The assassination of JFK gains another dimension in Meta's new VR documentary
Meta has another high profile VR movie in the pipeline: It deals with the assassination of John F. Kennedy and uses the medium's strengths.
The 35th President of the United States was shot while driving through Dallas on November 22, 1963. His violent death was a traumatic experience for the United States that still resonates and raises questions today.
A new VR film called JFK Memento focuses on the events of November 22 and the investigation that followed.
"Across six chapters narrated by the last living witnesses, journalists, and investigators who lived through the events, this documentary is an historically accurate record of these 48 hours that changed the world," write the VR film's creators.
Archival footage turns into 3D locations
The production of JFK Memento was funded by Meta and produced by Targo, the award-winning studio behind such VR documentaries as Surviving 9/11 and Behind the Dish. Viewers can expect a visually and narratively compelling VR experience.
For JFK Memento, the team is using techniques similar to Surviving 9/11, transforming historical footage into 3D locations.
"Dive into the defining moments of the investigation as archival photos and films come to life, remastered in 3D and reprojected onto the historic sites as they were back in 1963," Meta's announcement said. Targo worked with the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas to prepare the archival footage.
JFK Memento premieres in March
The VR film will premiere at the SXSW festival in March as part of the XR Experience Competition.
Five immersive films and experiences funded by Meta will screen at the festival. JFK Memento was supported as part of Meta's Immersive Learning initiative. By the end of 2021, Meta has committed to investing $150 million in immersive VR learning content.
We are particularly happy to share that our upcoming project, JFK Memento, will have its World Premiere in Austin during @sxsw.
We will share more details on this project produced in collaboration with the Sixth Floor Museum with the support of @Meta in March.#SXSW #SXSW2023 pic.twitter.com/Ha5jVVJv5t
— TARGO (@targostories) January 12, 2023
SXSW 2023 will be held in Austin, Texas from March 10-19. In addition to JFK Memento, Behind the Dish has been included in the official selection of featured VR films. The rest of the XR program can be found on the official website under the XR Experience Competition, XR Experience Spotlight, and XR Experience Special Events categories.
There's no word on when JFK Memento will be released for Meta Quest 2. Let's hope it doesn't wait until the 60th anniversary of the assassination in November. I will write a movie review for MIXED as soon as the VR movie is available.
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