Immersive storytelling doesn’t need huge budgets – it’s about graft and creativity.
In 2016, straight out of high school, Jak Wilmot started one of Atlanta’s first VR animation studios – Disrupt. They are now releasing an interactive VR experience called La Camila, about a young shepherd girl struggling to fill the shoes of her father.
The 20-minute interactive tale takes place on a fantasy Chilean village above the clouds where a young shepherd girl lives. When the storms of nature kill Camila’s papá, the viewer must help her create clouds for the burning world below.
“La Camila is set in a bright & colorful world, but going deeper, it’s a story about accepting responsibility in the face of hardship and adversity,” explains Wilmot.
Jak’s passion for creating virtual stories stems from animating Minecraft films and ultimately creating a feature length film entirely in Minecraft, Skies of Aurora.
After spending his formative years obsessing over video games and 360 experiences, he was inspired by Oculus Story Studio, Baobab & others to create his own rag-tag team of VR pioneers. The studio released their first VR film, Please State Your Name in 2016, which follows the tale of two androids in a dystopian world.
“Lá Camilla is Disrupt’s next step towards capturing the imagination of viewers and creating positive virtual experiences for all ages. Ultimately the film strives to start a conversation on accepting personal responsibility in the face of hardships. If I can give one person a positive experience, even if just 20 minutes, then I see it as a success.”
Made for under $1000, Lá Camilla is the first VR film to use HTC’s tracking pucks for all motion capture, a ground-breaking technique that’s proving popular for small independent studios as it becomes increasingly affordable.
“For the creatives in my generation, I think the next 3-5 years are crucial for learning the language of VR/AR before the industry truly takes off”
The film is compatible with Oculus/Vive/ & MR headsets on Steam
For companies looking to get into Immersive technologies such as VR/AR/MR/XR our Virtual Reality Consultancy services offer guidance and support on how best to incorporate these into your brand strategy.
Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasioon Twitter.