Jack Blog
June 28th, 2016 By Jack Morton
While exploring this week’s talks at Cannes, I was really amazed at Google’s presentation on Virtual Reality. Clay Bavor, Vice President of VR at Google, led the discussion, exploring the medium’s applications with regard to storytelling, art and memory.
The most amazing moment for me came during the art portion, when veteran Disney animator and artist Glen Keane took the stage. He is best known as the animator who drew Ariel in The Little Mermaid and the Beast in Beauty and the Beast. Keane explained how he always strived to suggest depth in his drawings.
Putting on VR gear, he performed a live demo of Google’s Tilt Brush. It was like witnessing a breakthrough performance and the revelation of a new art form at the same time. He painted Ariel into existence, his work appearing on a large screen while he danced and painted the air onstage. The next moment was truly spectacular; he walked through the Ariel sketch that he created and the room erupted in applause.
It was an impressive presentation of a new platform that opens up a wealth of creative opportunities, including the power to create the kind of iconic characters who never cease to inspire wonder. We can’t wait to see what’s next.
