Last month we reported that Disney would debut its next VR animation, A Kite’s Tale, at Siggraph 2019 in late July.
Now we have the first details about the project.
Disney’s Next VR Experiment
A Kite’s Tale is Disney’s second VR animation following the debut of Cycles at Siggraph 2018. It centers around two kites. A smaller one features a puppy that wags its tale as it glides through the air. The other is a larger, more elaborate dragon. The two initially clash but eventually learn to live alongside each other.
Our second VR short, “a kite’s tale,” will make its world debut at @SIGGRAPH 2019! This experimental short film, directed by Bruce Wright, combines hand-drawn animation and the latest VR technology to tell a whimsical tale of two kites. pic.twitter.com/QQkStssS4q
— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) July 12, 2019
The piece is directed by Bruce Wright and features hand-drawn animation. It was developed inside Disney Animation’s Short Circuit program. The initiative gives staff the chance to work on a blind submission. Cycles was created under the exact same program.
“Virtual reality has the ability to bring us into new worlds of story, and touch the hearts of the audience in never before dreamt of ways,” Wright said in a prepared statement. “It’s an honor to showcase our film at SIGGRAPH for the innovators and artists who are shaping the future of this medium.”
A Kite’s Tale will be just one of several projects on show at Siggraph’s VR Theater. The show runs from July 28 – August 1. No word yet on a wider release, though Cycles is sadly still yet to launch on home headsets.
Also at the show is Epic Games’ II Divino: Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling in VR, Parallux and New York University’s, Mary and the Monster: Chapter One and a new experience from Magic Leap called Undersea.
