The weird and wonderful world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is arguably up there with Star Wars when it comes to potential applications in virtual reality, and of all the Marvel properties, the recently released Doctor Strange is perhaps the most obvious candidate for a VR makeover. Enter creative agency Denizen, who have teamed up with Marvel Studios to merge the virtual world with that of the magical doctor using a globe-trotting 360 Google Tilt Brush. For the “Change Your Reality” campaign, Denizen enlisted the services of three cutting edge Google Tilt Brush artists; Stuart Campbell, Steve Teeple and Danny Bittman, to take part in global VR painting experiments spanning New York City, London and Hong Kong; cities that are essential to the film’s storyline. To mirror the otherworldly imagery of the film, Denizen and the artists crafted their VR environments primarily using the 3D painting tool Google Tilt Brush (the HTC Vive killer app any creative worth his or her salt has been longing to play with since it was announced), resulting in a diverse series of mesmerising, virtual 50 square foot realms.
The final on-site experience was an outdoor 'mixed reality' production, shot over two months in video and VR from sidewalks to rooftops across each of the cities. Passersby were invited to strap on a headset and explore the world of Doctor Strange (played in the film by our own Benedict Cumberbatch) for themselves. Beginning in a VR Sanctum Sanctorum, participants were given the freedom to travel between the different dimensions in their designated locales around the world. Despite facing the challenge of filming mixed reality in an unpredictable, live setting, Denizen was able to push the technical limitations of its hardware and software and ultimately pull off an experience that was elaborate yet inviting to wide-eyed onlookers.
Denizen Co-Founder, Joe Matsushima, said of the rather dazzling activation: “We wanted to promote the jaw-dropping visuals of Doctor Strange in a way that reinforced the spectacular quality of the film. We found that Tilt Brush in VR empowered each artist to create their own interpretation of each dimension by hand, versus a purely visual effects creation. Any person who puts on the VR headset can experience the immersive world of Strange themselves as seen through the eyes of these unique artists. We wanted everyday people to try it themselves and then film their authentic reactions as they walk through the virtual world. We wanted to convey the vast scope and awe-inspiring beauty of the dimensions within Doctor Strange while connecting to the theme that these dimensions are within our own reality.”
He added of the challenges his team had to tackle in undertaking such an ambitious project: “Mixed reality has been filmed in the past, but our team was challenged to solve many of the problems that occur when using VR, which include issues like: virtual tracking, stabilisation, and isolating objects from the foreground and background. We spent a lot of time with our production team problem solving how to create a highly technical live event while giving our team the ability to film the process with multiple cameras including a synced virtual camera. It’s a careful balancing act of creating an enjoyable live event and professional video shoot, but we feel like we accomplished both in all three cities.”
Doctor Strange probably won’t be the only Marvel movie to take advantage of VR in the years to come either. Joe and Anthoy Russo, the directors behind this year’s Captain America: Civil War and the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War movies, have already confirmed they’d like to use the technology in some way to tie into their new films. Looks like those “Year of VR” claims weren't too far off after all.
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK who really REALLY wants a HTC Vive for Christmas.
