On April 12, 2019, YouTube channel United shared a behind-the-scenes video showcasing some of the special features of their incredible AVDFM – which was a modern marvel and a combination of an orchestra playing themes from some of the world's most famous music franchises, of Star Wars and Jurassic Park, and the AR. If the event proved anything, it’s that augmented reality is the future of cinema.
Augmented reality and virtual reality
Unlike virtual reality, which has also become increasingly popular in recent years, AR users experience their real environment with computer-generated perceptual information overlaid in real time, whereas virtual reality creates a completely artificial environment.
Pokémon Go was one of the first games to catapult AR into the public consciousness since in 2016 it allowed interaction with Pokémon superimposed on the world via the player's smartphone screen.
Peter Jackson unveils a breathtaking augmented reality demo.
AR used at the AVDFM
Imagine an orchestral show where the orchestra begins to play, and the ceiling of the hall opens to reveal the world of music they are playing. At AVDFM in 2019, spectators in the hall and at home were transported into space as the orchestra played the iconic Star Wars theme, where ships entered and exited the hall through the ceiling, the Millennium Falcon would come in and be shot at by actual stormtroopers parading through the audience.
Imagine that to the sound of Jurassic Park, the ceiling opens to a jungle scene as the dinosaur heads appear and dive into the room to look down at the intriguing, tiny humans below them. AR brought the imagination of director David Grifhorst and technical artist Luis Oliveira to life in this incredible spectacle.
Chatting behind the scenes, David Grifhorst and Luis Oliveira explained how they managed to make the night as magical as it was. Luis talked about the technical side of making augmented reality real and why it was believable.
“We want the audience to feel immersed in an experience and we are trying to give them that by using real-time augmented reality technology. The way we’re trying to do it is to use video game technology so we can have real-time tracking with our cameras.” Mr. Oliveira also spoke about the conditions necessary for the realization of this project: “The preparations that we must make in advance essentially consist of knowing the dimensions of the place, in this case the Ziggo Dome, the type of lighting that “They will use the length of the pieces and then deliver that experience not only on the big screen, but also during broadcast.”
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AR is the future of cinema
Imagine going to the cinema and, without having to wear 3D glasses, the film you are about to see suddenly comes to life and you have the impression of seeing some of the characters walking around the theater with you, or that scenes from Epic battles cross the barrier between screen and reality and become real, if only for a few seconds.
How epic would it be to go see a movie about space, and the entire ceiling looks like galaxies, stars, and planets? This would introduce an entirely new element into cinema and theater, bringing the unreal back to reality.
Many believe that augmented reality is the future of cinema and imagine how amazing it would be to experience it for yourself. If AVDFM took place in 2019, who knows what augmented reality technology might be able to accomplish today?
“When I look to the future, I think the most important part of augmented reality should be the storytelling, and then the technique will follow,” says director David Grifhorst.