CHICAGO — SIGGRAPH 2017, the annual interdisciplinary educational experience showcasing the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques, will host a special VR presentation and film screening produced by The New York Times. The show will be held from July 30th through August 3rd in Los Angeles.
Graham Roberts, director of immersive platforms storytelling for The New York Times, will present a 40-minute talk about the organization's VR expertise and integration of the new medium into the media outlet's news reporting through NYT VR. The Talk will include insight into the making of The Antarctica Series: Under A Cracked Sky, a nearly 10-minute short film that was executive produced by Roberts and is one of four films within the Times' Antarctica series. Under A Cracked Sky will also be seen during a recurring screening within the conference's first-ever VR Theater, part of the SIGGRAPH 2017 Computer Animation Festival.
"We are beyond thrilled to be welcoming Graham Roberts, the man who helped spearhead and establish the Times' NYT VR program, to our conference this year," says Jerome Solomon, conference chair for SIGGRAPH 2017. "Having a project with the pedigree and prestige of Under A Cracked Sky truly establishes the fact that we continue to present our attendees with world-class material and technologies. I am certain people will enjoy Graham's presentation and short film — after all, it doesn't get more impressive than The New York Times.”
"VR is an incredible new tool that gives people a different perspective — it offers the feeling of full immersion within our news stories and reports,” adds Roberts. “I see VR as an important change in the way in which people digest news and interact with the media: It's a new paradigm through which people can experience brand-new perceptions of the world… It transports the viewer somewhere he or she has never been before."