It’s already time for the tech community to cast their vote for SXSW 2017 panels! While SXSW 2016 recently closed to much positive buzz and fervor, the community wasted no time in assessing the next greatest tech and virtual reality companies to take their stage with stories and surprises. On Friday, Aug 12 2016, SXSW launched their annual panel picker, wherein voters can help pick next year’s panels. 30% of the choice comes down to the voters’ desires.
Of all the panels, however, the following particularly deserve your vote. With the panelists’ dedication to their trade, technology and worldwide impact, they strive to bring the best tech and best message to the public eye. Give the following panels their time to shine:
Can a Film Made by a Machine Move You?
“Films make us laugh and cry. Filmmakers who wield this power can impact the world, but is filmmaking a uniquely human skill? Can a film made by a machine move you? Zoic Labs (Hollywood CGI/software company) and Saatchi/Team One (ad agency) conducted an experiment to answer this question using open source and custom AI tools: IBM Watson, EEG, emotion recognition, MS Rinna chatbot, auto-editing and neural art software. This talk will explore the future of storytelling from the perspectives of TV director Loni Peristere (American Horror Story) and ECD Alastair Green, including a technical case study given by Zoic CTO Saker Klippsten on the making of a film conceived, directed, and edited by AI.”
Speakers
Loni Peristere, Zoic Studios
Saker Klippsten, Zoic Labs/Studios
Alastair Green, Team One
Organizer
Brian Frager, Software Developer, Zoic Studios/Labs
Wrapped Up in the Big Screen: Amplifying Cinematic Film and TV with VR
Vote HERE.
“Getting viewers to go to the theater or pay for premium cable subscriptions in a Netflix and cord-cutting world is more challenging than ever, leaving entertainment marketers with the need for the most memorable tactics to entice viewers to pay for the real-deal experience and keep them engaged in between releases.
Immersive VR experiences have evolved into the next level of movie and TV trailers for a continually tech and media-savvy generation, luring them into fresh cinematic content and holding their interest in between seasons for highly anticipated franchises. A panel of studio, VR, production and tech experts will discuss campaign results, best practices and an outlook for the future.”
Speakers
Chuck Peil, Reel FX
Christine Cattano, Framestore
Ted Schilowitz, 20th Century Fox
Daniel Engelhardt, VP Interactive/Games/VR, Lionsgate
Organizer
Tiffany Kieran, SR Mktg and Outreach Manager, Reel FX
DoD, Silicon Valley, Hollywood: Hacking 4 Defense
“In a crisis, national security initiatives move at the speed of a startup yet in peacetime they default to long procurement cycles. Can the DoD benefit from the startup culture and non-traditional partners to become more efficient? Chris Zember (Director, Center for Technology Nat’l Security Policy at NDU) will guide a talk and two case studies with former Air Force Program Manager and COO of Hacking For Defense Jackie Space, Zoic Studios/Labs Executive Producer Matt Thunell, and Stanford PhD candidate Jared Dunnmon. Inspired by Steve Blank’s Lean Launchpad courses at Stanford, H4D applies Lean Startup principles to provide rapid, cost effective solutions to national security problems.”
Speakers
Christopher Zember, National Defense University
Jackie Space, Hacking For Defense
Matt Thunell, Zoic Studios/Labs
Jared Dunnmon, Stanford University
Organizer
Matt Thunell, EVP, Exec Producer, Zoic Studios
Virtual Psychedelics: How VR Affects Your Brain
Vote HERE.
“Virtual reality is often proclaimed to be the future of entertainment. But what if VR can make you a more self-actualized person as well?
VR experiences, which place you in the perspective of someone else and transport you to places you otherwise might never visit, may produce a similar phenomenon to psychedelics in the brain. For those of us who live our lives consumed with the dull everyday tasks of commuting, working and sleeping, VR can be an easy way to escape ourselves without the emotional or legal risks.
VR experts will discuss how specially designed immersive content allows viewers to have out-of-body experiences, expanding consciousness, tolerance and understanding in society.”
Speakers
Christina Heller, VR Playhouse
Taryn Southern, Happy Cat Media & Tribe of Good
Sook-Lei Liew, University of Southern California
Glenn Snyder, Turing Tesla and Associates; Master of Shapes
Organizer
Britt La Hue, Asst Account Exec, Press Kitchen
Crafting VR: from Imagination to Headset
“After 50-plus years of developing in science labs and classrooms, VR is out in the open. We seek out opportunities to put on a headset and disappear into someone else’s imagination. This session takes you beyond the headset and into the process of making top-tier 360-degree 3D: from the script to the shoot, and into the high-end visual effects. We’ll watch the Nokia OZO capture live VR, and hear from Academy Award-winning visual effects artists and directors from Magnopus, Zoic Studios, and MPC to see how the industry’s first purpose-built 360 VR camera, provided the live-capture foundation for a national commercial, a narrative science-fiction short and a high-profile music video.”
Speakers
Csilla Kozma, Nokia Technologies
Paulus Bannink, Zoic Studios
Alex Henning, Magnopus
Organizer
Jill Smolin, Producer & Production Mgr, Nokia Technologies
VR for Online Content Creators
Vote HERE.
“Once YouTube stars have amassed millions of online followers and reached mainstream celebrity status with brand endorsements and merchandise lines, it’s time to amp up the entertainment value.
Specular Theory CEO Morris May will dive into the creation over 45 minutes worth of premium VR content in three months for YouTube star and gaming expert MatPat, crafting unique immersive experiences to entice fans to take the next step to paid content with YouTube Red.”
Speakers
Morris May, Specular Theory
Organizer
Jenna Wigman, Dir of PR, Press Kitchen