Oculus Story Studio

Oculus Story Studio was an original animated virtual reality film studio that was a division of Oculus VR.^[2] The studio was started by Oculus VR to pioneer animated virtual reality filmmaking and educate, inspire, and foster community for filmmakers interested in VR.^[1]

Oculus Story Studio

Company type	Virtual reality film studio
Industry	Films and virtual reality
Founded	2014
Founder	Saschka Unseld Max Planck Edward Saatchi[1]
Defunct	May 2017
Headquarters	Oculus VR, Menlo Park, California , U.S.
Parent	Oculus VR
Website	StoryStudio.Oculus.com

Story Studio was founded in 2014 by Pixar veterans Saschka Unseld and Max Planck, as well as producer Edward Saatchi.^[1] The studio was publicly announced and premiered its first film, Lost, at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.^[3] In 2016 the studio's second film, Henry, won the Emmy for Outstanding Original Interactive Program.^[4]

Oculus announced in May 2017 that the studio had been closed.^[5]

Filmography

The studio produced three films before being shut down.

Lost

Lost was the first film released by Oculus Story Studio. Directed by studio Creative Director Saschka Unseld.^[6] The film drops viewers in the middle of the woods at night to witness a robot searching for its misplaced hand.^[7]

Henry

Main article: Henry (2015 film)

Henry is the second film released by Oculus Story Studio, directed by Ramiro Lopes Dau and narrated by Elijah Wood.^[8] Henry is the story of a hedgehog who has trouble making friends.^[9] Henry premiered at an event in Hollywood on July 28, 2015.^[10]

Henry became the first original VR short to win the Emmy for Outstanding Original Interactive Program.^[4]

Dear Angelica

The third project from Oculus Story Studio, Dear Angelica, premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. The film was directed by Saschka Unseld, produced by Edward Saatchi, illustrated by Wesley Allsbrook, and featured music by Drazen Bosnjak and Sarah Jaffe. It stars Geena Davis and Mae Whitman in a "visually splendid and deeply human journey through memory, loss, and the magic of a valorous life."^[11] The film was animated entirely with the Oculus Quill, a VR drawing and sculpting application.^[12]

References

1. Constine, Josh (26 January 2015). "Oculus' Pixar Exec-Led Story Studio Will Release VR Cinema Examples". TechCrunch. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
2. Zeitchik, Steven (26 January 2015). "Sundance 2015: Virtual-reality company Oculus to launch film label". LA Times. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
3. "Facebook's Oculus forms in-house virtual-reality film studio". CNBC.com. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
4. Watercutter, Angela (8 September 2016). "Oculus' Virtual Reality Film Henry Just Won an Emmy". Wired. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
5. Shea, Brian. "Oculus Announces Closure Of Oculus Story Studio". GameInformer.com. GameStop. Archived from the original on May 5, 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
6. Diaz, Ann-Christine (11 February 2015). "Grab Your Headset: Producers Plunge Into Virtual Reality". AdAge. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
7. Watercutter, Angela (21 April 2015). "Oculus Reinvents Cinema for a Virtual Reality World". Wired. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
8. Matney, Lucas (8 September 2016). "Oculus wins its first Emmy for virtual reality short film 'Henry'". TechCrunch. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
9. Alvarez, Edgar (2 June 2015). "This is 'Henry,' Oculus Story Studio's second VR film". Engaget. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
10. Rubin, Peter (2 June 2015). "Your First Look at Oculus' Adorable New Filmy-Gamey Thing". Wired. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
11. "Dear Angelica". Sundance Institute. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
12. "Oculus Quill Lets VR Illustrators Paint in Space and Time". Wired UK. Retrieved February 2, 2017.