Moderator: Philip Lelyveld | USC Entertainment Technology

Philip Lelyveld runs the Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality Initiative at the University of Southern California’s Entertainment Technology Center (ETC), a think tank within the School of Cinematic Arts. The ETC@USC is funded by the six major Hollywood studios plus related service, technology, internet, and consumer electronics companies to advise them on emerging technology-related opportunities, connect them with start-ups and communities of interest, help accelerate adoption of promising technologies, and work to drive standardization and avoid format wars.

Mr. Lelyveld currently leads the Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality Initiative; a state-of-the-industry study of the creative, technical, and business issues that will shape this new, emerging art form. Philip has produced events, developed presentations, and written papers on this topic for both professional and general-interest audiences.

Stefan Grambart | Secret Location

Stefan is an award-winning creative thinker who has built a career on creating visual storytelling and interactive narrative experiences. With twenty years of combined experience across film & television animation, computer gaming, and digital media, Stefan has worked on numerous award-winning entertainment projects and properties.

As a Creative Director at Secret Location, he was the artistic lead on Secret Location’s VR experience for the hit FOX series Sleepy Hollow, which was awarded the first ever Emmy for a VR project (Outstanding User Experience & Visual Design), and is the creator and conceptual lead (digital) of Halcyon, a short-form VR/Broadcast/Web series created in partnership by Secret Location & Syfy International.

Thomas Wallner | CEO and Founder – DEEP Inc/Liquid Cinema

A leading figure in the creation of participatory narratives he brought the underground genre of Alternate Reality Gaming into the Television mainstream, culminating in the Emmy Award winning genre-benders Fallen and Regenesis. In 2007 Thomas Wallner pushed the boundaries of nonlinear story telling even further by developing the story concept for Late Fragment, Canada’s first interactive feature drama produced by the National Film Board and the Canadian Film Centre.

Thomas is the founder of DEEP a German and Canadian based studio dedicated to exploring and defining the evolving language of cinematic VR. To meet this exciting aesthetic and technical challenge, DEEP is developing LIQUID CINEMA, a software platform and toolset that allows filmmakers, producers and broadcasters to create and distribute story based 360 and VR content across the web, mobile and VR devices.

Philip Plough | President – Persistent Productions/TriggAR

Philip started his career at International Creative Management working in TV packaging before becoming the Head of Business Development for Zodiak Entertainment, a global TV conglomerate. Philip currently works in VR/AR with Australian VR companies; TriggAR and Humense in addition he produces VR out of his company, Persistence Productions in Los Angeles.

Chris Bobotis | Mettle

Chris is a Founding Partner and 360/VR Software Architect at Mettle. He is Head Developer for the SkyBox software products, which offer the most complete set of 360/VR production tools available for Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro.

Edward Button | Cinematographer – “Invisible”

Edward is a Director and Cinematographer working in Virtual Reality and is the “Artist in Residence” at Technicolor NY. He has shot projects for directors such as Doug Liman (Invisible), Nonny De La Pena/emblematic group, and collaborated with The Mill (Reeps One) amongst others.