In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, several VR and AR projects that were set to be presented at this year’s SXSW Festival are being released online this month after the festival’s cancellation. The projects include several 360 video projects that will launch on Oculus TV, along with a new AR project called ‘Fragments’ that is available now for Magic Leap 1 users.
SXSW announced that they would launch a new collaboration called the ‘SXSW 2020 Virtual Cinema on Oculus TV’. In lieu of a physical festival, SXSW will present seven 360 video projects which were all entered into the Virtual Cinema competition before the physical events were cancelled. All seven projects will be available to experience in Oculus TV from May 22-31, and you can read more details about each project on the SXSW site.
Additionally, a new augmented reality project from Atlas V and NSC Creative called ‘Fragments’ is available for the Magic Leap 1 from today. The project was set to have its world premiere at SXSW as part of the official selection before cancellation. The project is directed by Peabody Award winner Aaron Bradbury and is based on the true story of Lisa Elin and her husband Erik Craighead, who passed away six years after they met. Fragments will explore the themes of grief, death and ‘how we perceive and hold onto memories of a tragic event.’ The project’s release also coincides with the International Day of Light, chosen as a a ‘reminder of hope in these especially dark times’.
Will you be checking out any of these SXSW VR and AR projects when they go live? Let us know in the comments below.
