/Dew_VR_Snow
Following on the success of Dew VR Sk.a.t.e., we wanted to update the application for a new Snowboarding experience. After having created the recorder component for that previous version, I was brought in as the lead developer for this new project.
The new version was further optimized for resolution and performance. It also allowed for further control of the experience: by using a one-button wired controller, visitors could slow down time and watch parts of the experience in slow motion. It also allowed for rewinding, although that feature was disabled during live performances in the Dew Tour (otherwise visitors could extend their experience indefinitely).
A big chunk of the work for this version was about coming up with better workflows for video encoding, including to deploy it to Samsung's new Milk VR platform. This was accomplished with widespread use of FFmpeg.
Date
2015
Agency
Client
PepsiCo
Brand
Mountain Dew
Partners
Antfood (audio), Brain Farm, Immersive Media
Type
Application
Platform
Programming Language
C++
Role
Lead Developer
Programming Libraries
QuickTime, OpenGL, OculusVR, FFmpeg, OSC
More Info (Mountain Dew)
http://www.mountaindew.com/green-label/films-vr-snow (dead; try web archive)
More Info (Firstborn)
Awards
Media
Mentions
Mountain Dew Shreds The Utah Backcountry With Virtual Reality (dead; try web archive)
“The brand says it also features a first-of-its kind interactive feature called "Time Warp," that lets you customize the Dew VR Snow experience through the ability to hit a button to jump back in the experience to see an action sequence all over again.”
(Firstborn)
Snowboarding’s First Virtual Reality Experience With Danny Davis, Scotty Lago, And Jack Mitrani (dead; try web archive)
“Welcome to the hyper-immersive experience of virtual reality snowboarding.”
(TransWorld SNOWboarding)
Mountain Dew unveils live-action snowboarding Oculus Rift experience starring Olympic snowboarder Danny Davis
“With a “first-of-its kind” interactive feature called “Time Warp,” users can press a button during the experience to jump backwards and see an action sequence all over again.”
(The Drum)
Mountain Dew Shreds The Utah Backcountry With Virtual Reality (dead; try web archive)
“Like its Virtual Reality Skate Experience, the snow version will be available at Dew events, like the US Open in Vail, CO this week, but will also be available in the Samsung Milk VR marketplace, where you can check it out on the Samsung Gear VR headset.”
(Fast Co.Create)
Leap into Utah Powder in Virtual Reality With Mountain Dew's Snowboarding Experience (Editor's Pick)
“Mountain Dew had already let people experience what it's like to be a pro skateboarder in virtual reality, and now it's bringing that same experience to snowboarding.”
(Creativity Online)
The 7 essential branded VR experiences (so far)
(Campaign US)
Additional Credits
Creative Director
Dave Snyder
Art Director
Flavio Vidigal
Tech Director
Chuck Masucci
Backend Lead
Ziad Hilal