Alchemy Immersive, the Emmy Award-Winning studio behind many of Attenborough’s greatest hits, and Oculus partner to reveal a never-before-seen view of our planets bugs.
For the first time, Oculus users will be able to experience live-action VR in 8K 3D at 60fps as they discover a hidden world with Natural History Legend, David Attenborough. In a continuation of his landmark production, Micro Monsters, comes this awe-inspiring five-part immersive series that promises to reveal the real-life superpowers of arthropods, from a completely unique perspective.
Over five episodes, experience the conflicts, courtships, and communities of this micro world. Witness a scorpion and a centipede fight to the death; experience the process of an aphid miraculously cloning itself; and an army of green ants building incredible structures. Narrowly avoid the deadly ambush of a Trapdoor spider and become transfixed by the Portia spider’s deadly musical lullaby. Combining spectacular live-action close-ups with the power of computer graphics, watch a caterpillar’s transformation from inside its cocoon and discover a beetle’s secret chemical weapon.
“Micro Monsters pioneers the next generation of immersive storytelling,” said Eric Cheng, Head of Immersive Media, Oculus From Facebook. “The series’ combination of incredible narratives, best-in-class 3D quality and spatial sound, sets a new quality bar for immersive-video experiences in VR. It’s hard to describe the feeling one gets when they are shrunk down to the size of a beetle, confronting the prospect of becoming a meal for a giant praying mantis!”
“We are delighted that Micro Monsters’ captivating stories have been extended and transformed into the immersive space,” added Anthony Geffen – CEO, Atlantic Productions. “Working in partnership with Alchemy and Oculus, this series will continue to entertain international audiences as it educates them about these unique creatures and their rarely seen worlds.”
Produced using a combination of specially developed 3D stereoscopic camera rigs, 180° live-action capture, and newly developed VFX compositing techniques, Micro Monsters showcases the best in immersive media production pipelines. Every detail of nature is revealed in stunning clarity. For example, the beat of a butterfly wing, through the incredibly high frame rate (60fps) elevated with spatial sound design. This state-of-the-art storytelling is delivered to users thanks to high resolution streaming and caching support on Oculus TV, allowing users to enjoy the incredible stories of Micro Monsters at 8K resolution on the latest Quest headsets.
“We’re so excited to share this breathtaking and education-enriching experience that demonstrates the true potential of live-action VR,” said Elliot Graves, Director, Alchemy Immersive. “The genuine sense of presence you’ll feel inside these micro-worlds couldn’t be achieved through any other story-telling medium.”
Micro Monsters with David Attenborough is an Alchemy Immersive production, co-produced by Oculus From Facebook and produced by Atlantic Productions’ immersive division Alchemy Immersive in collaboration with ZOO VFX and 1.618 Digital (for fully immersive sound). The experience will be available via Oculus TV in 8K on Oculus Quest 2, and in 5K on Quest.
These real-life superpowers need to be seen to be believed. Episodes are exclusively available on Oculus TV in Oculus Quest headsets on the 6th of October.
Image Credit: Alchemy Immersive (Atlantic Productions), Facebook
