FACTORY 42 is an immersive technology & experience studio dedicated to impact entertainment, recognised as one of the most prolific XR producers, notably through their collaboration with Sir David Attenborough. The medium is not an issue for them, having delivered content for online VR platforms or mixed reality experiences. So they’re preparing for their arrival on the Apple Vision Pro with a spatial computing debut, the adaptation of HOLD THE WORLD Discussion with Stephen Stewart, Chief Technology Officer at FACTORY 42.
Exploring technologies, from broadcasting to XR
Stephen Stewart – With a background in software engineering, I had several positions in the broadcasting industry, starting at the BBC notably, and ending up at Sky TV where I ran a product R&D team. Hot topics in 2014 were IoT, big data, machine learning AI… and virtual reality. Sky invested in Jaunt (bought by Verizon in 2019), who built their own 360 camera. That’s how I focused on it. I was part of a very small team investigating immersive content who created Sky VR, an app that was released on all VR platforms… even for Google Cardboard, Daydream or Samsung Gear VR at that time! This is where I collaborated with FACTORY 42 on a project, and met their cofounder John Cassy. I’ve been with the company for more than 4 years now.
Creating invisible innovation: FACTORY 42
S. S. – At FACTORY 42, we’ve always wanted to explore new formats and platforms. We’ve tried it all! LBVR, VR, AR… right through to large-scale immersive installations and mixed reality. From my point of view, we’ve succeeded when the technology disappears from view, to better serve the story. It has to be invisible to maximise the user experience. It’s a challenge every time, but we’ve often had help from manufacturers like Meta (Oculus) or Magic Leap.
S. S. – Virtual reality is an industry that is actually over 40 years old. It became a trend about ten years ago, and it still has a long way to go, but it is a relatively old medium. Our understanding of the tools and narratives may lead us to believe that we are reaching certain standards in terms of production and distribution. Whether we’re talking about 360° films or LBVR, we’ve already learned a lot! We know how to distinguish formats, understand what works and what doesn’t, immerse viewers…
Apple Vision Pro: a revolution for storytellers? (adapting HOLD THE WORLD)
S. S. – The arrival of Apple’s Vision Pro is both a continuation and a revolution. Everyone in the industry has been waiting for it for a long time. Their arrival confirms a form of maturity in the ecosystem. It’s a very interesting device, which is already very stable. Initially, the intention is obviously to offer it as a prosumer device. We see it being used for office work, communications and home entertainment. That’s why the first purchases were made. We were able to test it in the autumn of 2023 through workshops set up by the brand, including one in London. What I can say is that I’ve had the chance to test just about every XR headset in existence for the last ten years. I’m relieved to see that Apple has come up with a very solid product that lives up to our expectations.
S. S. – With the headset released in February this year, we were able to produce a version of HOLD THE WORLD, a VR project we did with David Attenborough and the Natural History Museum in London. It seemed obvious to us to start on this new platform with pre-existing content on a relevant subject that we could easily adapt. For Vision Pro, the higher resolution and spatialised sound were key criteria for an enhanced experience. It was also a choice that allowed us to enter this new ecosystem cautiously, and by learning as much as we could.
S. S. – We had to adapt certain aspects of HOLD THE WORLD for the Vision Pro, notably eye tracking and interactivity control. There was more joystick control in the first version. You can see that the Vision Pro strategy is to bring content to the viewer and not the other way round, in a very intuitive way. At FACTORY 42 we have the experience and agility to produce for the different XR platforms, adjusting these criteria (in this case via the Unity Polyspatial Toolkit for the Apple headset, for example). So the learning curve was not very steep.
More on FACTORY 42’s blog: The Dawn of Spatial Computing
S. S. – There are obvious opportunities with this type of new platform. The proposal here is to offer a new form of computer that is closer to you, and for creators this raises the question of being able to integrate video content into new environments and mix them. It’s not a new idea, but we didn’t have sufficiently powerful headsets or software. For us, it’s an opportunity to offer new forms of immersive experience. And the response to the availability of the headset is very exciting!
S. S. – At the same time, we need to consider the maturity of VR today. Whether we’re talking about LBVR or online distribution, there are now known ways of reaching the public. Of course, to work on the level of immersion, everyone’s fantasy is to one day have access to lighter devices like smart glasses with dedicated XR features.
FACTORY 42, the latest projects:
- HOLD THE WORLD: enjoy a one-on-one audience with Sir David Attenborough at the Natural History Museum in London with multi-award winning spatial computing experience for Hold the World.
- LOST ORIGIN is a boundary-breaking piece combining theatre, cutting-edge mixed reality, and state-of-the-art interactive technologies. The live story experience was produced by Factory 42 in partnership with Almeida Theatre and Sky, using interactive technologies to forge new ground in live performance.
- UNEARTHED is a funny, impactful and innovative adventure into the epic wilds of the Amazon and Alaska. Players will use their incredible animal powers and agility, to find a missing Professor and save the world.
- Put nature at your fingertips and journey through the secret world of plants with a virtual Sir David Attenborough in THE GREEN PLANET AR Experience.
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