Take on the role of the ‘The Spirit of the Seasons’ in this animated retelling of the Native American origin legend.
Celebrated VR animation studio Baobab, the team behind such as the Emmy-award-winning VR shorts Invasion! and Asteroids!, is back with yet another jaw-dropping immersive animation, featuring an impressive line-up of voice talent, including John Legend, Ty Sheridan , Constance Wu, and more.
Available now on the Oculus Rift and Oculus Go, Crow: The Legend, is a light-hearted adventure based on a famous Native American origin legend of the crow that blends storytelling, music, and light player interaction to create an emotional journey through the cosmos and back.
Players take on the role of “Spirit of the Seasons,” using their hands to instantly change the weather from the pleasant season of fall, to the unforgiving cold of winter.
“With a simple wave of your hands you can make the flowers grow, snows fall, and the winds blow,” says Eric Darnell, Baobab’s Chief Creative Officer and Director of Crow: The Legend, in an official statement. “You can even play the ‘music of the universe’ in much the same way a conductor conducts an orchestra. Not only does this feel powerful, intuitive, and effortless, but it also helps the viewer focus on what really matters.”
Throughout the story, players follow Crow (John Legend), Skunk (Constance Wu), (Tye Sheridan), Diego Luna (Moth), Oprah Winfrey (The One Who Creates Everything By Thinking), and Owl (Liza Koshy), a group of well-meaning forest animals who enjoy listening to the silky-smooth vocal stylings of Crow. As winter dawns upon the forest, however, the animals begin to struggle with the cold and begin devicing plans on how to surivive the unforgiving weather. They decide their best option is the seek the help of “The One Who Creates Everything By Thinking,” a mystical being located far beyond the sun that’s responsible for creating the universe.
It’s a story about self-discovery, sacrifice, friendship, and responsibility. Viewers journey beyond the comfort of Earth and through a beautifully animated solar system, complete with talking celestial objects and eye-opening spectacles.
“Crow: The Legend brings storytelling and music together in a way no one else has yet in virtual reality. It’s an incredible medium for inspiring a journey of self-discovery and finding your way in times to darkness,” explains John Legend. “In light of what’s going on in today’s world, it’s a message of deep meaning that people from all walks of life can embrace.”
In order to bring the project to life, Baobab partnered with Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) and its CEO, Sarah Eagle Heart, who also voices the role of Luna, the talking Moon in the animated short. “We share this wisdom through storytelling, with tales passed down through many generations over thousands of years,” said Eagle Heart. “We are emotionally, physically, and spiritually connected to these stories that teach us right from wrong, and provide a framework for how to live fulsome, compassionate, and engaged lives.”
“During this process, Baobab and I discovered a scarcity of Native creators within the VR industry,” Eagle continued. “This wasn’t due to lack of interest but rather an absence of opportunities.”
NAP, alongside Baobab, Vision Maker Media, and Longhouse Media, has since launched the #GenIndigenous fellowship to assist in supporting Native American youth with pathways into the VR industry.
Crow: The Legend now available for free on the Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, and YouTube VR.
Image Credit: Baobab Studios
The post Baobab’s Star-Studded VR Short ‘Crow: The Legend’ Now Available Free On Oculus & YouTube appeared first on VRScout.
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