Digital Wizards paves way for third-party development for Immersion Studios

Digital Wizards Inc. appears set to become one of the first third-party developers for Immersion Studios’ worldwide network of immersive theatres. The Markham ON-based company has just won Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund assistance with partner Good Earth Productions to develop triple-threat programming that will be delivered to viewers on television, in the theatres, and on the web. Also being contemplated is a fourth platform - a DVD-ROM that would help theatregoers bring their experience home. The Documentary Channel has commissioned three one-hour documentaries for airing next year. The programs will chronicle "a day in the life of" Canadian park wardens and are aimed at kids aged 10-16. The show’s concept was suggested by the long history Good Earth has documenting Canada’s natural heritage, including the program Great Canadian Parks. Digital Wizards has enjoyed a relationship building web components for Good Earth since 1998. What sets this project apart, however, is the work the company will be doing with Immersion to build an immersive theatre component that looks likely to play worldwide. Digital Wizards president Diane Williamson says the new relationship began as a result of an overture by Immersion’s Brian Katz, who has been attempting to broaden the number of shops from which the company can source product. "They recognized that they have been producing titles for their own theatres and they needed to get more titles out there," Williamson tells Canadian NEW MEDIA. "They said, ‘maybe instead of developing absolutely everything from scratch, maybe we should be approaching new media producers that, maybe, already have some digital content that can be converted and repurposed into these interactive theatre titles.’" While Good Earth has already shot the principal photography, several more elements will need to fall into place before the programming is shown in the Immersion theatres next summer. A host narrator must still be scripted and shot, the web site built, and the interactive content built for the theatre production. Williamson notes, for example, that the theatre programming will incorporate the interactive gaming features for which Immersion is known. Overall, the project has a budget of a little over $300,000. Digital Wizards will share ownership with Good Earth of the theatre production, while it will fully own the companion web site. In keeping with the cooperative spirit that has recently come to mark the new media/broadcast industry, Williamson says Good Earth has proven a gracious partner for not attempting to take ownership of the web site. Immersion will act as distributor for the theatre component. Building the theatre production has not been without disputes, however. Immersion has previously done its production work in-house and working with a third party has occasionally proved challenging. "In our negotiations about who’s going to do what, it was fairly clear to me that they haven’t worked with a lot of third parties," Williamson says. "There were a few, I would say, trust issues. They would say, ‘gee, you’ve never done an interactive theatre title.’ Yes, but we’ve done lots of interactive. We were kind of having to meet in the middle and say, OK, there’s going to have to be some trust here. I think it’s going to be an interesting relationship, and the first of many titles." Some of that future work will likely be aided by a new guide due shortly from Immersion funded by the CANARIE Inc. Applied Research in Interactive Media program that will outline best practices in developing immersive and group-interactive applications (CNM, May 30/03). The guide should be perfectly aimed at Digital Wizards and others considering partnerships with Immersion. This summer, Immersion CTO Rodney Hoinkes told CNM: "There’s really very little in the way of guidelines out there to help them get into producing in these sort of forms. What we’re looking to do is produce a guide that’s useful to people trying to get into these areas, to help them get going and know what’s involved, what the steps are and the challenges ahead." Williamson is also considering a DVD-ROM to round out the product offering. "There are a number of immersive theatres, but when you look at the possibilities of the world, there’s just not that many. If we’re going to produce something that has the video and interactive component, we’re obviously going to be portraying some of that on the web site - but I think that it’s probably a natural for a DVD-ROM. I’d like to think that we’ll be able to promote the product, as well. In other words, bring the experience home." She says the various platforms will drive users to the other components.

Digital Wizards paves way for third-party development for Immersion Studios

Broadcast | December 19, 2003

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