Search Results for "augmented reality"

Virtual Reality, Projection Mapping, and Augmented Reality, Oh My! 

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A few too many syllables, but we love a good Wizard of Oz reference.  And, what is the Wizard of Oz if not a great big, classic film mash-up of our experiential services?

You’ve got Dorothy, transported via tornado to a brave new world.  She’s immersed in all the sights, sounds, and smells of Oz, from Munchkin Land to the Emerald City.  That’s a virtual reality experience if we ever saw one. And Oz himself? What an absolute Projection Mapping master!  

You’ve got limited time in your day, so we’ll cut this extended Oz metaphor short and get right to the point. 

The Tin Man and the Scarecrow walk with Dorothy through the dark forest

Traditional storytelling is one-dimensional.  People simply don’t learn and engage the same way they did 50 years ago (or even 5 years ago).  You know you need video in your communications strategy, but you might need to take it to the next level. 

Video is everywhere now, which means it’s becoming less and less effective.  (Did you know over 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute?  That’s 432,000 hours per day!) So much content is out there, vying for your attention, your time, your money.  If you want to compete, sometimes you’ve got to step it up.  

You don’t want to make a video just for the sake of making a video.  But, how do you make a splash? How do you bring your visual content to the next level? 

Answer: You don’t just make a video, you create an experience (using our services, of course.) 

Here at Launch Media, we believe in creating engaging visual content with tools like virtual reality and projection mapping.  With our Experiential Services, not only do you create amazing visual content, but you can create opportunities for your key publics to engage with your narrative in a meaningful way.  

These approaches are going to yield a greater impact because you’re making your audience part of your story.  You’re inviting them to participate with your brand message and engage with it. In this way, your audience is going to better understand your message.  They’ll feel more invested in your narrative.

So, what are your options?  What are Experiential services and what do they look like in practice for your business?  

Here are a few of the experiential services we offer: 

360 Video: Literal Multi-Dimensional Storytelling

Most videos you watch are pretty straightforward, right?  You pull up your preferred video platform, you pick your poison, and you press play.

But sometimes, you stop on a video and something is different.  The perspective changes. You can see new angles just with the click of your mouse or the drag of your finger.  You get way more freedom in your viewing experience. That’s what 360 video is.  

It’s a whole new way to watch.  Unlike regular videos, 360 video records every direction, every angle, so you get a full 360 view of everything.  It’s just like being there. You can control the viewing direction (as you do with your body in real life) and choose your own perspective.  

Just like with regular footage, 360 video still gives you room to add all the bells and whistles.  You can layer animation, text, and graphics to better emphasize parts of your narrative and drive home your message.  Viewers can explore new worlds from your mobile device or your desktop.  

Check out our project with MESH/Coast 360.  We integrated images, maps, and other elements to give their outreach teams a powerful tool to fight coastal erosion.  While watching the video, use your mouse (or your finger if you’re using a phone or tablet) to explore left, right, above and below!  

If you want to go a step further, you can completely immerse your audience with one of the many—and growing—options of Virtual Reality headsets. (Pro-Tip: It’s the standout addition to expo booths and product launches.) 

Virtual Reality: Building a World to Enhance an Experience

Carr….pe…… Di…..em….. 

Robin Williams in Dead Poet's Society Carpe Diem Gif
RIP Robin Williams

Carpe Diem!  Seize the day and the opportunity to immerse!  

Virtual Reality (affectionately known as VR) is a technology that creates a simulated environment.  And, it’s not just for gaming. VR gives the user an inside take that allows for total immersion and even interaction in the visual experience.  

There’s incredible potential for immersive video as a tool to aid or grow your business.  You want to tell your story, but imagine if your audience could see ALL sides to the story.

If you can imagine it, then we can build it.  The most common applications include training, tutorials, and tours—but since entire worlds can be created, there are no limits!  Everyone, everywhere can get on board. Viewers can experience the magic of VR on a phone or a tablet, in a browser, or on a headset.

FAQ: What’s the difference between 360 video and a complete virtual reality (VR) experience?  Check out our short example here to see. It moves the viewer from a simple 360 video application to a complete 3D VR environment. This video also uses composited stereoscopic graphics and an animated character, so you can see a few of the endless possibilities that this new technology brings to your digital communications toolbox.  

Using your mouse or finger, click and drag to explore left, right, above, and below!

Projection Mapping: It’s that unexpected, Instagram-worthy, still-talking-about-it-a-week-later, WOW factor to elevate any event

Anything can be a canvas.  Projection Mapping is another way to bring your visual story to life.  It’s truly an art that allows you to project video onto unexpected surfaces, like buildings or mountainsides.  From music festivals to product launches, project mapping is a useful and beautiful way to display your creativity and share your narrative.  

Using a sophisticated system of maps, we can tell projectors where and where not to project animations, video, and shapes—you’re only limited by your imagination!  

Its versatility is its strength.  We’ve done projection mapping for everything from film festivals to TEDXLSU.   It’s high-tech, high impact, custom made for your business needs at the event you create.  Use it for: 

    • Fundraisers and Galas
    • Annual Meetings
    • Award Banquets 
    • Art Installations 
    • Grand Openings
    • Anniversary and Milestone Events
    • Trade Shows
    • Conventions

Check out some of our favorite moments of Projection Mapping Magic.  

Augmented Reality: Bring Your Story to Life 

Pokemon Go examples in different outdoor scenes gif

Where virtual reality is about putting you into a whole new world, augmented reality is about adding to the experience of your current surroundings.  Essentially, augmented reality superimposes text, animation, graphics, or sounds through our devices into the world around us. It’s how Pokemon Go works.  

You can make your print or 2D collateral explode off the page.  Anything has the potential to become an immersive experience – print ads, product labels, billboards, and more.  

With current technology, augmented reality is more accessible than ever. It’s become a real option to uniquely reach and engage with your audience. By engaging with capabilities already on their phones, you can bridge traditional and new media to reach new engagement levels.

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Here at Launch Media, we’re not just a video company—we’re a media production company. We’re here to help you become a more accomplished communicator and grow your business with visual content. If you want to see it on a screen, we can create it. 

Unsure how these might work for you? Contact us and Schedule a free, 30 minute consultation with us. 

Augmented Reality

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Bring Your Story to Life

Make your print or 2D collateral come to life. Anything can become an immersive experience—print ads, product labels, billboards, and more.

With current technology, augmented reality is more accessible than ever. It’s become a real option to uniquely reach and engage with your audience. By engaging with capabilities already on their phones, users bridge traditional and new media to reach new engagement levels.

Contact Launch to discuss bringing your existing marketing into the digital space.

WHY STORYTELLING IS THE BACKBONE OF YOUR VIDEO

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How to Win the Attention War 

It’s no secret that attention spans continue to dwindle. Everyone is familiar with the overused statistic about goldfish. Everyone knows that video is a vital weapon in this war. Is there a way to truly make a brand rise up over the noise? A high quality video full of clever edits to combat the overwhelm of content?  

No. There is no magic formula. There is no production studio that can guarantee every video will go viral. There is no secret visual recipe to capture everyone’s attention. 

But, brands don’t need to secure just anyone’s attention. They only need to connect with their target audience. 

Young African American girl plays with technology

What You Need to Maintain Your Audience’s Attention

The first step in any creative process is always to identify the target audience. Content crafted for everyone speaks to no one, all the more so amid the high stakes of our content saturated digital world. 

The most effective brands invent a story that makes their audience feel heard while simultaneously compelling them to listen closer, to emotionally invest because the brand story has now made them feel a part of something greater than themselves. 

This kind of storytelling requires intentionality, quality direction, and meaningful creative discussion. This kind of storytelling does not begin with a fifteen second TikTok trend (though effective short videos for social media will certainly stem from this type of storytelling). 

Jacqueline Beauchamp

Storytelling is only the beginning.  

Masterful storytelling has the capacity to yield incredible results. But, without the proper medium to ensure it goes to work for you, it’s just another piece of content. 

We want to create a lasting narrative.

Narratives engage. They evolve. And they stick. We aim to craft a compelling narrative by first understanding who you are and who you want to reach. It needs to establish momentum and capture your audience in a meaningful way. 

When we develop your project narrative, we generate a concept specific to your organization. From there, we distinguish the look and feel of a visual solution that will drive results.  

Every new project at Launch Media begins with a creative brief, which identifies project goals, audience needs, and strategic communication objectives. But, a successful creative process doesn’t always fit neatly into a downloadable template. 

Augmented reality cowboy

Finding the narrative with Engaged Media

In a project with Engaged Media, we worked to design an augmented reality and interactive exhibit for the Black College Hall of Fame and NFL Hall of Fame while also highlighting the company’s support of its partner, Microsoft and Historically black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) across the country. And, the video needed to reflect that partnership well with a personal, story-driven, immersive experience. 

“Originally, this was supposed to be a completely animated spot. All the animation work done on the illustrated animation was spearheaded by Wes Kennison with a team of three or four designers and animators. Just like every good process, you have to have the courage to take things away or to say however cool a shot or segment of animation is, it has to work for the overall narrative…. The live action component came after further development.”  – Christopher Jeansonne

While this video features a personal story about a “ little girl from Scotlandville who fell in love with technology,” it also speaks to larger narratives. The transformative force of education. The power of successful black women. The evolution of the human relationship with technology. 

The visual concept combined cinematic live action with animation and augmented reality created by Engaged Media. 

“It is a great example of what you can do when you mix animation and live action production, which is something that we find ourselves doing more and more now. We create this workflow between production and post because you have to plan for what it’s going to look like when the animation is complete.” – Taylor Stoma 

Animated Still of African Americans in an HBCU Classroom

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Behind the Scenes: VFX Compositing & Animated Motion Graphics

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The third phase of your video project is post-production, more commonly understood as the editing process. It’s when all footage captured during production is compiled for the editor. Post-production is a sifting and sorting process that is meticulous in nature and usually quite time consuming. It’s where we implement all the fun features that give a video that movie magic feel. Let’s take a closer look at VFX Compositing. 

1. What is VFX Compositing? 

Boy in classroom watches construction scene

VFX compositing bridges the gap between live action footage and digital imagery. It’s blending something into a scene that didn’t exist in the live action shot in a way that feels seamless for the viewer. And, usually it’s something real that exists in that world, but simply didn’t make it into the shot.

In the shot above for an NCCER project, we see a building that did not exist in the background in the real live action footage. In post-production, our editor performed a process called masking, which is essentially cutting up sections of the footage to add in the missing feature. 

2. Inside v. Outside: Considering Lighting 

Can we fix that in post? It’s an often used phrase with little known implications. And, nowhere are the implications more important than when a fix is needed via VFX Compositing. 

First, the editor tracks the masks because everyone was moving in the scene. Then, once the building is added into the shot, lighting becomes the focus. While VFX Compositing can be a long process in post-production, the possibilities are endless. But, endless possibilities take time. 

In this shot, the viewer sees a boy sitting inside of a classroom looking out of the window at a building. In addition to the building itself, there is another element of challenge as the addition occurs outside. So, the editor’s task is to ensure that the building not only flows with the live action footage of the boy, but approximates the correct lighting for the building outside. 

“Whenever you’re looking at a scene outside, the sun is at a certain point, therefore it casts shadows at a certain point. So, whenever you’re adding, say, this building, the same light has to be interacting with the building in the same way. In post, we can do a lot of things to adjust things like this. I had to add some artificial light to make it look a little bit more like it was part of the scene. It’s possible. But, that’s just another layer in compositing that most people don’t really think about.” – Taylor Stoma, Editor 

When dealing with any outside scene, the location of the sun affects the location and appearance of shadows. When adding a feature, like a building, to an outside scene, the lighting of the sun needs to interact with the building in a way that looks natural. Using artificial light, the editor can create a seamless look through another layer of compositing. 

3. Animating Motion Graphics  

Man portrays Microsoft Hololens

Holographs. Explosions. Cartoons. Oh my! Sometimes we need to add something to a shot that doesn’t exist in the natural world. Animation and motion graphics are a great way to elevate the intention of a video and what it can convey. 

For the “We are HBCU” project with Engaged Media, we wanted to highlight the company’s partnership with Microsoft. So, in this shot, our editor created a graphic based on the HoloLens, an up and coming augmented reality technology by Microsoft. 

“I had to approximate mixing in the actual look of HoloLens and the actual look of the interface that comes with that and interpret what that animation should look like based on the gestures of the man in the shot. So, you have to consider both the cinematic effect and the interpretation of the look to make most sense with the shot that we got.

In the animation you kind of see it shift over to the left side of the screen, and there it’s got a y-axis rotation. So as it’s shifting over, you have an expansion in a 3D space, which gives it more of the illusion of being this virtual reality thing that you’re holding in the palm of your hands.” – Taylor Stoma, Editor 

Want more behind the scenes action? Visit our BTS page for project inspiration, technical insights, and stories from our crew. 

Learn More About Behind the Scenes here. 

Engaged Media: We Are HBCU

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The HBCU Microsoft Partnership

Engaged Media Co-founder, Chairwoman, and CEO Jacqueline Beauchamp is an African American technology pioneer and thought leader in the space of augmented reality.  In 2021, Jacqueline and her team needed to design an augmented reality and interactive exhibit for the Black College Hall of Fame and NFL Hall of Fame. She wanted to deliver a story-driven, immersive experience. So, her team asked Launch Media to produce a video highlighting the company’s support of its partner, Microsoft and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) across the country.

The Power of a Personal Narrative

This video was a personal story. It was about Jacqueline, “the little girl from Scotlandville who fell in love with technology.”

But, we needed to convey more than her early interest in tech. We needed to share her parents’ insistence and support of a quality education. We needed to emphasize the role that Southern University, one of the country’s leading HBCUs, played in Jacqueline’s educational journey and eventual success in the tech world. And, we needed to capture the power of her story in a way that would also highlight her company’s partnership with Microsoft.  

We decided on a video concept that combined cinematic live action with animation and augmented reality created by Engaged Media. Normally, a project of this size and scope would take a month or more. But, while it was easy to see the power of Jacqueline’s story, the project timeline proved to be more of a challenge. 

One Week Deadline? Challenge Accepted.

Our team had one week. One week to scout locations, create storyboards, write scripts, secure talent, and edit the nearly four-minute video. Not to mention, we shot all of the footage in just one day.

So, we may have gotten a very small taste of what Jacqueline’s father meant when he said to her: “You will need to be 5 times better in order for them to take you seriously.”

The video made its debut during The Battle of the Bands event, as part of the festivities of the Bayou Classic Southern versus Grambling football game weekend.

 

 

3 Ways VR Supports Business  

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Did you know that the augmented reality and virtual reality market in the United States has nearly doubled since 2019? (Statista) That growth is indicative of a valuable trend that’s here to stay. But, what is it? And, how can your business benefit from virtual reality and augmented reality? 

VR and AR are both experiential services that enhance visual storytelling in a way that’s interactive and immersive. And, they allow your audience to visually engage with your message, which is a powerful tool you can use to grow your business. 

Virtual reality example

Virtual Reality v. Augmented Reality 

Though gaming popularized VR, it’s hardly the only industry that can benefit from VR technology. With VR, you can create an entire virtual world – one that is lifelike or fantastically imagined. And, viewers can experience that world from almost any device, be it your phone or smart glasses.

Augmented reality offers a similarly impactful experience, bridging new media and traditional media to create an exciting blend of engagement spanning real life and digital. With AR, you can make your print or 2D collateral come to life with digital elements that engage with capabilities already available on your consumers’ devices . 

But, what are some practical ways to use experiential services like VR and AR to support your business? 

virtual reality training

 

Train Employees 

Hiring a new employee means a period of time spent training. Even the most qualified candidates and experienced hires need to be oriented to the new environment, people, and program. 

And, VR provides simulations for nearly any kind of training purpose, from airplane pilots to industrial construction workers to customer service. VR creates a controlled, safe environment for learning while also engaging the employee with realistic experience. 

In addition, VR provides opportunities for professional development and continued learning programs. Especially within industrial and construction sectors, continued learning and training is vital, as safety guidelines and policies are updated. 

Using an experiential service to train employees also increases overall productivity because current employees don’t have to stop and train new employees. So, equipping your training efforts with this kind of tool will prove cost-effective.

penguins walking down the street

Create Stand Out Marketing 

Traditional storytelling is a classic, but it can also be one-dimensional. With experiential services like VR and AR, you can make your audience part of your brand story. And, that leaves a greater impact on them.

VR and AR technology enables imaginative, stunning experiences with products, services, and events. It’s innovative and attractive and a powerful tool to engage audiences with a limited attention span. In other words, these tools really help you stand out! 

VR booths always make a splash at expos, providing attendees with an opportunity to completely immerse themselves in your business or product. And, AR is not only an enriching feature at traditional events, but also to generate interaction at community walks and increase audience reach. 

 

Enhance Brick and Mortar Experience 

Retail has long faced a looming threat with the emergence and domination of online shopping. Though lots of people still want a brick and mortar experience, the reality of online shopping is that customers can compare prices, read reviews, and more!

However, AR provides a way to converge the benefits of online shopping with the experience of brick and mortar. For example, Harley Davidson developed an AR app that allowed their shoppers to view a live customization of their chosen motorcycle, changing colors and features in real time, while still interacting in the real store. 

So, consider exploring the ways VR and AR could transform your business. They’re incredible tools only beginning to prove their value. Contact Launch to discuss bringing your existing marketing into the digital space.

Thibodaux Regional Cancer Institute Projection Mapping Display

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Grand Opening 

The Thibodaux Regional Health System opened a new Cancer Institute in late 2021. This brought a tremendous asset to communities south of New Orleans like as Thibodaux and Houma.

The facility’s grand opening event was originally scheduled for early December, set to feature a ribbon cutting, firework drones, and festivities with board members, community stakeholders, state representatives and the governor. But, unfortunately the event was cancelled. 

With less than one month until the grand opening, the Thibodaux Regional Cancer Institute team contacted Launch Media to see if we could jump in and save the show. We knew the perfect solution for the job.   

A Projection Mapping Show

Using our experiential production expertise with motion video and virtual reality, we produced a projection mapping show. This means we use projectors to broadcast moving images onto a 3D object such as a wall, monument, or in this case, the Thibodaux Regional Cancer Institute building.

The Challenge 

Our team was ready to tackle the creative and logistical challenges of a tight turnaround during the holidays.  This type of experiential service requires high-tech projection equipment. Due to competition from a large New Orleans light festival, the projection mapping equipment and personnel proved difficult to find and book. Not to mention we had less than four weeks to write, design, animate, and map the show to the building.  

With some basic direction from the Thibodaux Regional Cancer Institute team, we developed a visual script, created the animation, and began working through the layers of approval at the hospital.

We used every last minute to prepare, edit, and perfect the show with our client. And, our team worked until midnight the night before the show, working around the caterers, vendors, and event planners who were setting up for the next day. 

Our team couldn’t be more excited to share the final product at the Thibodaux Regional Health System. We were so proud to produce an immersive and engaging experience that reflected the importance of this monumental institution in south Louisiana.  

 

Projection Mapping

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It’s the latest and greatest, and it leaves a lasting impact.

Anything can be your canvas. Bring your message to life by projecting your video onto any surface. Using a sophisticated system of maps, we design projections customized for your unique needs. Whether it’s an animated or a live-action video, the only limit is your imagination.

Projection Mapping is an unexpected, Instagram-worthy, WOW factor to elevate any event or space:  

    • Fundraisers and Galas
    • Annual Meetings
    • Award Banquets 
    • Art Installations 
    • Grand Openings
    • Anniversary and Milestone Events
    • Trade Shows
    • Conventions

Contact Launch and bring us your ideas. 

SEE OUR PAST PROJECTION MAPPING MAGIC 

Experiential Services

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Don’t Just Tell Your Story, Make Everyone Part Of It

With Experiential Services, you can create opportunities for your key publics to engage with your story in a meaningful way that leaves a greater impact.  When the public intersects with your brand, you do more than tell your audience a story, you make them part of that story.

SET YOURSELF APART

Traditional storytelling is one-dimensional. Video offers a more interesting way to tell your brand’s story. But video is everywhere now, which means it’s becoming less and less effective. How do you stand out and take it to another level? By creating engaging content with tools like virtual reality and projection mapping, you’re not just telling a story—you’re creating an experience.