VRChat Director Launches VR Film Studio, Crafting Emotional Connections in Virtual World
Extended Reality
2-minute read
You've heard of drawing and sketching in VR games, or maybe even taking photos in virtual reality... but what about shooting documentaries in the virtual world? It might be difficult to imagine, but if you've seen the work of VR documentary filmmaker Joe Hunting in "We Met In Virtual Reality," you might have a change of perspective.
This documentary made its debut at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and is now available for streaming on HBO Max. In its 91-minute runtime, Joe Hunting delves into how people established deep relationships and a sense of community in the VRChat virtual world during the COVID-19 lockdown. The director not only aims to help the audience understand how the virtual world operates but also wants to make the emotional connections between the different characters resonate with the audience.
The Birth of "We Met In Virtual Reality"
In an interview, Joe Hunting mentioned that he first entered VRChat in 2018. As a gamer, he was immediately drawn to this virtual social platform and began interacting with other users on VRChat. However, there are many misunderstandings about the virtual world in the real world, such as the belief that "people who are obsessed with the virtual world are often escaping from reality." He wanted to share the wonderful experiences he encountered using his own visual storytelling expertise and dispel preconceived notions about the virtual world in VRChat.
After completing the production, Joe Hunting entered this documentary into many film festivals. This year, he even served as a curator for the Raindance Immersive section at the Raindance Film Festival. He selected interesting virtual worlds, experiences, and visual works from VRChat, further showcasing the unique culture of VRChat to a wide audience.
Establishing a VR Film Studio
Recently, Joe Hunting announced the establishment of "Painted Clouds Studio," a studio dedicated to virtual reality film and series production. It is not just an ordinary production company; Joe Hunting has a grand vision to shape it into an innovative art laboratory that promotes the production and development of VR films through collaboration with diverse artists. In addition, he created the "Painted Clouds Park" virtual world in VRChat, where many events and lectures are held to share techniques for virtual reality filmmaking and encourage and nurture creators to explore different possibilities of expression in VR.
Joe Hunting is currently preparing for a comedy film that is expected to start production next year. This film tells the story of a group of virtual world residents investigating a series of mysterious events. Unlike "We Met In Virtual Reality," this time it will feature original virtual characters and environments, not limited to the world of VRChat, and the style will lean towards traditional animated films. Additionally, in terms of the film format, there is a possibility of challenging the presentation with VR360 for the first time.
It seems that this director has ambitious aspirations, not only to weave compelling stories through different narrative approaches but also to continuously promote the virtual culture he loves to a wider audience. With the establishment of the studio, it is believed that more like-minded creators will join, expanding the creative horizons and diversity.
