Premiering out of Venice Immersive, “Nevatars” has long been a passion project for director Andy Serkis.
“The idea came from experience,” Serkis explains. “What happens to all the incredible concept art for characters that never get used? These characters are given thought and spirit and a life of their own, and then they end up in a folder called ‘old assets,’ right next to one called ‘new projects.’ It was born from those digital rejects, hoping to be noticed.”
“Nevatars”
Working with co-director Josh Nelson Youssef — himself founder of immersive storytelling outfit Boona — Serkis and co. centered the story around a young aspiring artist, unduly ashamed of her earlier creations.
“We wanted a young spirit,” Serkis explains. “Someone whose mind is free, but who gets quashed by the modern commercial-art world, forced into an algorithmic existence. It’s a parable about holding on to your initial creative instinct. She starts out making wonderfully chaotic, personal work, but risks losing that to become an artist who just fits in. When she finally makes something to please everyone, it feels generic — and nobody wants that.”
“Nevatars”
The project was initially designed for the Android XR platform, so it came as a happy surprise this past April when “Nevatars” was tapped as one of the first titles to launch on the XREAL Aura — Google-powered AR smart glasses being positioned as a potential game-changer for their portability and light weight. The glasses’ voice-activation capability opened up new storytelling tools, and gave the experience itself a new dimension.
“It’s fully interactive,” O’Rourke says. “There are moments where you’re touching and moving things, which gives you a sense of agency that blends seamlessly with the film itself. The fidelity of the visuals is stunning, too, especially for something that sits on your face like a pair of glasses.”
“Nevatars”
As one of only two Aura-supported projects showcased this year, “Nevatars” has been a major draw on Venice’s Immersive island — much to the filmmakers’ delight.
“It’s been amazing to watch people experience it for the first time,” Serkis says. “It’s a bit like ‘Minority Report,’ moving screens around in the world in front of you with your hands. You’re in a world within your world: comfortable in your own environment, with another one right there to step into and explore.”
“Andy has this unique ability to imagine new storytelling universes,” Cavendish says. “He thinks in 4D while the rest of us think in 2D. This is just the beginning.”
