At VidCon 2017, holographic technology company 8i announced the global launch of Holo, the first mobile app of its kind which allows you to add 3D holograms of real people (and animals) into your real-world and create videos and photos to share with friends. 8i also announced it has teamed up with leading entertainment and media companies to bring relevant and engaging content to Holo. In partnership with Columbia Pictures, Holo features a collection of Spider-Man: Homecoming holograms to promote the film’s theatrical release. The app also features exclusive content in partnership with Hearst Magazines Digital Media’s Cosmopolitan and go90. Holo is available today as a free download on the App Store for iPhone and on Google Play Store for Android devices.

“People are creating, augmenting and sharing content like never before directly through the cameras on their phones,” said Steve Raymond, CEO of 8i. “With Holo, we’re introducing a new way to create and express yourself using holograms of real people combined with the AR capabilities of smartphones. Until now, it’s never been possible to direct your own videos using recognizable characters and celebrities and we’re seeing lots of creative storytelling from Holo users. It’s fun to see what people come up with.”

To use Holo, simply add a character into the camera view, start recording, and the holograms will appear as if they are there in real life. Holo will regularly release new hologram collections featuring movie characters, memes, athletes, musicians, and original characters with poses to personify every mood and reaction. You can even snap a video with your friendly neighborhood superhero from Spider-Man: Homecoming, in theaters July 7, doing flips down your street, facepalming on command, and posing heroically for a selfie.

“We’re thrilled to be a launch partner for Holo,” said Elias Plishner, EVP, Worldwide Digital Marketing at Sony Pictures Entertainment. “Now, you can send your friends images of yourself hanging out with your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. It’s a fantastic way to get excited for the movie.”

“We are constantly innovating and finding new ways to entertain and engage the millions of consumers who connect with our brands each day,” said Sheel Shah, director of Mobile Growth and Innovation at Hearst Magazines Digital Media. “Mobile AR is an experience that they have an increasing appetite for and the timing of the Holo launch couldn’t have been better.”

At VidCon, where Raymond will be speaking on June 23, conference-goers will be some of the first to experience the new app as part of the go90 Holo experience, created by RYOT Lab in partnership with 8i. Fans can take photos and videos with holograms of favorite go90 stars, including Caleb Marshall (aka Fitness Marshall), Kenny San Jose (Boy Squad), and Jeremy Shada (Mr. Student Body President). The go90 collection is also available in Holo. Also at VidCon, dance phenom and YouTube star Matt Steffanina will perform on June 24, as fans of his freestyle moves can dance alongside his hologram in Holo.

Holo also features a variety of other engaging content and familiar faces:

• “Magic Mike Live” dancers presented by Cosmopolitan, fun for #holobombing pretty much anyone.
• Actress Debby Ryan, who stars in the upcoming Netflix show “Insatiable.”
• Fun and original characters, including the infamous llama from Fall Out Boy‘s “Young and Menace” video, a tiger named Lola, and a French bulldog in a hot dog costume.

Following launch, you can expect to see more holograms from Cosmopolitan and other Hearst brands as part of an ongoing partnership. Holo will also feature celebrated astronaut Buzz Aldrin, professional skateboarder Nyjah Huston, pop duo Superfruit, mixed martial artist Anderson Silva, LGBTQ activist Jeffrey Marsh, comedic actor Flula Borg, Anna Brisbin, aka Brizzy Voices, plus a JASH comedy channel debuting with comedian Nathan Barnatt, and others.

Holo is powered by 8i’s proprietary technology which transforms video of human performances into 3D holograms that look real and can be viewed from any angle. Once the performance is volumetrically captured, holograms are easy and fast to create and publish on Holo.

Hearst Ventures and Verizon Ventures are investors in 8i.

To learn more, visit thisisholo.com. For assets and additional information, visit: http://bit.ly/2rT9fEl

About 8i™
8i’s mission is to give people the best way to connect with each other and express themselves through holograms. We provide the easiest way to create, use and experience human holograms that look real, and can be viewed from any angle, on any device for virtual, augmented or mixed reality. Our proprietary technology transforms video from an array of cameras using volumetric capture into a photorealistic hologram that can easily be integrated into a variety of 3D computing experiences. Founded in May 2014, 8i is based in Wellington, New Zealand, and Los Angeles. Learn more at http://8i.com/.

About Spider-Man: Homecoming
A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine — distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man — but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened. Directed by Jon Watts. Produced by Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal. Screenplay by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley and Jon Watts & Christopher Ford and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers, Screen Story by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley, Based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.

About go90
go90 is a free, digital entertainment platform that makes it easy to discover and view content from the most beloved networks, distributors, creators, audiences and brands in online entertainment. Available on the web, iOS and Android, go90 brings together and delivers premier entertainment experiences across every screen. go90 is part of the Verizon Communications family of companies. Anyone with a smartphone can download go90 for free via the App Store or Google Play. Start watching now on go90.com.

About Hearst Magazines Digital Media
Hearst Digital Media reaches nearly 80 million site visitors each month [comScore] and 132 million social media followers, with 22 digital brands including Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Marie Claire, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s BAZAAR, Seventeen, and Delish. The portfolio also includes Sweet, a collaboration with Snapchat on its Discover platform. Hearst Magazines is a unit of Hearst (www.hearst.com), one of the nation’s largest diversified media information and services companies.

RYOT LAB
RYOT Lab is Oath’s technology and innovation hub for immersive formats and emerging technologies. The Lab is a growing team of technologists and engineers working hand-in-hand with Verizon Labs to empower advertisers and publishers to tap into the opportunity of immersive formats and interactive experiences. Through RYOT Lab, brands, publishers and advertisers can now tell their stories through a combination of formats including virtual reality, 360 video, augmented reality, volumetric capture (holograms) as well as physical activations and events.