I Want My MTV
From the very beginning, music has been a perfect pairing with volumetric video. Artists need vehicles that will create deeper fan engagement, and volumetric does that perfectly by inviting viewers to engage with the content in 2D paradigms, or by being immersed in 3D experiences.
In 2013, while we were still very much in our early days, we built a couple full-length music videos for touch-based tablets as a scenario proof-points and mocked them up to show how seamlessly they could fit into existing Xbox services. These full-length experiences helped to build our storytelling chops (how do you move viewers from point A to B without editing? How do transitions work effectively in 3D space?) and proved that full length 3D music videos were not only possible, but captivated viewers in ways not possible with a flat experience.
As much a ploy to get carriers to pick up the channel as it was anything, the phrase “I want my MTV” was a common refrain when I was a kid. While it was a marketing ploy, it also marked a seminal change in how music and fashion (and pretty much everything else) was marketed to youth. From that point onward, the visual layer was as important as the music, important as anything. Things have never been the same since, though MTV hasn’t played a music video in two decades.
Working with the content was easy enough to then port over to the HoloLens and then later VR devices, each bringing something different to the same content.
One of my most recent music projects involved a partnership with Microsoft and 88 Rising. We spent some time at Metastage in LA working with various 88 Rising artists. . Two projects from that session (My role was primarily as a technical consultant) have just been released, one a full music video available via the web, and the other a shorter piece using augmented reality. Check ‘em both out!
Warren Hue In My Bag
In addition to the full three-and-a-half-minute interactive video featuring Warren, a short AR clip was just released, with something that just might be the first time I’ve seen a particular trick used. Scan the QR code with your phone to see the experience.
Ultimately, music videos which are short form movies have proven to be a mainstay for creators to tell their stories, in both 3D and 2D. Acts like Madonna, BTS, Coldplay, Lil Nas X, Pussy Riot, Billy Corgan, Warren Hue, Lia Kim, and more have used volumetric video for experiences. I’ve even been lucky to have contributed to a few of these projects. True validation though comes from being part of the team that has enabled studios across the globe to deliver these amazing projects.
