Dive into the world of chainsaw artists, spacesuit designers, and other fascinating creators.
Since its launch back in 2010, Adam Savage’s Tested, a YouTube channel and website documenting the bizarre creations of Savage and other talented creators, has accumulated a jaw-dropping 4.5M subscribers.
A former co-host for Discovery Channel’s hit series MythBusters, Savage and his team have tackled what seems like every conceivable project on their channel, whether it be building a true-to-life replica of the famous Sword of Excalibur, creating a custom car seat for puppies, or designing one of their many A+ cosplays.
Available now on the Oculus Quest and Oculus Go, Adam Savage’s Tested VR takes fans even deeper into the world of Tested by immersing them in the creations of Savage and other talented makers, as well as their one-of-a-kind workstations.
Users begin the experience in a fully-interactive cardboard room nearly identical to that of Savage’s personal workspace. Here, users can fool around with a variety of tools and items spread out on the desk in front of them. There are also several folders you can flip through that contain little factoids about past projects and creations. Unfortunately, this is the only point during the experience where you’ll be able to interact with the environment.
The rest of the experience is broken up into eight, 15-minute live-action episodes following one specific creator. Captured in 180-degree stereoscopic video, users can step into the workshop of host and TV personality Adam Savage, chainsaw wood sculptor Griffon Ramsey, and spacesuit replica fabricator Ryan Nagata, as well as these five other talented makers:
- Brett Foxwell, Machinist/Stop-Motion Animator
- Rick Lyon, Puppeteer & Puppet Designer
- Melissa Ng, Gothic Armor Designer
- Andrew Freeman, Creature Mask Sculptor
- Alexis Noriega, Costume Wing Designer
“The videos we produce are very different than those for television broadcasts,” said Savage, according to a report from WIRED. “When we put it in VR, we found such an intimacy to watching someone work. For me as a maker, when I see someone doing something in front of me, it’s twice as easy to understand as if they’re doing it on a screen. And that’s just the nature of the way I think our brains process information.”
According to a statement made by a Tested producer to WIRED, the team plans on adding additional episodes in the near future featuring brand new creators. There are also plans to expand the app to other immersive platforms, so long as they can handle high-resolution videos.
“It’s lovely to have these videos to get a little peek into the variety of stuff that people are creating and the artwork these people are generating,” said Rick Lyon, puppeteer and puppet designer.
“It’s almost like being able to lean into the screen,” added Griffon Ramsey, chainsaw artist. “In the past there was almost like this invisible wall up, but now it’s like you can break through this wall and feel like you’re there witnessing it.”
Adam Savage’s Tested VR was developed by Whalerock / Lucky Hammers and is available for free on Oculus Quest and Oculus Go right now via the Oculus Store.
Image Credit: Adam Savage’s Tested
