A few hours ago I talked about a new tool that will help directors develop interactive content in virtual reality environments. And now, we find the news that Oculus VR has formed its own studio, named Oculus Story Studio. If there was any doubt that virtual reality seeks to storm the world of cinema, it has just been completely cleared.
If you were the number one virtual reality developer and had the financial support of a monster like Facebook, what would you do? I imagine our readers' ideas would be very varied, but exploring new territories seems to be the most natural. One of the most recent examples is Amazon, which recruited the very Woody Allen to write and direct a new television series. Beyond what one might think about him, we are talking about someone with sixty years of career and four Oscars on his shelves. If a company like Amazon has the ability to convince Woody Allen to develop content, the rest of the market cannot be left behind. The case of Oculus VR is very special, as it has a very powerful card up its sleeve: virtual reality. The company has direct control over the development of the Rift, and a notable amount of resources at its disposal. What prevents it from creating its own films?
Oculus Story Studio: A Bold Move into Film
From now on, the answer is nothing. Oculus VR has given shape to the division Oculus Story Studio, half studio, half laboratory, in charge of developing films that fully take advantage of the elements available in the world of virtual reality. During the early days of the Oculus Rift, the company's CEO Brendan Iribe had a conversation with a Hollywood director (whose name did not transpire), who basically begged him to apply the virtual headset technology in the creation of a film. At that time, Iribe rejected the idea immediately, but today we discover that Oculus VR intends to enter the film market with its own momentum, inviting external directors, and counting on talents from giants such as Pixar and Lucasfilm.
The studio's first film is called Lost, and it had its official debut at the Sundance Film Festival. It is a short story in which a giant robotic hand looks for its owner, and so far it has been very well received by those who had the opportunity to see it; however, the studio believes that the immersion factor must be even deeper. The next films will be Bullfighter, based on bullfighting, Henry, a comedy that will have a porcupine as its main character, Dear Angelica, and two more projects whose names are not yet known.
