I don’t know about your experience, but this week was pretty rough on my end. So I take some heart in knowing just how strong the global immersive community is going in spite of all the stress and turmoil.
What’s being created isn’t happening in a vacuum, after all. It never is. There are tectonic shifts going on in culture. America is at the epicenter, but we’re a global society now no matter how you slice it.
This reality leaves me wondering just how it will manifest in the art that the immersive and experiential community makes in the weeks and months to come, as the shock of going digital fades and more creators find their voices adapted to the new constraints.
Because there’s a real need for the kind of relationships that immersive work models and fosters in this era of social media shallowness.
One thing is for certain: more creators are trying their hand than ever before, as we’ve got fifteen new listings this week, which if memory serves is some kind of record.
If you’ve got work that you want listed here and in the NoPro Newswire, head over the Everything Immersive and start the process there.
One last thing before we get into it, you should probably take a look at the work Kaleidoscope is doing with its grants programs. It’s a unique approach: there are monthly membership dues to be part of the ecosystem which also come with the privilege of submitting and voting on grant proposals. Membership starts at $25/month, and those funds are pooled and power the various grants, which are also doled out monthly.
I’ve joined the board of directors of the Transformation grant, which covers projects “that explores the future of live performance’ engagement with creative technology.” It’s for work in development, and as of this writing will reward a $822 grant this month. The deadline is the 30th. To reiterate: membership is required to submit.
So you know: Kaleidoscope gets a cut of the membership funds, that’s how they run their operation. However, I’m not compensated as a member of the grant board. I just think this is a worthwhile model, as we’re increasingly left to bootstrap creative projects. There are other grants in VR/XR and creative technology in the overall program, and you should check them out. The Black Realities Grant — which is focused on Black creators working in all formats, genres, and categories of screen-based projects — is particularly promising.
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ON THE PODCAST THIS WEEK
Jay Rinsky, the founder, CEO, and creative director of the NYC based Little Cinema is back on the show to talk about the arrival of Little Cinema Digital. This new venture from the production company has seen the theatre professionals pivot into creating a video platform of their own.
They’ve been using it to host premiere parties for television shows, complete with online versions of the elaborate, immersive afterparties Little Cinema is known for. This weekend the public will get a taste with Who Killed Alejandro Valdez? — a free fan event that celebrates the launch of the second season of TNT’s The Alienist with a murder mystery party that shows off Little Cinema’s fantastic new platform.
FROM THE WIRE: SHOWS, EVENTS, & EXPERIENCES
We’re still running the Newswire here at NoPro while the public beta of Everything Immersive shakes out. To get your work on the Newswire, submit at EverythingImmersive.com
DOUBLE
The first transmission from Darkfield Radio, Immersive Audio Experiences at home
Secret Thing Presents: Out There
Thank you for your time.
B.O.W.L.I.N.G Night
Humans contestants play a future-sport called BOWLING for the entertainment of a maniacal computer
Escape Zoom
A journey into a world of secret passages, hidden codes and B-movie storylines
How to Win
The new online game from Hidden Track
The Evidence Chamber
An interactive online courtroom drama where the audience becomes the jury…
LA/Remote: Gary’s Divorce Party
An immersive online wine tasting experience
Zoom Tarot Readings with Madame Daphne
Intimate, insightful, strange
Telephone
A gently interactive online performance, exploring the history of telecommunications
Velveteen Ribbons
Let’s become real, together
Son of Sam
Terror DTLA makes an at-home game
The House Never Wins
Interactive theatre where you play for real cash — and the future of our planet
Pandemic Phone Bank
Activism has always been interactive, but…we’re going extra this time.
The Under Presents: Tempest
Live, interactive, remote performances of Shakespeare’s The Tempest in VR!
The Homes We Build
Live out a 60-year relationship in just a few hours with a partner from the comfort of your home
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REVIEWS
Two reviews this week, and they couldn’t be more different.
Martin loved The Art of Walking in Western New York, which got him back out into the world with a headset based processional performance:
On my drive home, I was asking myself if the piece was actually good, or if I was just in too much immersive theatre withdrawal that I’d think anything was good. After much thought, I came to the conclusion that this piece deserves plaudits as it is special.
Meanwhile, Cheyenne did not find her faith restored by The Confessional:
The Confessional is either a live action roleplaying game (LARP) that is not clearly marked as a LARP, or it is a meandering, slap-dash phone experience that isn’t quite sure what its own purpose is. Though I have no way of knowing what the creators intended, my money is on the latter.
As always, your mileage may vary.
Rediscovering ‘The Art of Walking’ (Review)Reconnecting with the simple pleasures at the Lewsiton, NY Artparknoproscenium.com‘The Confessional’ Has Its Own Sins to Confess (The NoPro Review)A poorly-researched, meandering, and unfunny experience by Living Lucid Creativenoproscenium.com
News From around the Immersiverse
We kick things off with a look at the state of live entertainment as a whole, thanks to Variety. As you can imagine, things are grim, and this extensive piece lays out what’s happening — from the harsh realities to the hare brained schemes. It’s one of the best overviews of the whole kit and kaboodle you’re liable to get: although immersive doesn’t factor into their reporting.
Staying on the live side of things, American Theatre magazine “commissioned a series of ‘check-ins’ with a handful of theatres in each of the nine [Theatre Communications Group defined] regions to see how they were faring and what they were planning.” There’s also a look at the growing antiracism movement in American theatre as part of the mix.
The UK’s Audience of the Future LIVE program have issued their Immersive Audience Journey Report.
A must read for immersive content creators wanting to produce enthralling immersive work and build a better understanding of current and future audiences, how to attract them, retain them, and, importantly, how to grow them.This report is an even more essential resource in light of the Covid pandemic, especially for businesses working to pivot their operations.
Well, you see what the blurb says. Get to reading already.
Actor and filmmaker Brendan Bradley has been experimenting with digital tools in order to create a space for virtual reality theatre. He’s spun up a whole space in Mozilla Hubs, and is offering it up to those who want to recreate the theatre going experience.
Note: as you can tell from the video below, there’s still some technical know-how involved, so this isn’t an off the shelf solution for those who aren’t somewhat familiar with the toolset.
If you happen to have access to a PC-enabled VR headset, you may want to set a marker in your calendar for the next big XR event in the Museum of Other Realities: The Fabric of Reality, a virtual fashion show.
Finally a little fun: buried treasure.
This is one that both Damian Madray and Lawrence Myers posted in the E.I. Facebook group. A Detroit jeweler, Johnny Perri, says he has buried treasure all around Michigan and is selling tickets — at $49 a head to start — to those who want to go on the hunt.
This is Perri’s way of holding a going out of business sale, and frankly, I can think of worse ways to retire.
Opportunities: Professional & Educational
Kaleidoscope: Transformations Grant
$822 monthly grant with a $2,000 goal
DEADLINE Jul 30, 2020
Kaleidoscope membership, starting at $25/month, required to submit
FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS — The Transformations Grant awards a monthly cash prize to projects that explore possible futures of the performing arts. Any project that explores the future of live performance’ engagement with creative technology are encouraged to apply. All performance genres, and categories of immersive projects will be considered including films, games, apps, augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality. The funds should be used to push your project forward in a meaningful way such as developing a polished pitch deck, hiring a concept artist, creating a prototype, or offsetting production costs.
Odyssey Works — Experience Design Project Incubator
Application due August 1.
- 4 week course focused on developing a project of your own
- Join a carefully selected cohort of talented people designing dynamic new experiences
- Remote sessions will connect you with a diverse community of creators from various parts of the world
- $2500; payment plans and partial scholarships available
- Starting in late September 2020
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