““Crow: The Legend” – Bringing a Native American Myth into VR” by Cutler, Darnell, Peterson, Dirksen and Heart
Conference:
Type:
Title:
- “Crow: The Legend” - Bringing a Native American Myth into VR
Presenter(s)/Author(s):
Project Affiliation:
- Baobab Studios
Abstract:
Inspired by a Native American myth, Baobab Studio’s “Crow: The Legend” tells a story with themes of diversity, inclusion, sacrifice and self- acceptance. Director Eric Darnell and the team behind the Emmy-winning VR animations “Invasion!” and “Asteroids!,” share insights from their most ambitious VR project to date.
In this production session we will answer the following questions and more as well as showcase our work: What are the differences between creating a VR animated experience versus a 2D animated film? How do we blend original music, interactivity with a VR storybook visual style to capture the mythical quality from the Native American folktale? How do we balance audience participation against focused narrative? As the audience plays the role of the “Spirit of the Seasons”, how does the viewer interact with and affect change on the characters and their world. What creative and technical challenges arise by integrating user agency and interactivity into the narrative? How do we direct the viewer’s eyes when we no longer have a frame? How do storyboarding, staging, and animation change when the viewer can look anywhere and be part of the story?
