Jaunt has been busy shooting several made-for-VR experiences which the company says will be released for VR in trailer form “imminently.” Road to VR has the first look at three of Jaunt’s forthcoming cinematic VR experiences.
Jaunt is working to create a production platform for virtual reality films. To prove out their toolset, they’ve also begun producing content in partnership with New Deal Studios who have worked on major films like Iron Man, The Dark Knight, Watchmen, Inception, and recently, Interstellar.
Jaunt and New Deal Studios are working on three distinct VR cinema projects. The Mission, a WWII themed piece, Kaiju Fury, a throwback to the era of scale models and giant monsters invading cities, and Black Mass, a horror film where the viewer watches terror unfold from the perspective of someone who’s been abducted.
Scott Broock, VP of Content at Jaunt, told me that trailers for these three short films will be released “imminently” to the public. From what I gather, it seems that they’ll be made available at first for download and playback on the Oculus Rift DK2 and also released through an Android app for use in Cardboard and other smartphone adapters. Jaunt stresses that they want to be “platform agnostic,” and get their content to as many VR devices as possible.
But before then, Road to VR has the first glimpse and we’re bringing it straight to you.
Kaiju Fury
From what I saw of Kaiju Fury, it’s my favorite of the three. Jaunt and New Deal Studios have put together a great homage to the Godzilla era of monster films, with a completely real scale model set and some wild monster costumes. With the camera placed low to the ground within the model city, the monsters look massive and menacing, and the set looks… well… real, because it is. Broock told me that the trick in Kaiju Fury was to slow the monster footage down by about 10% to create a sense of weight in what is ostensibly a massive creature.
The Mission
The Mission has you embedded with a squad of paratroopers who have to improvise when things don’t go as planned. You’ll see guns, tanks, Germans, and plenty more.
See Also: On the Set of ‘The Mission VR,’ A WWII Short Film Shot for Virtual Reality
Black Mass
Black Mass is a horror film where the user becomes part of the action. From the perspective of someone who’s been abducted, you’ll find your abductees throwing a black veil over your head as you are transported between increasingly freakish scenes.
See Also: Exclusive Sneak Peek at Black Mass, A VR Horror Short By the Director of Paranormal Activity 5
Each of these short films is expected to clock in under 10 minutes. The release date of the full cuts has not yet been announced.