How did you guys get into VR?
– Arcturus was founded four years ago because we saw a missing piece in the immersive media ecosystem; specifically in volumetric video post production. We were impressed and blown away with the early tests of volumetric and what that would mean for immersive media; BUT, we were frustrated that we were not able to edit, control and playback those volumetric captures the way we wanted to on the devices we wanted. This was the genesis of HoloSuite, our capture-agnostic post production platform for volumetric video. You can think of us as Avid and After Effects but designed and built from the ground up for volumetric video. The first time I saw what was possible with volumetric video and our toolset I was blown away. I was watching digital humans look at and respond to me as if they were really there. The opportunities in almost every industry are just starting to be explored.
What is it like working with you guys?
– Arcturus is a technology studio and because volumetric video is an emerging medium, we also provide production services and help others navigate these new realities. We take our client project work very seriously as our flagship product, HoloSuite, is informed and refined by that work. Driven by me and our team members that spent years at various agencies and client side marketing, we are ideally suited to educate and hand-hold our clients. We insure that our clients understand the value proposition and what they can expect in return. Utilizing bleeding edge technology, our experiences make waves and get noticed. The only way to achieve that is with great teamwork, constant and informative communication, and client collaboration.
What is your company’s core expertise?
– Our core consists of a team of 3D engineers who have expertise bringing research to life. Their common language developed over ten years of working together lets us deliver best-in-class solutions for cutting-edge technology. Our team of founders have successfully navigated several startups and assembled a phenomenal team that is ideally suited to help fulfill volumetric video’s promise.
If you were to speculate freely. What sort of VR experiences do you think we will see in the future, in terms of marketing?
– Volumetric video will have an important role in marketing. Among countless use cases for immersive applications, hologram brand ambassadors, available and ready to assist their consumers at any time will become commonplace. Imagine a chef assisting you in the kitchen, a mechanic suggesting the right tool to use for a job, or a make-up artist teaching complex applications; the hologram assistant is on the verge of reality. The rapid rise of assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google’s Assistant show consumer interest and these will eventually take on human form because we want to interact with others like us. The uncanny valley is real, CG characters do not look like us enough, consumers will demand more authenticity and volumetric video provides that.
How big can XR marketing get and what will it take for it to get there?
– Immersive media is in its infancy. Use cases and delivery devices are developing and evolving. While VR headsets are becoming easier to use at a price point that is reasonable, we believe AR will expand and offer deeper market penetration much faster. This is primarily thanks to smartphones, with over one billion devices already around the world, as well as AR glasses. We believe that Apple’s entry into this market will mark a massive turning point both technological and cultural, much like the iPhone did. As these devices proliferate and telecoms upgrade to 5G, we foresee an avalanche of immersive applications, campaigns, and experiences. Volumetric video will be an instrumental piece in this upcoming revolution and Arcturus will be there to help brands understand, manage, and create in this new medium.
What XR experience do you fantasize about experiencing in your lifetime?
– I am looking forward to an AR experience that brings me into a narrative that plays itself out around me. I want a 007 story where I am a contributing character to the action that is unfolding on the streets around me; wherever I happen to be. Imagine being on the subway and you can see through your AR glasses, a story unfolding, characters looking to you to take action and your choices influence how the story continues. The next time you fire up the story, you’re in a park and you’re sent on a hunt for hidden objects that propel the story forward, etc. It’s like the Star Trek Holodeck but instead of a generated room, it’s mixed with the real world. The creative possibilities are endless and I’m very excited about what the future holds.