David Attenborough’s First Life VR and David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef Dive VR debut in Australia through Samsung Gear VR.
MONDAY 21 MARCH 2016, SYDNEY: The Australian Museum (AM) will be the first venue outside of the UK to host David Attenborough’s First Life VR and David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef Dive VR – fully immersive experiences created by pioneering content studio Alchemy VR. These screenings will employ cutting-edge technology from Samsung to put you side-by-side with the world-famous naturalist.
David Attenborough’s First Life VR and David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef Dive VR, presented at the Australian Museum in partnership with Samsung, are the first two nature documentaries made exclusively for VR by Alchemy. The experiences premiere from 8 April, and visitors to the museum will be able to watch one or both with ticket prices starting from $15.
Both experiences represent the latest in innovative entertainment, having come direct to the AM in Sydney after the premiere, sell-out season at London’s Natural History Museum.
Equipped with the Samsung Gear VR headset and Galaxy S6 smartphones, visitors will be able to travel through time and deep in the ocean, experiencing the natural world in brilliant, 360-degree cinematic life.
“Virtual reality is a powerful new way of transporting us to the most extraordinary places on our planet, and David Attenborough is the perfect guide,” Kim McKay AO, CEO of the Australian Museum, said.
“David Attenborough’s Virtual Reality Experiences puts the AM at the forefront of museum innovation and revolutionises the way people experience museums.”
Anthony Geffen, CEO of Atlantic Productions and Alchemy VR added, “These experiences are truly trailblazing, and we are proud to be bringing them to Australian audiences in partnership with the Australian Museum. It’s an incredible opportunity to use technology to excite and educate people about the natural world.”
The VR experience, for visitors aged 13+, is a major coup for the AM, which has a long association with David Attenborough. Last year, Attenborough visited the AM’s Lizard Island Research Station 270km north of Cairns as part of filming for David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef documentary.
“In 2016, more Australians will experience virtual reality through the Samsung Gear VR than ever before,” said Philip Newton, Corporate Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung Electronics Australia.
“VR is opening new frontiers for how Australians create, consume and interact with content – and what better way to be fully-immersed in our innovative technology than through these experiences.”
David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef Dive VR uses real-world footage and a host of pioneering technologies to shed new light on this magnificent habitat. Visitors will take a 360-degree, virtual reality tour deep beneath the waves, with Attenborough as a personal guide through the vibrant corals, darting fish and deadly sharks in the great natural wonder of the world. In a state-of-the-art submersible, Attenborough guides us through a wonderland, which has over 3000 reef systems and forms one of the most important natural resources on Earth. It is an extraordinary opportunity to come face to face with the incredible diversity and abundance of the Great Barrier Reef, and see how researchers are using historic corals, predicting how the reef will react to environmental changes.
In David Attenborough’s First Life VR, visitors travel back 540 million years as Attenborough reveals the dawn of life on Earth and introduces you to its earliest inhabitants, exploring ancient oceans and interacting with extinct sea creatures. Long-extinct animals such as the whimsically built Opabinia, the fearsome looking Anomalocaris and the spiny, worm-like Hallucigenia will be brought vividly alive in a fully immersive CG VR experience.
Tickets on sale 30 March 2016 via Ticketek: http://premier.ticketek.com.au/
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Event Listing – David Attenborough’s Virtual Reality Experiences
Two fully immersive experiences created by Alchemy VR using cutting-edge technology that puts you side by side with the world famous naturalist. Travel through time (David Attenborough’s First Life VR) or deep in the ocean (David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef Dive VR) experiencing the natural world in brilliant, 360-degree cinematic life. Exclusively premiering at the Australian Museum for a limited time. Australian Museum Presenting Partner – Samsung Australia (using Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition headset and Galaxy S6 Smartphones).
When: from April 8
Tickets: Single adult session from $15
on sale 30 March ticketek.com.au
For ages 13+
www.australianmuseum.net.au
About the Australian Museum (AM)
The AM, founded in 1827 is the nation’s first museum, and is an internationally recognised natural science and culture institution focused on Australia and the Pacific. As custodian of more than 18 million objects, the AM is uniquely positioned to provide a greater understanding of the region through its scientific research, exhibitions and public and education programs. Through the Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI), the AM also has a leading role in conserving Australia’s biodiversity through understanding the environmental impacts of climate change, potential biosecurity threats and invasive species. Visit australianmuseum.com.au
Atlantic Productions & Alchemy VR
The Atlantic group contains a variety of companies which make television programmes, theatrical and IMAX films, apps, visual effects and now, immersive virtual reality experiences. Since its inception in 1992, the multi-British Academy and Emmy award winning Atlantic Productions has built a reputation for world-class storytelling, enhanced by the latest techniques and technologies including the building of pioneering cross-platform and digital experiences, most recently establishing a leading position in creating content for 3D, 4K and VR platforms. Alchemy VR was born out of a collaboration between Atlantic Productions and Zoo VFX. Alchemy’s vision is to create the most compelling virtual reality storytelling experiences in the world. Alchemy combines visual effects, real time rendering, and live action video to create, narrative-driven Virtual Reality experiences. Visit alchemyvr.com
Samsung
Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies, redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems, and semiconductor and LED solutions. Visit www.samsung.com/au
