The Big Apple is about to become a virtual one as Samsung has announced it is to open its first virtual reality (VR) movie studio there following a partnership with the Sundance Film Festival.
The Samsung VR movie studio is a smart move for the South Korean company, which sees a need to create as much material as possible for a market that it hopes to corner with its own VR headset, the Gear VR.
The announcement came at the Sundance Film Festival, held in Park City, Utah, where Samsung revealed little about what was in store for VR enthusiasts in the months and years to come, but has revealed a little of its office plans, according to CNet.
Rather than creating an additional office or renting space, it seems that the small team will be housed in Samsung’s existing marketing office in New York, where two divisions will likely work with one another.
Samsung’s partnership with the Sundance Institute – which runs the film festival – is a year-long deal with the aim of nurturing creative talent using its technology.
This year’s film festival is the first to really push VR content, with attendees already getting to see content from the comedy web series Funny Or Die while also trying out the Gear VR headsets.
It’s now a matter of waiting to see what comes from this partnership but, speaking at the festival, the chief marketing officer of Samsung’s US operations, Marc Mathieu, said: “At Samsung we love stories and we love to help people tell stories.”
People watching film through Samsung Gear VR image via ETC-USC/Flickr
