Fantastic Fest 2016 Gets Scary in VR! First Look at Mule!
Shane Churchman
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The 12th Annual Fantastic Fest will be hitting Austin, Texas, from September 22-29th, 2016; and we have a look at one of the event’s scariest VR attractions. Read on for details.
From the Press Release:
Partnering with Los Angeles VR studio Dark Corner, Fantastic Fest will be bringing Virtual Reality to the festival for the first time and World Premiering a terrifying VR experience from the same team that wrecked senses with their 360º hospital shocker Catatonic.
The curated program, or “Dark Corner” as it will be appropriately titled, will showcase virtual reality genre films curated by VR content studio Dark Corner and will feature three immersive experiences, including the World Premiere of Dark Corner founder Guy Shelmerdine’s eagerly-anticipated Mule.
“We’re incredibly excited to be an integral part of Fantastic Fest and share our experiences with their global audience,” said Dark Corner founder Guy Shelmerdine. “These films represent unforgettable journeys that are intended to push the boundaries of what 360º immersive storytelling can be. We cannot wait to unleash them.”
Dark Corner at Fantastic Fest will showcase VR experiences Mule and Catatonic, directed by Guy Shelmerdine, and Burlap, directed by Justin Denton.
Mule is Shelmerdine’s eagerly-awaited follow-up to his landmark Catatonic. It’s a dark, emotional, fast-paced ride that catapults the viewer through the frantic last moments of one very unfortunate man’s life and beyond. The World Premiere of Mule will see the unveiling of a new custom-designed installation piece tied to the film’s plot. Shelmerdine promises it will be “bigger, more immersive, and more terrifying” than the famous Catatonic wheelchairs.
Mule was filmed on Dark Corner’s custom-designed 360º camera rig, which features Sony A7Sii cameras and was created in partnership with Radiant Images in Los Angeles.
The visual effects and 360º elements were crafted by the multi-award winning team at The Mill, Los Angeles. The Mill excelled at creating un-paralleled intimacy in this visceral experience, whilst ensuring seamless fine-stitching. The Mill also provided a stylized grade; giving Mule the full filmic treatment. It slots into their broad roster of VR projects ranging from the cinematic Google Spotlight Stories ‘HELP’, to the recent first-of-its-kind music video Reeps One ‘Does Not Exist’. The sound design and score were crafted by Dražen Bošnjak from Q Department who previously collaborated on the VR mix and design for 20th Century Fox’s The Martian VR experience. The Virtual Reality sound is powered by Mach 1™ Bošnjak proprietary spatial sound software.
Burlap is a two-part horror experience created by Justin Denton, currently Creative Technical Director at Here Be Dragons. It exists as both a traditional 2D short film and an immersive VR experience, which enhance and complement each other. The piece tells the story of a disturbed killer who zeroes in on an unlucky babysitter to help complete the creation of his secret “masterpiece.” Audiences can watch the short film, then step inside the story with Burlap: Reflections, where they will experience the killer’s obsession firsthand in VR.
Catatonic is one of the world’s pioneering VR horror experiences, having premiered at SXSW last year and subsequently terrified audiences around the world, most recently at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea. The viewer takes the place of a mental patient being wheeled through an insane asylum, and experiences a sense-stunning thrill ride that descends deeper and deeper into madness. The Dark Corner wing at Fantastic Fest will feature the infamous Catatonic vibrating wheelchairs, wherein audience members are strapped into a chair that allows them to experience every jolt and rumble as though they were actually in the film.
The unveiling of the new VR wing at Fantastic Fest will mark the official launch of Dark Corner, a virtual reality content studio dedicated exclusively to genre experiences. Dark Corner specializes in crafting experiences that transport the viewer to places they could never visit in real life — or wouldn’t dare to.
Dark Corner was founded by visionary director Guy Shelmerdine, and will be releasing new VR experiences at a rapid pace beginning in 2017.
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