KCRW LAUNCHES FREE VIRTUAL REALITY APP WITH EXCLUSIVE VIDEOS FROM DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, BRANDI CARLILE, THUNDERCAT AND PURITY RING
FIRST-EVER PUBLIC MEDIA COMPANY TO LAUNCH DEDICATED VIRTUAL REALITY APP
Santa Monica, CA (Jan. 20, 2016) – Today, Los Angeles-based public radio station KCRW announced the launch of their free Virtual Reality mobile app. Designed to work with KCRW Cardboard (a branded version of Google Cardboard), the KCRW VR app gives fans a unique opportunity to join a live session from the station’s legendary basement studio, by putting viewers inside intimate performances. The KCRW VR app launches with exclusive videos from artists including, Death Cab for Cutie, Brandi Carlile, Thundercat, and Purity Ring. KCRW is the first-ever public media entity and radio station to launch a dedicated VR app, and with its in-house production team, will continue to provide exclusive content throughout the year.
Built by hand in the basement of KCRW’s Santa Monica studio, the custom video rig features eight GoPro cameras that allow each artist’s performance to be captured in stereoscopic 3D (Virtual Reality) to create a 360º panoramic video. Footage is then stitched together to create an immersive, stereoscopic 3D VR experience that puts the user inside the session.
“Now for the first time, you can be in our studio with the artists. It’s a revolutionary change in the way KCRW curated artists and music can be discovered. We are always striving for creative ways to connect with our community and we’re so excited to try out this new technology together,” commented Jennifer Ferro, KCRW president.
Performances are captured during artist’s in-studio sessions for Morning Becomes Eclectic, the station’s flagship music program.
Artists and songs available at launch include:
● Death Cab for Cutie – “The Ghosts of Beverly Drive”
● Brandi Carlile – “Murder in the City”
● Thundercat – “Them Changes”
● Purity Ring – “Stranger Than Earth”
“VR is undoubtedly the next frontier for blockbuster entertainment. While the biggest studios in Hollywood develop content for the masses, KCRW can amplify the outstanding live sessions that take place on a regular basis at the station, and offer a uniquely immersive experience to the audience,” said KCRW Music Director Jason Bentley. “This exciting initiative matches KCRW curated music and art with exciting new technologies and partnerships for wider distribution.”
Additional performances will be captured throughout the year, with video from Penguin Prison, Mew, Gardens and Villa, Amason, Mr. Pauer, Shana Halligan, Natalia Lafourcade, Korey Dane and Langhorne Slim, slated for release in the upcoming months. All videos, including several exclusive app-only performances, will live on the KCRW app, with select content featured in the KCRW branded room on Samsung’s MilkVR.
To experience KCRW’s exclusive performances in full stereoscopic VR video, fans can download the free app in the iOS and Android stores and can purchase a specially designed KCRW Cardboard, with artwork by Mr. Scruff, for only a $5.00 donation to KCRW.com. Users that do not have KCRW Cardboard can still watch the videos as an interactive 360 degree video on KCRW’s YouTube channel.
For more information on KCRW’s virtual reality experience, including a behind-the-scenes video, visit www.kcrw.com/vr.
About KCRW
KCRW creates and curates a unique mix of content centered around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs. We are driven by the spirit of LA and deliver in innovative ways — on the radio, digitally and in person — to diverse, curious communities around the corner and around the world. A community service of Santa Monica College, KCRW can be found on the air in LA, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, and via five KCRW-developed smart phone apps and online at kcrw.com.
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