Virtual reality is coming to the movies. This time, a new division is developing new immersive and interactive experiences with two of your favorite films. Learn what the VR experiences based on Star Wars and Jurassic Park will be like.
ILMxLAB: A New Division for Immersive Experiences
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the special effects company behind Star Wars and Jurassic World (among other box office hits), and Lucasfilm announced the formation of ILM Experience Lab (ILMxLAB), a new division to develop new immersive and interactive experiences that not only take advantage of all recent advances in virtual reality and augmented reality, but also aim to give meaning to the experience so that it is not just seeing everything in first person. ILMxLAB combines compelling storytelling, technological innovation, and world-class production to create an immersive entertainment experience, as its creators explain in the following video:
For several years, the company has been investing in real-time graphics, building a foundation that allows ILMxLAB to deliver interactive imagery with unprecedented fidelity. To accomplish such a task, ILMxLAB has the support of specialists from Lucasfilm, ILM, and Skywalker Sound, who are working on the VR experiences based on Star Wars and Jurassic Park. The decision to start with these two cinematic classics is due to the fact that the visual elements are in very high resolution and easily manipulable. As a demonstration, at the end of the year ILMxLAB will be revealing some VR experiences based on Star Wars to coincide with the release of The Force Awakens.
A Glimpse at the Upcoming VR Experiences
In the case of Jurassic Park, the viewer has access to the park with the presence of the dinosaurs. The animation of the dinosaurs is a combination of photorealistic animation with live-action scenes from the film to give it a more realistic look. ILMxLAB's goal is to create original content and produce experiences exclusively for virtual reality platforms. If you've ever dreamed of having your own velociraptor as a pet or walking around Tatooine, now is the best reason to get an Oculus Rift headset.
ILMxLAB
