New Film-making Using VR

This is just bonkers level film-making.

Motion pictures have gone through quite a few developments over the decades in how they are made but this one has really transformed it all, and I'm unsure if it is for better or worse.

The Lion King was released recently and billed as a live-action remake of the animated original.

What is real and what isn't in the new film is a whole new question though and begs a basic question around that.  What is "animated" today and what isn't?  When you read this story on how this new version of the classic animated original was made you have to think this is really more of an animated film than live-action.

Color me confused.

Here is a snippet from the piece, and the whole article is worth your time:

On December 7, 2017, myself and a group of journalists traveled to Playa Vista, California to visit the “set” of The Lion King. I put “set” in quotes because, really, there were no sets. There was no grass or trees or animals in this building. The building is about three miles from the Pacific Ocean and so non-descript you could drive by it every day for your entire life and have no idea what was going on inside. It could be an Amazon distribution center or have the Ark of the Covenant in it. You’d have no idea unless you were allowed inside.

This particular building had one purpose only: remaking The Lion King. Every step of the process, from the story, to the design, all the way through the edit, visual effects, sound and more took place here. In fact, 90 percent of The Lion King was made in this building by about 150 people. (Outside visual effects houses helped too.)

Here is the whole article:

https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-lion-king-set-was-a-bunch-of-vr-headsets-in-a-gia-1836736857

In the Information Age we are just entering all aspects of our lives will change.  How we do basic things will take on a whole new look.

Not too long ago a movie could only be made with someone pointing a camera at people or things in the real world.  No more.  Now we can craft whole worlds without leaving a room.

Bonkers, but really cool to look at.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

How AR and VR can Help Your Marketing

I'm convinced Augmented Reality has a very strong future to empower digital interactions between people.  VR is more niche as it requires a greater commitment of intensity during the interaction.

Here is one take on how either can be useful for your marketing:

You’re planning your next holiday but rather than reading reviews and looking at images of the resort you intend to stay in, you put on a virtual reality headset and are instantly transported there. You walk around the hotel, head out onto the main strip and wander past the shops and restaurants, making your way down to the beach where you can almost feel the soft sand between your toes and the sea breeze in your hair. You’re longing to get into the turquoise sea and so remove the headset and hand over your credit card.

It sounds futuristic, doesn’t it? Well, newsflash – that reality has already arrived...

Here is the full story:

https://www.clickz.com/4-ways-to-use-immersive-technology-to-change-the-face-of-your-marketing/219424/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Virtual Reality Entertainment in Your Mall

We have all heard a bit about VR, virtual reality, or maybe even AR, augmented reality.

VR.  You know?  Those goofy looking people wearing some crazy futuristic headset and acting like they don't know what's happening in the real world?

Yes that.

Or "Ready Player One" as Steven Spielberg's film showed us (I do not recommend that movie, really a waste of time).

What I wasn't prepared for was a VR entertainment ride in the mall.

Here is a picture of me, on the right, taking the ride for a ... spin.

What I also was not prepared for was what the physical effect of the "ride" portion would have on me when married to the Virtual Reality headset.  Wow!  Complete immersion!

Now, I'm no fan of roller coasters as I've hardly ever ridden them and haven't built up a tolerance to their behavior.  I'm up for the Goofy ride at Disney World but not much more.  I figured, its VR, it isn't real, why not try a big roller coaster for my first ride.

No way!  I immediately panicked!  Had to take the head set off quickly and just move on.

Really?  Yes, it had that much of an impact.  I closed my eyes and chanted "It's not real.  It's not real. It's not real."  Then just gave up.  My next attempt I parachuted in to Normandy on D-Day in 1944. That was much better for me as the physical ride didn't have the same impact.

Bottom line, as I've known for years, if you haven't tried VR you just have NO IDEA what it is like.  This is going to be HUGE.  Movies.  Games.  You name it.

Here is the website for a company like the one I experienced in Boston:

http://www.vr360adventures.com/about-us/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Brands Blazing a Trail in AR or VR

Wait.

What in the world is AR?

For that matter, what is VR.  Wait.  Maybe I know that one.

Augmented Reality or AR and Virtual Reality or VR are becoming hot buzzwords for a reason.  This stuff is really cool.

The folks over at ClickZ who just released a great article challenging brands to bump up their AR/VR game have released another excellent read.  This time they're focusing on brands already doing it well.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

It’s hard to believe that it’s only been two years since Pokemon Go became a national obsession and made augmented reality (AR) not just a possibility, but a reality, for digital marketers. These days, it seems like everyone is trying to figure out how to make AR work for their brand, but the key to creating an AR experience that gets audiences engaging, according to Jason Yim, CEO of Trigger Global, is to focus on functionality rather than novelty.

Here is the full article:

https://www.clickz.com/ar-isnt-just-fun-and-games-here-are-the-brands-at-the-forefront-of-functional-ar/216076/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Brand Prep for Augmented Reality Advertising

Just when you thought you worked out your social media strategy and executed on your mobile plan now it is virtual reality or augmented reality.

Are you ready?

The fine folks over at ClickZ (you really should follow their work) have a great little article on the subject hot off the presses (for my younger readers that means they just wrote it).

Read on:

https://www.clickz.com/augmented-reality-ads-are-here-is-your-brand-ready/215659/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Earlier this week, Facebook announced that it’s moving augmented reality (AR) ads out of Messenger and into the News Feed. Early adopters like fashion retailer Michael Kors and beauty brands like Sephora are creating ads that allow Facebook users to virtually test products from the comfort of their couch.

The move means that even brands without huge marketing budgets should start thinking about how AR can fit into upcoming campaigns...

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Virtual Store Obsession

First, let's get the notion of the so-called "retail apocalypse" out of the way.

The Unites States is over-saturated with physical retail and it is feeling gravity pull it back to earth. Also, a few brands that have failed to keep up with the times are going under (Sears won't last much longer as the CEO enriches himself with its brands).

However, there is a whole new opportunity for retail and there is a gold rush to get there.

Next up is the virtual online experience.  Enter the Obsessed.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

"You can't sell fashion and art the same way you sell toothpaste," says Neha Singh. "But on the internet, that's exactly what we do: Toothpaste is sold the same way as beautiful clothes."

Singh is the founder of Obsess, a new online shopping platform that seeks to reinvigorate what she describes as the "boring and tedious" business of online shopping. Singh hopes to usher in a new era of online retail, where currently, items are almost always presented as two-dimensional thumbnails on a uniform scroll-through grid.

Here is the full story:

http://www.businessinsider.com/neha-singh-obsess-google-amazon-experience-online-shopping-2018-6

I love stories like this for the multi-faceted aspect of it.  This is retail, it is technology, it is innovation, it is the customer experience, it is all of that and more.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Star Wars Rogue One 360 Experience

If you haven't seen any of the 360 degree experiences, or VR simulators around the net you are in for a treat.  If you are skeptical how a Virtual Reality experience might pull you in, take a look at this.

Just for the sake of warning, I have no idea if this short bit is any kind of a spoiler for the little movie coming out December 16, but I can tell you to avoid this if you want a completely clean experience.  It isn't anything substantial, and is well worth it in my opinion, but some folks might want to avoid this.

Check it out!

http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/786165-watch-the-rogue-one-recon-360-experience#/slide/1

Happy ... VR fun?!?

J.W. Gant

PS  The viewing experience is best on a hand-held device such as your phone or tablet.