By: Ryan Garn
The art of storytelling is a fundamental part of the human experience, allowing viewers to make sense of the complex world around them while being entertained. The world’s leading immersive storytelling event, the prestigious Future of Storytelling Festival exhibits strive to show how pioneers in emerging technology can radically change the frontier of storytelling. The Festival showcases panels and performances from leading technology and entertainment professionals throughout its three-day run October 6th to October 8th.
With over 100 immersive exhibits — many of these exclusive world premieres — the festival highlights the best in VR, AR, mixed reality, haptics, AI, games and interactive films. Flight School, Light Sail VR and Residency are three such innovative companies who seamlessly incorporate technology into the overarching sector of storytelling. Each was featured at this year’s event.
Read on to see the studios’ Future of Storytelling exhibitions, ranging from award-winning showcases to one world premiere event.
Flight School, Manifest 99
As a self-proclaimed company striving to explore the outer limits of storytelling and innovation, Flight School is preparing to expand the boundaries of how a story can be told with their newest project Manifest 99. This virtual reality experience is an ominous and eerie story about finding redemption in the afterlife. Manifest 99 explores scale and navigation with innovative character engagement mechanics to pull back the curtain on their journeys past and present. Following tremendous projects such as Manifest 99, Flight School will continue to lead the discussion around the intersection of narrative and emerging technology, while at the same time creating astonishing games that will resonate deeply with the player.
UPDATE: Manifest 99 has been awarded the Independent Jury Award at the 2017 Future of Storytelling Festival, one of only three awards distributed at the festival, presented by Microsoft.
Light Sail VR, Parksville Murders
Light Sail VR brings its award-winning VR experience Parksville Murders to the Festival at the best time to stir up a scare–the beginning of October. Directed by Cari Ann Shim Sham, this frightening story follows the narrative of two women waking up in a terrifying alternate universe and prompts you, the viewer, to witness whether they survive this dark scenario. Alongside Light Sail VR’s other projects, such as Haunte & Haunted and Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, the ability to fully immerse oneself in an insidiously grim, yet wickedly sensational experience has never been more of a realistic possibility.
Residency, Peroration 6 VR
Residency Content unveiled their interactive music experience Peroration 6 VR at the festival. The technology transports the user to the stunning iconic Utah desert for a personal concert experience with the unparalleled talents of Sam Shepherd and his Floating Points band. With post-production by Residency director Fabien Goupez, this VR experience redefines the relationship between VR and the live music experience by providing a front-row seat to a mesmerizing musical experience. Residency stands for creative storytelling and, through Peroration 6, effectively adds an innovative new chapter to how one can experience music through the platform of VR.
The 2017 Future of Storytelling Festival is from October 6th to October 8th and takes place at Snug Harbor, Staten Island.
