VR/AR & Immersive Entertainment Notes

VRTL Summit and Immersive Technology

• The VRTL summit indicates growing interest in immersive technology within Hollywood.
• The technology is still in early stages, but has potential as a powerful storytelling tool.
• VRC is exploring aspects like directing, storytelling, character development, and editing in VR.
• It represents an exciting future combining cinema, gaming, and Hollywood.

Early Exploration of VR

• Exploration of VR began during work on Avatar.
• Creating 360-degree worlds for Avatar with a virtual camera foreshadowed stepping into those worlds.

Demand for VR Content

• Initial expectations were focused on gaming community.
• A cinematic test was conducted to explore VR's storytelling potential, incorporating theatrical music and Skywalker sound.
• Immersion in VR creates a cinematic experience that is distinct and more powerful.

Challenges in VR

• One focus is integrating real actors into VR environments.
• Exploration of array camera capture techniques and dimensional video is ongoing.
• The ultimate goal is to capture emotional performances from professional actors in VR, which hasn't been achieved yet.

Acting in VR

• The acting community is beginning to embrace VR.
• Compelling content and well-written scripts are needed to attract top talent.

Investment and Capital

• Limited capital is a challenge in the early stages.
• More investment in content and the involvement of skilled writers and storytellers will attract top talent.