In making "Avatar," director James Cameron devised his own law of physics. The movie was not just a box office hit, but an immersive experience that put our senses on red alert. All he required was 15 years, $230 million dollars, and a pocket full of engineering breakthroughs.
And now the creative train is on the roll again. In an effort to promote the film's April 22 release on Blu-Ray (and yes, as of today, the movie is still being shown in theaters), 20th Century Fox tapped Oskoui + Oskoui to produce an interactive platform that will beam us back to Pandora, the planet of interest in "Avatar." The result is Pandorama, a free video-based application.
Via webcam, users can watch themselves wade through the lush and verdant terrain. The neatest trick, however, is that you'll be able to interact with the environment. Plants respond to your touch, and ethereal fairies ("woodsprites," as they're called in the "Avatar" lexicon) flock to you like dandelion seeds. You can also take a snapshot of yourself to send to friends on Facebook and Twitter.
As far as applications go, Pandorama is as streamlined as it gets. To make it quick and responsive, designers had to push the capabilities of programs such as the gesture recognition, which tracks the user's movements, and the real-time auto-background drop, which ensures a crisp picture as you traipse around the planet.
The result is a composite of modified technologies. And though there isn't a unifying name to describe the bundle, the people at Oskoui + Oskoui prefer that you avoid the term "augmented reality."
"This is not augmented reality, [which] only adds a layer to the front" said Principal Creative Director Jo Oskoui. "We put a layer in front, and a layer in the back. This is all around you."
The initiative from Fox is no surprise. The studio has been receptive towards new forms of marketing, including those of the interactive variety. For its 2009 rom-com, "I Love You, Beth Cooper," viewers were invited to direct their own personalized trailer.
It should also be noted that the release date lands on Earth Day. Coincidence? Don't bet on it.
