Jaunt Studios, the leading producer and publisher of fully-immersive cinematic virtual reality experiences, and RYOT, the leading virtual reality production studio for docu-style storytelling, today announced a new production deal to produce the first documentary series created in immersive virtual reality.
Filmed and directed by award-winning filmmaker and RYOT co-founder David Darg, Holy Land is a five-part series that will transport viewers to the Middle East to observe the confluence of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The first two episodes, Jerusalem: Earth’s Holy Intersection, and The Walls of Jerusalem are available free on the Jaunt VR app on Google Play, iTunes, and GearVR. Future episodes will be released in the coming weeks.
“Virtual reality represents a new frontier in documentary filmmaking – one where viewers can join you on the journey and feel the experience like never before,” said Bryn Mooser, co-founder of RYOT. “This series will transport viewers to the Holy Land to experience some of the most impressive feats of human creation while also enveloping them in a region that has been stricken by decades of cultural conflict and tension. Through this immersive medium, we can enjoy the amazing creations of mankind and inspire greater cultural understanding.”
Holy Land is the first documentary experience of its kind. The first in a five-part series, Jerusalem: Earth’s Holy Intersection is an immersive 360-degree experience inside the greatest religious epicenter of the world, with rich history and its centrality to Judaism, Islam and Christianity. With complete freedom to look in any direction and experience every moment as if you were actually there, viewers will explore some of the most culturally and spiritually significant sites in human history: the Dome of the Rock, the Wailing Wall, Bethlehem and more.
“Virtual reality gives viewers access to corners of the world they never imagined they would experience,” said Cliff Plumer, President of Jaunt Studios. “No other medium can allow you to feel as though you are touring the Dome of the Rock in the Old City of Jerusalem from across the world. We’re excited to continue to work with RYOT to produce immersive, documentary content and capture some of civilization’s greatest wonders.”
While this series moves the viewer through places of peace and protest, the end of each episode invites the viewer to learn more about building trust and friendship in the region by visiting https://www.childrenofpeace.org.uk/. Purposeful content with a sensible call to action is a proven strength for virtual reality, something that the collaboration between Jaunt and Ryot will continue to explore.
Look for the complete series early next year, available for public download through the Jaunt VR app in Google Play, iTunes, and GearVR.
