Blogs tagged "Virtual Reality"
July 2019
CMC 2019: Report – Kids with Stones in their Pockets
With a focus on narrative and play, this session explored the importance of creative, open-ended play to children’s development and how media experiences can encourage self-expression and self-discovery. Takeaway: Children need the space to explore ideas through creative play, with the room to try and fail. Open narratives encourage children to explore self-expression through play. Adults don’t need to teach children how to play! Detail: Alison Norrington introduced the session by telling the story behind the title of the session, which comes from her year of research into VR - best practice, narrative and experience design, and psychology and play. A boy collected stones and put them into his pockets. Every day his mum threw them away. Eventually he asked…
CMC 2019: Report – Immersive Journeys in Education
This session set out to immerse attendees in how kids today are being given the opportunity to learn from via augmented and virtual reality experiences. Takeaway: Augmented and Virtual Reality technology is not the future. It is here, and ready to be put to good use in the classroom. The panelists all agreed that these technologies can be most successful when they exploit their unique abilities to grab even the most challenging children’s attention. Such moments of amplified experience are not in themselves enough for learning – it requires the context given by good storytelling and teaching before, during and after. Detail: Moderator Dr. Carlton Reeve framed the opportunity presented by augmented and virtual reality as bringing the world to…
November 2017
Manimation 2017: Report – Panel 6, Ten Things You Need To Know About VR
An expert panel discussed the future of VR, the platforms it lives on and the opportunities it offers to the UK animation industry. Takeaway: Ensure storytelling is at the heart of VR projects Unlock creative possibilities as the technology develops Using additional technology such as SubPac systems can make experiences even more immersive Detail: Professor Andy Miah introduced the VR session on behalf of The University of Salford. He described the surge in activity in this area over the last year and encouraged members of the audience to test out the technology using Samsung VR headsets that were passed around. The panel then discussed the latest developments in VR and looked to the future, debating what may lie ahead for…
Manimation 2017: Report – Panel 2, State of Play: Games Up North!
This session discussed how programmers, animators, artists and musicians are coming together to once again create world class games in the North Takeaway: 2016: Global spend was £100bn on games industry in UK. Manchester is the biggest city outside of London for game developers. The North has a strong heritage in making games and is a hub of world class creative talent. UK universities need to offer specific courses – there are very specific skill-set shortages. Marketing skills should be built into courses so graduates know how to make money. Analytics systems are vital in order to make money from game developing. Visibility and exposure of games as well as putting the right tools in the right hands will see…
July 2017
CMC 2017: Report – VR: The Creative Challenge
The session discussed the opportunities Virtual Reality brings to the industry and the potential it has for engaging the audience emotionally through its experiences. There are however still unknowns about the technology especially in regards to children with an age limit in place on certain VR headsets. Takeaway: VR has the potential to engage with the audience emotionally through the user experiences There are a number of possibilities with this technology for home use and commercial promotion There are still unknowns with the technology and its effect on children. Detail: Phil Stuart, the Creative Director of Preloaded, has been making children’s content for 17 years and shared his son’s experience of using VR for the first time. At four years…
CMC 2017: Report – Show Me the Money! The Business Realities of VR
Virtual reality has rocketed in popularity this last year. In this session, Matthew Thomas, MTM London, asked a panel of experts about the challenges faced by companies and developers working to bring this relatively new technology into the mainstream of children’s media. Takeaway: Large companies are hesitant to take financial risk on a new market However, children are aware of the technology and keen to try it There is a demand for new children’s content in VR The future of VR is more social than you might expect Detail: In new VR projects aimed at children, there are some exciting developments out there, with educational programmes joining games and simulations. However, the evolution of child-targeted VR seems to lie in…
CMC 2017: Report – The Ethics of VR – Inside a Child’s Virtual World
Journalist Stuart Dredge moderates this afternoon’s session dedicated to understanding how children between the ages of six and twelve interact with Virtual Reality. What does it mean to children? How should they use it? What impact does it have? Takeaways: VR is still somewhat of a sensitive subject in the children’s world VR and AR have become useful tools in educating children VR creates a gap in the market, and offers experiences that are more immersive and social than ever before Propositions to create rest breaks whilst using VR to promote a healthier, non-addicted lifestyle (unlike traditional gaming) Various issues regarding the length of time children should be using such devices Detail: Leading the panel’s discussion, Stuart Dredge reminds us…
CMC 2017: Report – Tuesday Workshop: Open to Virtual?
A hands- and head-sets-on workshop on getting to grips with the world of virtual – and how to use it to create good content. Takeaway: Creative storytelling is in high demand for the VR industry. Small techniques from non-creative sectors are crucial in immersive design. The market for children’s virtual reality is in high demand. Detail: Moderators Ray Maguire and Alison Norrington expressed from the get-go that VR is an ever-growing technology. Brands like Playstation, Oculus and HTC are funding further development of stereoscopic cameras and pinpointing tracking technology. In order to become a successful virtual reality company, Ray explained how a typical business model should base itself around two areas: price of equipment, and the output of content and…
CMC 2017: Report – Playground
and Catherine Trewavas Based at Cantor Gallery, the Playground is open to all. An interactive digital art exhibition featuring cutting edge digital technology – mixing play and interaction for children (and big kids too)! Games, apps, toys and even VR to immerse oneself in. Takeaways Projects focused on enhancing digital skills and encouraging emotional development. Games to promote creative thinking and problem solving. Explore paper craft cityscape through interactive 360 virtual reality headset. With free admission to all, the Playground is a component of the Children’s Media Conference you won’t want to miss. Carefully curated to showcase some of the UK’s leading artists, innovators and developers – this exhibition is interactive digital art that will spark your imagination. With so much…
November 2016
Manimation 2016: Report – Panel 3: Brave New Worlds
Speakers: Ben Mills, Desk Dragons Jonathan Newth Focal Point VR Nick Pittom, Fire Panda David Sproxton, Aardman Animations and member of BAFTA VR Advisory Board Takeaway: VR and AR technology is still developing, meaning there will be big changes in the next 5-10 years – but for now the industry and users are yet to be convinced about the type of controls and their relevance in the whole VR experience. Detail: The panel discussed how it’s an exciting time to be working in and involved with VR and AR, and how the industry is all still learning about what’s possible, what works and what doesn’t. They talked about how VR has the potential to do great things in education, such…
Manimation 2016: Report – Showcase 2: Interactive animation in VR – Feeding Titanosaurs
Speaker: Peter Caddock, Studio Liddell Takeaway: VR is going to be BIG! Detail: Peter Caddock showcased a demo of a VR piece Studio Liddell had been working on for the last month, entitled 'Feeding Titanosaur'. The demonstrator, Simon Smith, also from Studio Liddell, had a VR headset on, and what he could see in the headset was shown on the big screen. Delegates saw Simon’s view as he looked for a dinosaur, a 75,000kg herbivore eating from a tree canopy. As Simon looked around physically, he could see the whole 360º virtual environment. Simon also used his hand controller to pick up a branch and offer it to the dinosaur, which came towards him and loomed large on the screen.…
Manimation 2016: Report – Presentation 2: Realtime VR Storytelling – Heading for the Holodeck
Speaker: Nick Pittom, Fire Panda Takeaway: VR presents challenges to storytelling – but also a virtual world of opportunities to try something different and create your own rules. Detail: Nick gave a whirlwind beginner’s guide to some of the technology used in virtual reality creation, and introduced some of the pros and cons of both Realtime VR and 360 VR platforms. He said there are still limitations to both, including time, man hours, cost, technology restrictions and even motion sickness, but the technology keeps advancing, which is exciting. Nick highlighted things to consider in terms of how storytelling differs in VR. On traditional platforms, the story takes place in a box or on a screen, but in VR the user…
July 2016
CMC 2016: Report – VR 101: Making Virtual a Reality
Gaming may be the first thing that springs to mind when you think about virtual reality (VR), but it also has the potential to revolutionise many other areas. The panel explored the way VR is currently being used in children’s media, and its massive potential when it comes to enhancing storytelling, learning and play Takeaways Virtual reality has massive potential for enhancing the way children learn. It’s not just about computer games VR and augmented reality (AR) offer a way of bringing subjects to life, to an extent never seen before Children who typically weren’t interested in a subject suddenly became much more engaged once VR was added to the mix Detail VR is big news, and the excitement surrounding…
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