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USC School of Cinematic Arts’ Ganek Immersive Studio, a pioneering facility for immersive storytelling and world-building, has unveiled the line-up for its annual student Immersive Showcase.
This much-anticipated event will present an array of projects in differing phases of development, spotlighting the innovative work being cultivated within the Studio. According to Jordan Halsey, USC associate professor and studio director, the showcase is scheduled for April 24 on the SCA campus.
Established in the fall of 2022, the Ganek Immersive Studio is the first of its kind at the university level, made possible by a generous donation from David and Danielle Ganek and the Ganek Family Foundation. The Studio is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, serving as an interdisciplinary center for the creation and production of immersive media.
Operating like a modern creative design studio, it boasts an up-to-date production and visualization pipeline. Halsey, who leads the Studio, elaborated on its advancements in a recent interview.
Over the past year, the Studio has focused on enhancing its post-production and real-time pipeline to harness cutting-edge technologies. For cinematic projects, it has created a new pipeline for generating 16K stereo 180-degree content compatible with the Apple Vision Pro, having successfully shot five complete productions utilizing this system.
For their real-time production efforts, the Studio launched Project Phosphorescence to exhibit a new array of tools that integrate artificial intelligence, machine learning, and procedural tool development. This initiative emphasizes custom workflows in ComfyUI, alongside intricate 3D scene creation utilizing Pixar’s Universal Scene Description with Side FX Houdini and Houdini Engine for digital assets, enabling swift prototyping of complex 3D world-building tasks and smooth project transitions into Unreal Engine, Reality Kit, and Nvidia Omniverse.
“The projects emerging from SCA’s Ganek Immersive Studio demonstrate the bold, innovative spirit of our students,” remarked Halsey. “This year’s showcase emphasizes how our students are redefining storytelling through advanced technology, transforming visionary ideas into engaging experiences. They are continually pushing the limits and expanding their creative boundaries to explore entirely new realms.”
David and Danielle Ganek expressed their enthusiasm about the works being nurtured at SCA’s Ganek Immersive Studio under Halsey’s mentorship. “The projects presented in this showcase signify a collective effort to redefine narrative-driven immersive content by merging traditional storytelling techniques with cutting-edge technology,” stated the Ganeks.
Although the Ganek Immersive Studio has been operational for nearly three years, recent efforts have concentrated on immersive real-time projects utilizing game engines, with the addition of various Apple Vision Pro hardware vendors.
“We have been developing an internal project called Project Phosphorescence, designed to enhance our real-time pipeline, relying on Pixar’s Universal Scene Description, which we foresee as the future file format,” explained Halsey.
Students are encouraged to acquire the skills necessary for 3D productions. Each October, they submit their projects for faculty review.
“We evaluate the projects’ feasibility and look for opportunities that would allow us to explore specific tasks to enhance our pipeline,” Halsey noted. “The Studio provides a comprehensive space that aids in developing our cinematic and 3D pipeline for crafting immersive experiences.”
Halsey mentioned the emergence of AI tools like TouchDesigner, created by the same individual behind Houdini. Many lab projects involve cross-disciplinary collaboration among students from various parts of the university, including the School of Cinematic Arts.
He emphasizes the importance of directing students toward projects with real commercial viability.
“With the cinematic projects, we aim to create compelling narratives. Our focus lies in integrating storytelling within the Apple Vision Pro using a cinematic approach,” Halsey stated.
“The ability to produce striking cinematic content that performs exceptionally in the headset is a transformative experience for me. Last year in the lab marked the first time I believed this was an achievable goal,” he added.
VR Shot Projects — 180 Stereo Cinematic Production
The selected projects span a wealth of technologies and storytelling forms within VR, XR, AR, and AI as artistic frameworks, including the following:
• A Larger Living Space – Directed by Nathan Fairchild
A man in a cramped apartment attempts to impress a girl by purchasing an experimental product named “Space Solutionz,” leading to unexpected and profound transformations in his space.
• Performance Improvement Plan – Directed by Jinrun Han
Set in a bizarre corporate environment, a data entry clerk faces surreal psychological experiments and brutal consequences as he fights for his survival.
• Elevator – Directed by Lilleth Glimcher
Two club-goers venture into an underground party, only to find themselves in a terrifying ordeal.
• Code Red – Directed by Fiyin Gambo
After her husband’s wrongful arrest, a pregnant hairstylist and her eccentric salon crew devise a daring scheme to break him out of court using nothing but beauty supplies and sheer will.
Trailer
• Crime Scene – Directed by Christian Cuevas
Police Procedural
Virtual Production
• In The Wake of the Whale – Directed by Claire Li
360 Stereo Virtual Reality – Unreal Engine – This project represents the first VR “Virtual Thesis.” It follows a young whale calf and its mother as they navigate the ocean’s depths, confronted by the disruptive presence of human activity and environmental harm.
• Phosphorescence – Directed by Akaash Tumuluri
An in-house studio initiative designed to validate the effectiveness of the 3D content and real-time pipeline, featuring a lone scientist on a solo mission to Jupiter’s moon Ganymede who comes across an alien substance that challenges his understanding of humanity.
AI Projects and Technical Demos
• Peace Lily – Created by Somi Awasthi
A real-time generative story crafted using AI and TouchDesigner.
• Space Movie – Created by Dylan Wake
An AI-generated short film set in space.
• Ganek Studio AI Testing and Experiments
Reflecting on the state of the gaming industry, Halsey remarked that it has been an extraordinary series of challenges, but noted that devices like the Apple Vision Pro are beginning to facilitate new content development.
Ultimately, Halsey envisions teams that contemplate intermediary technologies, aspiring toward the realization of the Star Trek Holodeck.
Source
venturebeat.com