P.I. Dreams Become a Reality in VR Murder Mystery from Start VR
The Australia-based virtual reality studio Start VR transports viewers into the next generation of “choose-your-own-adventure” series with a vintage Film Noir twist in a new murder mystery VR experience, “VR Noir,” now available for download on Samsung Gear and Google Cardboard. The virtual reality experience places viewers in the first-person perspective of Veronica Coltrane, a former cop-turned P.I., struggling to make ends meet in the throes of a child support battle. When a woman walks into Veronica’s office asking for help locating her husband, the viewer is faced with a difficult decision. Is Mrs. Stackhouse truly a woman in grief? Or is something far more sinister going on?
The VR trailer can be viewed below:
Click here to download VR Noir in the SamsungGear Store, here for iTunes and here for Google Play.
“VR Noir” was conceived by Start VR Executive Producer Nathan Anderson, who brings extensive experience creating mysteries for mobile apps to the world of VR filmmaking. After viewing many passive VR experiences, Anderson had the idea to elevate the level of interactivity and engagement within the burgeoning medium.
“We wanted to explore how film and gaming VR experiences they could live together,” saysAnderson. “Can you have a cinematic experience that also allows you to have some agency in the outcome? My career quest is to find the convergence of storytelling, game design and interactivity.”
Noir was the ideal genre for Start VR to begin their experiment. “Detective stories are a familiar genre,” says VR Supervisor Martin Taylor. “We started from a familiar place where all the tropes are well known – a lonesome main character, a femme fatale, a mystery to solve. Then we placed it in the unfamiliar medium of VR.”
“Crime drama works really well because there’s a natural inclination for the audience to want to work out what’s happened,” adds Anderson. “If you’re reading a mystery book, you’re trying to find out who did it and stay one step ahead of the detective.Crime is an easy access point to figuring out how to generate interactivity inVR while still focusing on the story.”
In addition to exploring a new technology, Start VR wanted to conduct an experiment into the philosophic concept of alterity, the notion of being someone else.
“We started with a male protagonist,” says Anderson. “But then, I thought, if we’re going to try and change things in VR and make a statement, and get people out of their comfort zones, then let’s change the gender as well.” As a result, VeronicaColtrane was born. “We know that most of the VR audience right now is male.This will allow the audience to transform and become someone they’re not. Will they feel like a female? Will they feel like a detective? Will they feel like they were a part of the story, as opposed to passive participants? We can’t wait to find out.”
“VR Noir” debuts on the Samsung Gear and Google Cardboard headsets today, after a successful launch at the Sydney Vivid Festival and Montreal Film Festival.
Full Credits:
VR Production Company: Start VR
Executive Producer/VR Showrunner: Nathan Anderson
Executive Producer/VR Supervisor: Martin Taylor
Writer/Co-Creator: Mike Jones
Producer: Nathan Anderson p.g.a.
1st AD: Dimitri Ellerington
Data Wrangler: Peter Magdas
Costume Designer: Bec Sheedy
Hair & Makeup Artist: Victoria Walton
Amourer: Daniel Martin, ARMS AND FX
Production Manager and Casting: Carolina Sorensen
Technical Director: Jaegar Battersby
Digital Producer: Derek Proud
Art Director: Kain Tietzel
Design: Isabella Povolny
Game Designer: Dayle Keiron
Unity Developer: Sylvain Aimoz
Title Design and Motion Graphics: Emanuele Grisa
Co-Production Partner: AFTRS
Executive Producer: Martin Brown
Performance Director: Robert Klenner
Story Consultants: Steve Vidler, Nell Greenwood
Research Strategist: Penelope Thomas
Production Manager: Dejay Vi Nguyen
Unit Production Manager: Denai Gracie
Cinematographer: Kim Batterham
1st Camera Assistant: Daniel Grey
2nd Camera Assistant: Lucca Barone-Peters
Grip: TonyBosch
Gaffer: Martin Perrott
Best Boy:Josef Heks
Sound Recordists: Benjamin Ryan, Oliver Brighton
Production Designers: Igor Nay, Sarah Stollman
Art Department: Aisha Kirkby, Annie Wright, Carita Gronroos, Courtney Covey, DarrenHardie, Jason Ness, Jean-Pierre Yomona Sharne Everard, Wayne Smith
Continuity: Brent Williams
Stills Photographer: Elena Gan
Behind-the-Scenes Camera Operators: Lisa Xia, Raj Muneshwar
Composers: Martin Armiger, David Bruggemann
Sound Supervisor: Andrew Belletty
Sound Designers: Benjamin Ryan, Lucca Barone-Peters, Oliver Brighton
Casting Consultant: Wendy Thompson
User Experience Researcher: Gabiann Marin
Co-Production Partner, Visual Effects and Post-Production: FSM
VFX Producer: Martin Thorne
Editor: Patrick Townsend
Assistant Editor: Sam Bright
CG Supervisor: Dylan Neill
VFX Supervisor: Phil Stuart-Jones
Stitchingand Compositing: Stuart Cadzow, Phil Stuart-Jones
Additional Compositing: Robert Dinnerville, Patrick Townsend, Martin Thorne
Colorist: Tom Meares
3DResearch: Adam Waddington
Cast
Veronica Coltrane: Anita Hegh
Adam: Felix Williamson
Ilsa: Suza Dougherty
Suited Man: Markus Hamilton
Woman: Alice Keohavong
Old Man: Albert Goldingay
Randall: Nicholas Hope
Rosemary: Meredith Penman
Hooded Figure: Daniel Martin
June Coltrane: Darcey Anderson
