RYOT, Kaleidoscope and Oculus Announce DevLab 2018 To Support Next Generation of VR/AR Artists
“The second annual incubator will offer ten XR artists the opportunity for mentorship and creative exploration; top executives from RYOT, Kaleidoscope, Oculus and the Sundance Institute serving as curators”
RYOT, the immersive media company and Academy Award-nominated studio, announced a partnership with the funding platform, Kaleidoscope and leading VR platform, Oculus, to produce DevLab 2018, an VR/AR artist incubator that has generated groundbreaking immersive content such as Spheres, Battlescar, Tree and RYOT’s own Vestige, among many others.
Building off the success of the first program in 2016, the second annual DevLab will take place in Los Angeles from November 10 – 11, bringing together emerging VR/AR artists to cultivate new work, explore novel ideas and create the future of immersive experiences.
The selected ten participants will work alongside advisors from diverse backgrounds – including architecture, game design, immersive theater, magic and storytelling – to hone their craft and advance their work via hands-on workshops, live performances and round table discussions. Creators will leverage their learnings from DevLab to develop a working version of their project, which they’ll later present to 250 industry leaders at a “First Look” event in 2019 for the chance to secure funding.
“DevLab is a unique way to support independent artists, and we’re proud to support and provide mentorship opportunities for the next generation of content creators as they refine their craft, and use their art to change the world,” said Bryn Mooser, CEO and co-founder of RYOT.
“DevLab has provided an essential creative playground for the new guard of storytellers to ideate and explore,” says Jake Sally, RYOT’s Sr. Director of Immersive Development. “RYOT is excited to partner with Kaleidoscope and Oculus, pillars of the XR ecosystem, to support DevLab.”
Securing more than $3.1 million in funding from various partners, past DevLab productions have gone on to screen at Sundance Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival and SXSW, as well as various other industry festivals and events.
“Members of the DevLab program include some of the most promising, sought-after talent in the industry,” said René Pinnell, CEO and Founder of Kaleidoscope. “DevLab artists are risk-takers that will ultimately move the industry forward.”
Artists and creators will be selected by the Sundance Institute’s Kamal Sinclair and Ruthie Doyle, and applications to participate in DevLab 2018 can be found here.
Get a behind the scenes look at DevLab here + watch the promo video here.
Images and logos available for use can be found here.
About RYOT:
RYOT is Verizon’s Emmy Award®-winning, Academy Award®-nominated next generation motion picture studio that combines compelling storytelling with immersive experiences. RYOT has produced a range of feature-length and short-form content in traditional and immersive formats with festival premieres at Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, and Hot Docs among others. Highlights include back-to-back Academy Award® nominations for Best Documentary Short. In 2018, RYOT opened a state-of-the-art motion capture studio with the mission to create the new content formats of the future. RYOT’s films can be seen on HBO, Showtime, Netflix, Hulu, ESPN, National Geographic.
About Kaleidoscope:
Established in 2014 by producers René and Selena Pinnell, Kaleidoscope is a funding platform for immersive art and entertainment. Playing a central role in the artistic renaissance of virtual reality, Kaleidoscope has helped raised over $14MM for original projects including the first seven-figure deal for a VR film at Sundance. With a commitment to creative exploration, Kaleidoscope has produced some of the industry’s most groundbreaking work including the animated VR film BATTLESCAR, starring Rosario Dawson, and the VR series SPHERES, starring Jessica Chastain and Patti Smith and executive produced by Darren Aronofsky. Kaleidoscope projects routinely premiere at major festivals such as Sundance, Tribeca, and SXSW, and the artists who work with Kaleidoscope are widely recognized as the most innovative voices in virtual reality today.
About Oculus:
Founded in 2012, Oculus VR, Inc. is building a next-generation consumer virtual reality platform. The company’s first product, the Oculus Rift, is a virtual reality headset that allows you to step inside a digital environment and feel as though you are truly there. The Oculus Rift provides an immersive, stereoscopic 3D view with an ultra-wide field of view and low latency head tracking that lets you look around naturally in 360 degrees. For more information, please visit oculus.com.
