Google heads to the Annecy Film Fest in full force with two, never-before-scene Spotlight Stories.
The biennial Annecy International Film Fest is in currently in full-swing as creators from around the world gather in France to showcase the latest achievements in animation. Once again Google returned with its interactive Google Spotlight Stories series, delivering a handful of gorgeous, lovingly-crafted VR adventures sure to captivate audiences.
Two of these Spotlight Stories, Piggy and Age of Sail, made their debut at the eclectic festival, marking their first screenings to a public audience. The first, Piggy, is an interactive VR “experiment” telling the story of a jogging pig and his/her lust for delectable cake. Viewers will play both the role of viewer and the talent as they influence certain aspects of the experience.
“We asked, can you make a funny show when the audience controls the timing?” spoke Google in a statement. “The plot of Piggy is a series of classic cartoon gags, but now the viewer controls the timing just by deciding where to look.”
Utilizing eye-tracking technology combined with 6dof tracking, users can trigger certain animations depending on where their attention is focused to during the stage performance. All while Piggy maintains constant eye contact, responding to your choices with emotions including surprise, guilt, annoyance, shame, hope and “righteous indignation.” This ensures there’s entertaining animation no matter where you’re looking during the experience, with no two viewings ever being the same.
Directed by Jan Pinkava and Mark Oftedal, Piggy is produced by Camille Cellucci, and executive produced by Karen Dufilho, Piggy lasts approximately 3 – 3 ½ minutes and will be available on Google Spotlight Stories app for iOS & Android, on Daydream, Steam and Viveport.
Available as a sneak peak, Age of Sail on the other hand tells a more serious tale of compassion and redemption. Set during the year 1900, Age of Sail follows the story of William Avery (played by Ian McShane), a sailor adrift and alone in the North Atlantic. After rescuing a mysterious young woman (played by Cathy Ang) stranded in the waters, Avery discovers a new found sense of hope in what is easily Google’s longest and most visually-ambitious Spotlight Story to date.
“I wanted this piece to operate in a less stylized universe because the audience should believe the world is real, to feel the peril and the exhilaration of being in a storm, to be vulnerable,” spoke director John Kahrs.
Age of Sail was produced by Gennie Rim (duet, June, Dear Basketball) and David Eisenmann (Pearl, Son of Jaguar) and executive produced by Karen Dufilho and Jan Pinkava. No word yet on when we can expect a full release.
Among these new offerings Google also stopped by with several popular Spotlight Stories already out in the wild. Attendees can find Spotlight Stories first 360/VR Doodle celebrating the life and work of Georges Méliès, Back to the Moon, at the event as well as “Isle of Dogs: Behind the Scenes in Virtual Reality,” an immersive experience offering face to face with the cast of dogs on set.
Annecy International Film Festival began Monday, June 11th and will run until Saturday, June 16th in Annecy France.
Image Credit: Google
The post Google Debuts Two New Spotlight Stories ‘Piggy’ & ‘Age Of Sail’ appeared first on VRScout.
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