Virtual reality is everywhere. Even at MIPTV recently, one of the world’s largest animation conventions in the world held in Cannes, France, there was no escaping the hype. And while VR and augmented reality are yet to hit mainstream media, we feel it is a niche market that may potentially lead to new and immersive viewing experiences unlike any other, both in entertainment and education. With our real time animation technology, Wonder Media can help publishers and creators produce quality VR content affordably.
While virtual reality certainly isn’t new (it’s been around for a couple of decades), it feels like we are at the beginning of the VR era. With the release of PlayStation VR, the technology seems to have found its way into the gaming world, but it is yet to be embraced by a mainstream audience. A parallel can be drawn between VR and 3D. Today, nearly all of us are familiar with 3D in cinemas, however, hardly any of us have a 3D TV, let alone that we are willing to put on a pair of 3D glasses in front of the television set. Only time will tell if VR is going down that same road.
Exciting niche market
Even though VR, for the moment, remains a niche market, it is still a very interesting technology and one that we at Wonder Media feel very excited about. The creative possibilities in terms of immersive storytelling and interaction are nearly endless. However, some questions and issues also stand out, such as: how are we going to produce quality VR content affordably and at a consistent rate?
Wonder Media and virtual reality technology
Much like the way we are revolutionizing the traditional animation process, we feel we can revolutionize the way VR content is made. Our realtime animation technology makes it possible for creators to skip numerous steps in the production flow - such as character design, layout and modelling - effectively shortening the entire process.
How do we achieve that in a VR environment? The technology we are using today in animation can easily be transferred to a virtual reality environment. The only thing that is different is the hardware; VR requires more powerful rendering and computing power to create the 360° images. The basics, such as character design and setting, however, remain the same.
Real-time animated characters in a VR environment
We offer an extensive library of characters, all with their own set of character traits and gestures. You can either pick one or more characters from the library or create your own. More or less the same strategy is applied in terms of settings and location. You either choose one of our settings and customize it according to your taste and needs, or we create one for you. Setting up a scene is simply a case of dragging and dropping objects, characters and adjusting lighting and camera angles. Once everything is set, simply hit record and watch your story come to life in real time before your very eyes.
The benefits of Wonder Media
With our technology, producing quality VR content suddenly becomes more attainable. Animation studios no longer need an army of designers and animators to create scenes. Instead, they can make new stories with a very limited number of people at a very high rate. Alternatively, Wonder Media makes it possible for just one artist to come up with a story or concept and see it come to life within a couple of minutes.
New possibilities for VR
Introducing characters based on cartoons, real people, animals or inanimate objects in a virtual environment opens up new possibilities for users to interact with content. Whether it’s in entertainment or education, VR creates a level of immersiveness and directness which is simply unattainable in “traditional” media outlets. This alone is reason enough to get really excited about the future.
Wonder Media is there to help artists and publishers create their unique vision affordably and at a high quality. Would you like to find out more about our technology and services?
