If you want proof that Hollywood is taking VR seriously, you need look no further than the impressive line-up for the newly-announced VR On The Lot event set to take place in a few months’ time.
This two-day showcase of all things virtual reality will be taking place at Paramount Pictures Studios in California on October 13th and 14th and will play host to content demos and presentations from major media companies. It’s designed for entertainment industry professionals and organized by the VR Society, a new group established by The Advanced Imaging Society, that seeks to push the use of VR and AR among those professionals.
Organizers also want to unify the branding of VR movies and other media as ‘Virtual Reality Experiences’ (VRE). They’ll aim to do this by hosting a series of ‘VRE Creative’ sessions for content makers, while also focusing on the business side of VR with ‘VR Return on Investment’ talks.
VR On The Lot will bring together many major media companies, including Sony Entertainment, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Studios, NBC Universal and DreamWorks Animation. They’ll have some of their own VR experiences to show off, though arguably more exciting are the sessions and workshops set to run throughout the event.
One of these will be hosted by Robert Stromberg, the director behind Disney’s Maleficent and a founder of The Virtual Reality Company that also created last year’s The Martian VR Experience to complement the Ridley Scott movie. He’ll deliver the event’s opening keynote, talk about his own vision for VR and the industry it has created. In a statement, he said that the show will help “to speed up the exchange of ideas and strategies that will help the industry to deliver quality VR”.
Also speaking is Bryan Singer, the director behind many of the X-Men movies, as well as screenwriters Michael Dougherty and John MacInnes. Elsewhere you can expect talks on writing, directing, editing and a range of other areas of VR filmmaking. Research studies will also be released during the event.
It’s not just about movies, though, as companies like Sony Music and even Epic Games will be at the show. Oculus and HTC Vive will also be there to provide hands-on demos. AMD is the headline Presenting Sponsor for the event, though UploadVR is also a Co-Presenting Sponsor and Media Partner. Upload will be hosting the event’s official party in LA on the opening night. We’re yet to announce the venue so stay tuned.
LIFE VR, a new multi-platform VR spin-off of the LIFE brand, is the other Co-Presenting Sponsor. The new division is set to include programming from the likes of TIME, People, Sports Illustrated and InStyle when it launches later on in the year.
Tickets to VR On The Lot are available from today along with the full schedule of speakers and events. Day passes start at $319 and a two-day pass is available for $449. Get tickets fast, though, as prices will rise in the weeks leading up to the show.
