Move over, games. Virtual reality movies or “experiences” could be the hot application of the future. Warner Bros., DC Entertainment, and cloud graphics firm Otoy are showing off a new kind of immersive virtual reality experience today dubbed “holographic video.”
At the Stanford University Workshop on Light Field Imaging, the content creators and Otoy will show off a cool demo using holographic light field rendering technology. What does that mean? You’ll be able to go inside an animated Batcave and explore it from every angle.
Producer Bruce Timm, writer Paul Dini, and voice actor Kevin Conroy helped create the virtual reality experience based on the classic Batman: The Animated Series cartoon from the 1990s. A Warner Bros. digital series production division, Blue Ribbon Content, plans to show off the experience to the workshop attendees and transport them to a fully navigable Batcave. The team attempted to re-create the look and feel of the animated series in great detail.
Otoy said the VR experience is the first demonstration of light fields being used to render large, navigable volumetric spaces, with the Batcave featuring a million cubic meters of space to explore.
“Being able to climb inside the Batman: The Animated Series universe, to experience that world as if you’re living in it, is absolutely incredible. Today’s demonstration validates the tremendous storytelling opportunities we have with VR and Otoy’s light field rendering technology,” said Sam Register, the president of Blue Ribbon Content, in a statement. “We know that fans around the world are waiting for this, and trust me when I say that it will be worth the wait.”
People will be able to view the experience using virtual reality devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Gear VR and the Oculus Rift. The full VR experience is expected to be released this winter.
“Batman: The Animated Series holds a special place in many fans’ hearts, and that’s why it’s been so critical to us at Otoy to perfectly preserve the show’s unique aesthetic in virtual reality using our groundbreaking holographic light field technology,” said Jules Urbach, the CEO of Los Angeles-based Otoy. “Being huge fans of Batman: The Animated Series ourselves, it’s been a dream come true to work with Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment on this project, and we’re excited to share it with all of the fans out there soon.”
