The Disney short film, Remembering, by Emmy® Winning director Elijah Allan-Blitz, stars Academy Award® winner Brie Larson as a writer who loses an important idea. Her inner child then goes on a journey to find it. The director and Disney wanted a powerful way to elevate the viewing experience of the film for Disney+ Subscribers. The challenge was to capture the surprise, joy, and wonder Larson’s character feels and allow Subscribers to feel those same emotions.

Disney and StudioLAB, The Walt Disney Studios' advanced development division for innovation in creative technologies, pulled together two important technologies—virtual production and augmented reality—to produce Remembering—through the use of game engine assets filmed in an LED stage, and using the full potential of virtual production techniques. The company then published those assets into a mobile Augmented Reality application that was also built in a game engine to extend the 'World of Imagination' beyond the screen and into the audience's home.

Available via an app to select Disney+ subscribers, this first interactive content on Disney+ was triggered by specific moving images. When prompted, subscribers simply hold their device up to their TV screen to see an enchanting waterfall scene expand into their real-world living room, complete with frolicking dolphins, bright blue butterflies, and blossoming trees.

When developing the app, ease of use was top of mind. So, all it takes is for the Disney+ subscriber to scan the room they’re viewing the film in, then wait for the prompt in the movie to hold up their device.

According to Director, Elijah Allan-Blitz, “This is part of the future of how humanity will interact with entertainment. The Augmented Reality experience moves away from a typical passive experience of streaming and allows viewers to engage with it in a deeper way. That makes it something that you’re going to remember on a deeper level than just something you watch. It’s actually something you did.”

Remembering: The AR Experience is the first Augmented Reality app that connects directly in sync with content on a streaming platform. This first-of-its-kind companion app provides an early look at the potential of AR experiences to enhance movie storytelling when viewers are watching at home.

For more information: 

Magnopus AR 

Disney+