Following the successful debut of its first ever virtual-reality short film, Walt Disney Animation Studios is open to exploring more of the world through VR.
What’s happening:
- Last year, Walt Disney Animation Studios ventured into new territory with its first ever virtual-reality short film, called Cycles.
- This past week at the Sundance film festival, Disney revealed that Cycles wasn’t going to be its last venture into VR.
- According to Cnet, the Animation Studios has greenlit another "top secret" VR short from Jeff Gipson, the director of Cycles.
- Gipson shared the news with press and movie insiders during a screening of the film at the Sundance festival.
- Cnet also writes that the team behind Cycles “is open to wide public release on a platform like the Oculus store.” However, at this time no such announcements of development have been made.
What they’re saying:
- Nicholas Russell, Cycles producer and head of the Disney professional development program: "What Cycles is proving is VR is something the studio wants to explore. The fact that they greenlit another one this quickly is proof that they might not know exactly what tomorrow looks like for Disney and VR, but we're going to keep exploring."
- Jeff Gipson, the director of Cycles: "Because this is our first VR, it's raised so many questions for the studio"
Cycles:
- “With a look and feel that's unmistakably Disney, the 3-minute-long Cycles depicts the history of one family in their midcentury modern California home, with vignettes about them that jump back and forth in time over the course of about 40 years.”
- The story was inspired by Jeff Gipson’s childhood, spending time with his grandparents, and later helping them move to an assisted-living residence.
The next project:
- Russell and Gipson could only share only limited details about the next VR project.
- They told media guests it's likely to also be a short that falls in the three- to five-minute range.
- Russell mentioned the company is allowing Gipson and his team to explore using Disney's existing cast of characters in VR. "The studio is super excited about it," Russell added.
- More Disney VR:
Earlier this month, Disney and Audi presented their development of a new Marvel-based VR game for vehicle passengers to experience on the road. - A 15-minute Ralph Breaks the Internet-themed experience joined the Void at locations around the country. Here guests get to step into a virtual-reality setting with characters from the film and participate in mini games and challenges.