Affordable virtual reality technology could give Scottish theater new life

And now there’s a unique opportunity to find out what it was like to be on the receiving end of one of his fiery stones – from the safety of your seat.

Thanks to a world-leading development led by an Edinburgh-based film company, Smile About MacLean can be experienced in virtual reality with just a cheap headset and smartphone.

As theaters struggle to recover from the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis, Dundee Rep has taken another bold step to make its business more accessible by embracing new technology.

This development means that not only can people experience a show while sitting at home, but it can also help theaters boost ticket sales, which have fallen by about 25% on average in the wake of the pandemic.

The innovation is a world first and the “pandemic child” of husband-and-wife team Kellman and Gemma Gregg Kicks, whose nine-year-old company Neon8 produces films for the third sector and the performing arts.

It’s a hugely passionate project for the pair, as their main goals are to help venues and production companies recover, as well as to share the theater experience with those who may not be able to see a live performance.

Many theaters have switched to digital productions during the pandemic, but this one takes the concept further by making the audience feel like they’re actually there, rather than watching it on screen.

The new platform, Box Office VR, is already making waves, resulting in Neon8 winning an Innovation Award at the prestigious Edinburgh Creative Awards, after two years of hard work by Gemma and Kelman to create it.

“It was really exciting but also very scary, and there were a lot of moments where we wondered what we were up against,” Gemma told the Sunday National.

“However, we wanted to introduce people to the joys of a nice, accessible yet immersive virtual reality experience — one that takes you directly into a theater space without actually being there. And while many people think that VR is only for gamers or the completely technically savvy, it is Neon8’s VR action for theater doesn’t require you to be on your feet or participate — and you don’t need a dedicated VR headset to watch.”

Kellman noted that their model was an ideal way to experience virtual reality without spending a lot of money on equipment.

“As well as people with suitable VR headsets being able to use the site, this also allows you to use a dummy headset, which costs around £20, that you can insert your phone into and using the Box Office VR app, you can go into VR mode and see everything.” . “It enables people to experience it from an access point that is very low in terms of spending.

“Most of the industry is moving away from mobile VR because it’s not making enough money but it still works to watch movies and we really think people need time to figure out if they like VR or not. We’re thinking about people who either don’t want to or can’t Buying a VR headset because they think it will be a waste of money.

“With this, they can do something on their phone with a dummy headset and see if they really like it.”

Kellman added, “We’re shooting either close to or in front of the stage so you have a view that you wouldn’t normally see. Nothing replaces going to the theater but you can see something a little different in the VR version.”

There have previously been two experiments with 360-degree VR theater productions, but the Neon8 rotates 180 degrees to give people easier access while still providing an immersive experience.

It is also a pay-per-view rather than a subscription service, around 80% of the money is returned to the industry and the rest is used to maintain the platform.

Those who want to try it have the initial outlay for a headset but it can be shared with others and there will soon be a number of products on the platform, including Smile.

“A lot of people said it should be subscription-based, like Netflix, but we didn’t want to because that only fuels the big tech model,” Gemma said. We want this to be flexible and we want the industry to understand that it’s not about us taking their product and making money off of it because that needs to get back into the industry and work. If you start cutting out where the actual work is coming from, you won’t survive either.

“The industry is really suffering and it is not easy to get back on track as there is still a great deal of concern about returning to spaces, despite the huge efforts that venues are making to mitigate those concerns. This is a response to that. It does not replace the actual experience of going to the theater But he can sit next to him.”

Liam Sinclair, CEO and Joint Chief Executive Officer of Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre, said: “We are very excited to collaborate with Neon8 in creating this experience for audiences. Over the past two years, Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre have embraced digital innovation as a way to create new formats and access points. to our audience.

“In September, we were delighted to win the Digital Innovation award at the Dundee and Angus Chambers of Commerce Awards, so the world launch of Smile VR builds on that momentum.”