SIGGRAPH 2022 will feature leading directors, producers, and filmmakers with their creations in virtual reality. The VR Theater Program will showcase the latest in immersive and short form storytelling, utilizing the computer graphics and visual effects techniques to create alternate realities. From fantasy and documentaries to award-winning films, the VR Theater and VR Kiosks celebrate the evolution of Virtual Reality as a medium. The 49th annual conference will run 8–11 August in person, with on-demand talks available virtually 25 July–31 October 2022.
The VR Theater creates an unforgettable and engrossing experience for in-person attendees. This year's selections showcase beautiful usage of volumetric capture technology and content that has evolved and developed through the years. From pacing and production quality to narrative techniques, the 2022 VR content emphasizes the growth and development of the medium.
There will be multiple showings of two films in the main theater from 9:30am to 5:00pm, 8 August through 10 August 2022, and from 9:30am to 2:00pm on 11 August 2022. The two stories characterize the next generation of longer length narrative pieces, and combine the best in techniques, storytelling, innovations, and theme. Attendees can also experience a "drive through cinema—with spaceships" in the virtual SIGGRAPH VR Theater lobby, which was co-developed with the Centre for Digital Media.
In addition to the main theater, there will also be four kiosks that provide additional viewings of other pieces from the 2022 selections. Showings will be available 8 August through 10 August 2022, from 10:00am to 5:00pm, and on 11 August 2022 from 10:00am to 3:30pm.
"The 2022 VR Theater picks emphasize visual style, immersive storytelling, and provide a glimpse into new ways creators can produce virtual realities," said SIGGRAPH 2022 VR Theater Chair Yangos Hadjiyannis. "This year's works allowed us to make the decision to have more pieces presented, in both the main theater and the VR kiosks. It allows SIGGRAPH attendees to see more content and get a full sense of trends and subject matters in the VR medium. Feeling present and having a visceral experience is being taken to new levels with every passing year. The involvement viewers can have with these stories make them more meaningful and exciting."
Highlights from VR Theater Program include:
Contributors: German Heller, Writer and Co-Director, 3Dar; Federico Carlini, Co-Director, 3Dar
Paper Birds is a story of a short-sighted child with an exceptional talent for music. He must find his way through the world of darkness to bring back his sister, taken away by the shadows. An interactive story about a young musician in search of true inspiration.
Contributor: Kirsty Jennings, Executive Producer, Anagram
The award-winning Goliath: Playing with Reality uses mind-bending animation and explores the limits of reality. A true story of "schizophrenia" and the power of gaming communities, the narrator (Echo voiced by Tilda Swinton) guides the viewer through the many realities of Goliath, a man who spent years in isolating mental health institutions but finds connection in multiplayer games. Through heart-felt dialog, mesmerizing visuals and symbolic interactions, the viewer goes through multiple worlds to uncover Goliath's poignant story.
Contributor: Arif Khan, Writer and Director, USC – Cinematic Arts
Black Ice VR tells the story of a cyberpunk future where a young woman visits a memory editor to suppress a dark memory of a murder she committed. However, the more she alters the memory, the more she finds herself wanting to kill again.
Contributors: Fish Wang, Original Story and Director, Zero One Film; Meng-Yin Yang, Executive Producer, Kaohsiung Film Archive; Pei-Hua Yu, Executive Producer, Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation; Pu-Yuan Cheng, Executive Producer, Funique VR; Shuping Lee, Co-Executive Producer, Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation; Yi-Ching Chen, Producer, Zero One Film; Ming-Yuan Chuan, VR Supervisor, Funique VR
The Red Tail is an adventure story about a young boy always chasing a mysterious red tail. After passing through countless magical places, he finds himself waking up in a gentleman's room. When the red tail reminds the boy of his own memory and sadness…what's the secret hidden behind, and where will it lead him next?
Contributors: Arnaud Colinart, Director, Atlas V; Mike Brett, Director, Archer's Mark, Astrea; Steve Jamison, Director, Archer's Mark, Astrea; Pierre Zandrowicz, Director, Atlas V, Astrea
An immersive virtual reality documentary, On the Morning You Wake follows the 2018 ballistic missile alert in Hawaii. On January 13th, 2018, an alert was issued to the 1.4 million citizens of Hawaii. A communication collapsed and panic took hold of the population, an understanding formed to the growing and urgent nature of today's nuclear threat.
Access to the SIGGRAPH 2022 VR Theater and VR Kiosks are available in-person. Learn more and register for the conference at s2022.SIGGRAPH.org/register.
About ACM, ACM SIGGRAPH, and SIGGRAPH 2022
ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources, and address the field's challenges. ACM SIGGRAPH is a special interest group within ACM that serves as an interdisciplinary community for members in research, technology, and applications in computer graphics and interactive techniques. The SIGGRAPH conference is the world's leading annual interdisciplinary educational experience showcasing the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2022, the 49th annual conference hosted by ACM SIGGRAPH, will take place as a hybrid event, with live events 8–11 August at the Vancouver Contention Centre and virtual content available starting 25 July through 31 October, 2022.
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