUDIO YOG

    with Yolanda Creighton, Béatrice Bastiani, Amy Bull

    Yuri, an old South Korean woman, thinks back of the day she turned ten, when she disobeyed her mother, ran away and crossed the border between the two Koreas in hope to meet her father, a soldier violinist who went to war and disappeared somewhere in North Korea. She travels through an animistic and dreamlike version of the demilitarized zone among strange-looking birds, mysterious ghosts and the scars the war left behind. Will she get to meet her dad?

     GNOMES AND GOBLINS by JON FAVREAU, JAKE ROWELL – USA – Wevr / MWM Interactive

    This animated, story-driven game is set in an enchanted world of gnomes and goblins. The viewer, as the protagonist, will encounter inhabitants of a fantasy land, build a relationship with them, become part of their society, and save them from their foe.

    GREAT HOAX: THE MOON LANDING by JOHN HSU, MARCO LOCOCO – Taiwan / Argentina – Serendipity / 3DAR

    In 1969, Apollo 11 lands on the moon. Despite those conspiracy theorists that called the moon landing a hoax, the Unites States proudly showed the world what a powerful nation could accomplish. Fifty years later, the Taiwanese people are fighting against identity crises and financial instability and waiting for something or someone to step up and make them rise again.

    HAVFOLKET KALDER MØRKNET VAND (HUSH)  by VIBEKE BRYLD – Denmark – Final Cut for Real

    A sensory VR experience and installation turning viewers into the subject of a Northern myth and taking them into a mythological underwater land born out of the harsh seas and plains of Thy, a rural region in the North of Denmark where superstition abounds and the powers of nature rule.

    HERE by LYSANDER ASHTON –USA / UK – Intel Studios / 59 Productions

    with Joe Roger Davies, Sarah Mina Son

    Based on Richard McGuire’s graphic novel, Here is a grand biopic on a specific corner of a room. We join the myriad characters that have called this particular room home throughout time. The narrative flow allows viewers to live an immersive experience in a unique place through time, connecting with those who have come before, as well as those yet to come. 

    KINSHASA NOW by MARC-HENRI WAJNBERG – Belgium / Congo – Wajnbrosse Productions / RG Créatifs Associés

    35,000 kids abandoned by their families following witchcraft allegations are doing their best to survive on the streets of Kinshasa, Congo. One night, fourteen-year-old Mika must suddenly come to terms with this terrible situation and learn the rules of the street to survive, find food and shelter, and, even most importantly, fit in.

    MINIMUM MASS by RAQI SYED, AREITO ECHEVARRIA – New Zealand / France / USA – Floréal Films / Like Amber

    The viewer is taken into the surreal cinematic story of a family living through a series of miscarriages. Set in contemporary Rotorua, New Zealand, their story is one of love, loss and black holes.

    MIRROR: THE SIGNAL by PIERRE ZANDROWICZ – France – Atlas V / Versus Production / Albyon Studio

    Sent to an unknown planet, young exo-biologist Claris violently crashes on a mysterious land. As she tries to find the other members of her team, she witnesses the first “signal” generated by the planet itself.

    OM DEVI: SHEROES REVOLUTION by CLAUDIO CASALE – Italy / India – Sibilla Film

    with Anjali Rani, Devya Arya, Shabnam, Ikra

    In contemporary India, we follow three women engaged in a day-to-day fight for gender equality. Anjali is a doctor who works non-stop to lower the high death rate. Shabnam is a civil rights activist and acid-attack survivor taking care of her daughter Ikra. Devy Arya studies at a Hindu school to become a priestess. Their diverse stories take us right to the heart of India’s changing society.

    ONCE UPON A SEA by ADI LAVY – Israel / Canada – Bilmey Intuitive Pictures

    Users are transported to the Dead Sea and taken on a tour of one of the wonders of the world, which has been inaccessible for 35 years. A place famous for its long history and therapeutic powers, the Dead Sea can now be virtually experienced by viewers thanks to photo-realistic environments.

    PENGGANTIAN (REPLACEMENTS) by JONATHAN HAGARD – Japan / Germany / Indonesia – Kampung Ayu / Ossa Film / Suwe Ora Jamu

    with John Navid, Tri Yuliantini, Rido Purwanto, Hartini Sarimo, Galih Budi Oetomo, Septatiana Effendi

    Inspired by people and places that truly exist, the film depicts a Javanese family living in a fictional neighborhood in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. Here, they witness the city’s political transformation and rise of Islamic fundamentalism causing the overall decay of the surrounding urban environment.

    RECODING ENTROPIA by FRANÇOIS VAUTIER – France – Da Prod

    In the midst of a spatial void, an imposing geometric form wanders in the horizon of infinite space presenting itself to the viewer’s eyes. It is a huge and pure eternity-evoking tetrahedron. As it stays still, it breaks apart scattering its million pieces in empty space as ghosts in the heart of infinity. Soon enough, this imposing entity is shattered into a cloud of particles dancing in nothingness.

    SHA SI DA MING XING (KILLING A SUPERSTAR) by FAN FAN – China, Beijing iQIYI Science & Technology co.

    with Luyao Zhang, Zi Dou, Ziqiao Song, Haorong Deng, Ding Yue, Songming Chen

    Lisa is an actress who has been recently caught in a scandal and even received death threats. Her agent invites a well-known TV host to Lisa’s secret villa for a live interview. Unexpectedly, at the beginning of the live show a dead person is found at the scene. Was it an accident or murder? Killing a Superstar is an immersive VR video: viewers can solve the case directly at the crime scene through interactive functions.

    SILTOJEN ALTA TULEVAISUUDEN IHMISELLE (MAN UNDER BRIDGE) by HANNA VÄSTINSALO – Finland – Thinkseed

    Johan K. Harju was a self-taught writer and historian, as well as an alcohol-addicted homeless person. His unique talent resided in his ability to document his friends’ lives as well as his own through his personal voice that made listeners see the world through his eyes. This virtual-reality experience combines animation with photos and Harju’s voice recordings from the Helsinki City Museum archives, placing users in a historical tram featuring animation inspired by Harju’s drawings.

    SMAGEN AF SULT (A TASTE OF HUNGER) by CHRISTOFFER BOE, DAVID ADLER – Denmark / Sweden / France – MAKROPOL / Zentropa / Atlas V / Zentropa Sweden

    with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Katrine Greis-Rosenthal

    A fully immersive VR experience placing the viewer at the center of a love affair’s classic triangle connecting attraction, conflict and reconciliation. The virtual space is divided into 20 moments linked with these three key situations, highlighting lovers’ unity and divergence.

    THE HANGMAN AT HOME – AN IMMERSIVE SINGLE USER EXPERIENCE by MICHELLE KRANOT, URI KRANOT – Denmark / France / Canada – Floréal Films / Late Love Production / Miyu Productions

    What does the hangman think about when he goes home at night from work? Based on Carl Sandburg’s poem, The Hangman at Home explores the possible answers to this question through five interwoven stories: five characters in one apartment, in five different moments. An immersive, animated and interactive experience allowing viewers to become aware of their influence on the events ¾ until they are required to make a decision and act upon them.

    WO SHENG MING ZHONG DE 60 MIAO (ONE MORE MINUTE) by WAN DAMING – China – Veer / MeDoc

    A documentary film on people’s lives during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. The viewer experiences the power and beauty of life, and the heartbreaking real events that took place at 10 a.m. on February 20, 2020.

    1ST STEP – FROM EARTH TO THE MOON  by JÖRG COURTIAL, MARIA COURTIAL – Germany – Faber Courtial

    with Christian Jacob, Alexander Waigel, Holger Winter

    A legendary space-travel experience following in the steps of the Apollo mission from launch to the astronauts’ journey back home: a magic story of how dreams came true as mankind took their first step on the moon.

    BLIND SPOT by HU ZHANGYANG – China – Unlimited Fly Inc

    As the main character of this videogame experience, the viewer wakes up in a storage room. The house the viewer has always lived in with his father and sister does not look like it used to. A weird phone message complicates things further.

     DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE by RYAN BEDNAR – Sweden – Cortopia Studios AB

    with Katie Gaskin, Sean Chiplock, Jean-Michel George, Michael Edwards, Bob Feeser, Jill Rolls

    In this prequel of Lewis Carroll’s celebrated Alice in Wonderland, viewers play the role of a girl that is accidentally transported to Wonderland; as such, they are free to control her fate and make decisions along the way.

    GRAVIDADE VR (GRAVITY VR) by FABITO RYCHTER, AMIR ADMONI – Brazil / Peru – Delirium Xr

    The story unfolds in a surreal world where all existing things are perpetually falling down, as are players themselves. In this world with no walls or horizon, no bottom or top, there is no fear of heights: rather, viewers find themselves floating in a gravity-free environment.

    JIOU JIA (HOME) by HSU CHIH YEN – Taiwan – Kaohsiung Film Archive / Hsu Chih Yen Director Studios / Funique VR Studio

    with Chia-Lin Hsu, Tsui-You Hung, Jia-Dong Shea, Ruey-Huey Kuo, Kun-Chuan Chen, Ying-Ting Li

    Based on the director’s real-life experience. A family gathers in their old house on a summer day to spend time with their grandmother who can now barely move, hear or react to any external input. Many people visit the house as the day goes by. The viewer also takes part in this family gathering in a very peculiar role: old grandma’s.

    SOUND SELF: A TECHNODELIC by ROBIN ARNOTT – USA – Andromeda Entertainment

    An inward-looking journey of meditation: through the use of their own voice, viewers experience a state of complete relaxation and altered awareness.

    THE BOOK OF DISTANCE by RANDALL OKITA – Canada – National Film Board of Canada

    Hiroshima, 1935. Yonezo Okita left his home in Japan for Canada. Then war and racism changed everything. Three generations later his grandson Randall Okita leads us on an interactive pilgrimage through an emotional geography of immigration and family to recover what was lost.

    THE ROOM VR: A DARK MATTER by MARK HAMILTON – UK – Fireproof Studios

    London, British Institute of Archaeology, 1908. The disappearance of an esteemed Egyptologist prompts a police investigation into the unknown. The viewer is called to explore cryptic locations, examine fantastic gadgets and solve puzzles in an otherworldly space that blurs the line between reality and illusion.

    IL DUBBIO – EPISODIO 1 by MATTEO LONARDI, producer: FRANCESCO LONARDI – Italy

    Nowadays, we tend to see doubts as weaknesses in our struggle to succeed no matter what. We would rather show off our accomplishments, confidence and productivity, especially in the creative process. Il dubbio is an interactive documentary VR experience challenging these assumptions and exploring doubt as a driver of creation. The journey begins in Leonardo Da Vinci’s studio, where users can experience a lesser-known side of the celebrated Renaissance master.

    MEET MORTAZA VR by JOSÉPHINE DEROBE, producer: ORIANE HURARD – France / Belgium

    An immersive VR experience taking viewers into the private life of a man driven into exile. Ten years ago, Mortaza was forced to leave Afghanistan when a fatwa was pronounced against him. After spending three dangerous months as an illegal alien on the run, he eventually reaches the country where he wants to seek asylum, France. However, the government proves to be another obstacle in his journey to freedom.

    QUEERSKINS: ARK by ILLYA SZKILAK, CYRIL TSIBOULSKI, producers: SARAH VICK, DIEGO PRILUSKY – USA

    Reading her son’s diary after she lost him to AIDS, a Catholic mother living in rural Missouri finds a way to overcome her pain by picturing him alive and in love. Viewers are helped to create the story by moving around and playing with their own body.

    VAJONT by IOLANDA DI BONAVENTURA, producer: SAVERIO TRAPASSO – Italy

    This interactive first-person VR experience is set in the Vajont valley, Italy, a few hours before the disaster. The story is centered on a dialogue between a husband and his wife: the woman senses the danger and wants to leave; her husband dismisses the idea that there is any danger at all. What stops us from leaving the places we feel we belong? Can we accept the idea of having to protect ourselves from something that is part of our own identity – the place we grew up in?

    Website: LINK

  • Ciao! VIVE is Heading to Venice

    Ciao! VIVE is Heading to Venice

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    Canals, gondolas, vino and romance, Venice is known as a dream Italian destination but for two weeks at the end of summer, “The City of Canals” is flooded with international film stars. The Venice Film Festival takes place from August 28 – September 7 and this year, VIVE is supporting six bellisimo VR experiences at the event. Three of these immersive films will be making their world debut while four are from HTC VIVE’s own VIVE ORIGINALS content studio.

    Learn more about these immersive cinematic titles below:

    INORI

    Synopsis: “In the world filled with mystical creatures constructed by Miwa Komatsu, these creatures will guide the experiencer through a journey of self-reflection, assertion, and spiritual reincarnation. In the virtual world, the experiencer will be able draw connection to the world as well as their inner self, bringing blessings from the unreal to the reality.”

    INORI is an interactive artwork from Japanese contemporary artist Miwa Komatsu and musician, Kay Huang. The VR documentary is the newest of the five VIVE ORIGINAL pieces being shown at Venice Film Festival where it will make its world debut.

    Glimpse

     

    Synopsis:Glimpse is an animated interactive VR experience, a highly emotive visual feast set in the imaginative mind of a heartbroken panda named Herbie who has recently broken up with his girlfriend Rice. Herbie is an illustrator and using his art we delve back through the memories of his relationship from the heartbreaking end to the beautiful beginning. A dreamlike voyage through his mind, his heart and his illustrations.”

    Glimpse stars Taron Egerton (Rocketman) who gives his voice to Herbie while Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody) plays Rice. Written and directed by Academy Award-winning writer-director Benjamin Cleary (Stutterer, Wave) and VR creator Michael O’Connor, Glimpse will have its world-first preview at the 76th Venice Film Festival.

    Gloomy Eyes – Episode 2

    Synopsis: “When the sun got tired of the humans it decided to hide and never rise again.
    The darkness awoke the dead from their graves. A zombie kid called Gloomy and a mortal girl called Nena fall in love and immerse in a deep connection that not even the most powerful man in town can destroy.”

    Narrated by Colin Farrell, the second episode of Gloomy Eyes will premiere at Venice Film Festival, introducing viewers to the next chapter in Gloomy’s story. Already a hit on the international film festival circuit, the first episode of  Gloomy Eyes has won awards at SXSW, Annecy International Animated Film Festival, NewImages Festival, Anima – The Brussels Animation Film Festival and Sandbox Immersive Festival.

    5X1

    Also showing at the Venice Film Festival are three films from VIVE Original’s 5×1 series. 5×1 is a cinematic VR series comprised of five short films. Directors Hou Hsiao Hsien and Liao Ching-Sung served as executive producers of this project, providing guidance to five up-and-coming directors.

    Only the Mountain Remains

    Synopsis: Escaping from the midlands of southern Taiwan, a pregnant Thai migrant enlists the help of a fellow Indonesian runaway to locate the father of her child – who has disappeared in the mountains. As they wait for their contact at a deserted petrol station, their plans are abandoned when a run-in with the police forces them to flee abruptly. As night falls, a mist descends – obscuring their paths and blurring the lines of their reality.

    O

    Synopsis: A fire pot burns in the dark night. Footsteps sound in the distance and an exhausted man in a suit walks in. The man talks on the phone as he walks and he appears defeated. We do not understand the man’s language but we can almost feel his sadness. Who is he? Where is he from? The man sits down on a giant black rock to rest. What is he planning?

    The Making Of

    Synopsis: The Making Of is centered around a 3D VR 360 camera and employs a pseudo-documentary format with a ‘film within a film’ meta cinema approach to portray the onsite filming and things that happen behind the scenes. The front viewing angle is the ‘film within the film’ where the cast of the film Juo ren mi mi play their roles in the film. The rearview is the director team responsible for filming Juo ren mi mi in the film while the left and right views show Midi Z’s filming crew, where the director in Juo ren mi mi uses dangerous methods such as ‘immersive filming’ to encourage the cast to play their roles.

    If you can’t make it to Venice, don’t worry! All of these titles will be heading to VIVEPORT soon so stay tuned for further news. Arrivederci!

    Website: LINK

  • VR and Storytelling at Tribeca Film Festival 2019

    VR and Storytelling at Tribeca Film Festival 2019

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    The 18th annual Tribeca Film Festival is now taking place in New York City, celebrating independent filmmaking and artists. This year, at Tribeca Immersive, the festival is showcasing an impressive lineup of 30 AR/VR titles. With leading VR creators in the industry premiering their latest titles at Tribeca, the festival highlights how some of the best experiences are created at the intersection of storytelling and technology.

    At Vive, we are dedicated to championing immersive cinematic VR experiences and delight in seeing the industry continue to grow and evolve. We are supporting five partners at Tribeca this year, all who are elevating the genre with their outstanding new content:

    Mr. Buddha – HTC VIVE

    A collaboration between HTC VIVE and Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee, 5×1 is a cinematic VR series comprised of five short films. Directors Hou Hsiao Hsien and Liao Ching-Sung served as executive producers of this project, providing guidance to five up-and-coming directors. Mr. Buddha, directed by Lee Chung, is one part of the five-part series.

    “The short crime story takes place in a car, following Dong-Tzu, Ching-Tsai, and Ni-Sang, who get their hands on a valuable antique only to have the fruits of their labor shared with the newcomer, A-Che.”

    Doctor Who: The Runaway – BBC/Passion Animation Studios

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9BuKcNVKPY]

    From the team behind Doctor Who Series 11, Doctor Who: The Runaway is a beautiful, animated, interactive story that brings you inside the TARDIS. The new immersive experience features Jodie Whittaker and Richard Elfyn.

    “You’ve been in a collision. You wake inside the TARDIS. The Doctor introduces you to the person, or thing, you collided with. He’s a strange and magnificent ball of living energy called Volta. Part surly teenager, part bomb, Volta is very unstable. In fact, he’s primed to explode. Big time. Unless he can be returned to his home planet, sharpish. The problem is, a squad of galactic busybodies has other plans for Volta. Bad ones. Drawn into a frantic chase, you become the Doctor’s unlikely assistant as she races against time to get Volta home to his parents. Armed with a sonic screwdriver, it is down to you to help the Doctor as she faces the forces of evil, and teenage angst, in this animated 13-minute VR adventure from the team behind Doctor Who Series 11.”

    Future Dreaming – Directed by Sutu

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq9xAk1CuZY]

    Future Dreaming was inspired by the ancient Australian Aboriginal practice of Dreamtime, the visualization technique where you can see your spirit move through the past, present and future. Over the course of a few months the young protagonists – Ali Lockyer, Maverick Eaton, Nelson and Maxie Coppin – collaborated with VR artist Sutu to design their Future Dreaming in the limitless creation space of Virtual Reality. Once their worlds were designed, they employed motion capture technology to animate their avatars to tell their story and guide visitors through their creation.

    “In this immersive VR experience, you will step into a time-warping dream bubble as four young Aboriginal Australians guide you through their futures. Be ready for an intergalactic adventure. Look out for the space emus!”

    Ayahuasca: Kosmik Journey directed by Jan Kounen – Atlas V, a_BAHN and Small Studio

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcpCo]

    Making its world premiere at Tribeca,  Ayahuasca: Kosmik Journey is an 18-minute immersive voyage through one of the most mysterious spiritual practices on the planet. Using the headset’s tracking capabilities, the interactive experience will keep track of a user’s movement and react accordingly.

    “Participants are immersed in visions triggered by a dose of ayahuasca. The spectator lives this through director Jan Kounen’s eyes as he travels on a spiritual voyage.”

    7 Lives directed by Jan Kounen – Red Corner Production, France Télévisions, a_BAHN and Frakas Productions

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY4YrJgnWlk]

    7 Lives is a 20-25 minute interactive experience that explores shared emotional connections and memories in VR.

    “An afternoon in June. Tokyo. 5 p.m. A girl jumps in front of the subway. Her soul rises from the rails. On the platform, the witnesses of the scene are in shock. It revived a trauma in them, painful memories they never overcame.”

    All of these experiences can be seen at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, taking place from April 24 – May 5 in lower Manhattan. Make sure to stay tuned as these immersive, cinematic experiences head to Viveport soon!

    Website: LINK

  • Vive Studios Celebrated for Immersive Storytelling at Raindance Film Festival

    Vive Studios Celebrated for Immersive Storytelling at Raindance Film Festival

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    VIVE Studios is pushing the boundaries of immersive storytelling, taking on the challenge of elevating the medium and using the latest technology to tell engaging stories in VR. Last week, VIVE Studios was recognized for its contribution to this new medium as two of the content publisher’s upcoming cinematic titles were shown at the Raindance Film Festival in London. By the end of the week, the newly announced 7 Miracles won the ‘Spirit of Raindance: VR Film of The Festival’ award while Start VR’s Awake: Episode One received a ‘Special Jury Mention in Best Interactive Narrative!

    Raindance marked the first public viewing of 7 Miracles, VIVE Studios’ 7-part episodic film based on the story of the seven miracles of Jesus Christ. Donning VIVE headsets, festival attendees experienced this well-known story for the first time in virtual reality with some scenes completely captured using photogrammetry for a fully immersive experience.

    “In the nearly thirty years I’ve been running Raindance I have seldom witnessed a project that combined inspiration and innovation in the way 7 Miracles has,” said Elliot Grove, Founder of Raindance Film Festival. “In the flattie world of Raindance I was instantly floored by Pulp Fiction (1994) then Blair Witch Project (1999) and then memento (2001). 7 Miracles is doing to VR what those three seminal films did for flatties. Sublime.”

    The team behind the film, Rodrigo Cerqueira, Marco Spagnoli (Hollywood Invasion, Hollywood on Tiber, Walt Disney and Italy – A Love Story), Enzo Sisti (Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Passion of the Christ) and VIVE Studios’ Joel Breton (Pirates of the Caribbean, Unreal, Anno 1602, Terrarria) gave a panel discussion at the event giving a behind-the-scenes look into producing a feature-length VR film. The conversation included insights on the unique equipment used in production to how acting in a 360 degree captured video is similar to the theater.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDMZOcvFMFI?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&w=730&h=411]

    Part of the VIVE Studios’ portfolio, Start VR’s Awake: Episode One also participated at Raindance this year competing in the Best Interactive Narrative category. Awake: Episode One is an ambitious cinematic experience that fuses interaction with immersive storytelling and advanced production techniques. Awake is a character-driven interactive cinematic VR series that blurs the line between dream and reality, as you are drawn into the perplexities surrounding space, time and the human psyche in its most vulnerable state. Start VR announced the November 15 launch date of Awake: Episode One for the VIVE and VIVE Pro on Viveport,  HTC’s VR platform.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QIqclFVHVk]

    Website: LINK