Jaunt Donates VR Cameras And A Full Suite Of Industry Leading Production Tools To Help USC Cinematic Arts Students Become The Next Generation Of Filmmakers

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — January 19, 2016 — Jaunt Inc., the industry leader in cinematic virtual reality (VR), and the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, a premier film, television and new media school, today announced the launch of the Jaunt Cinematic Virtual Reality Lab, the first VR incubator of its kind. As part of the three-year program, Jaunt will loan the USC School of Cinematic Arts Jaunt ONE virtual reality cameras and will provide access to its professional end-to-end solution for VR production and playback. The USC School of Cinematic Arts and its faculty will also partner with Jaunt on future research, development projects and internships.

“At the USC School of Cinematic Arts we strive to provide our students with access to best in class techniques and technologies equipping them to become the leading visual innovators of the 21st century. In bringing a cinematic VR offering to our students it was clear that Jaunt would be the ideal partner as they continue to push creative boundaries and deliver cutting-edge technology to creators,” said Elizabeth Daley, Dean of School of Cinematic Arts. “The Jaunt Cinematic Virtual Reality Lab will provide our students with the opportunity to learn from some of the best, while having access to cutting edge professional tools for creating awe-inspiring VR content.”

Through the Jaunt Cinematic Virtual Reality Lab, led by USC School of Cinematic Arts professor Candace Reckinger, students will develop new ways of telling stories through virtual reality while working with leading experts in the field. The program will support the creation of original cinematic virtual reality content aimed at expanding the current boundaries of the medium while establishing production methodologies. Students will create their own content with Jaunt’s award-winning professional cinematic VR camera, the Jaunt ONE, as well as its suite of cloud-based production tools. Jaunt’s know-how and flexible end-to-end solution will serve to enable these students and support their creative process, unlocking the true potential of their vision.

“VR is a groundbreaking new medium for filmmakers to express their creativity and artistry to audiences in fully-immersive worlds,” says Cliff Plumer, President of Jaunt Studios. “Jaunt strives to serve as the definitive provider and incubator for VR content creation, so we are thrilled to be partnering with the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, who has advanced the art of storytelling for decades, and remains a pioneering force. We are looking forward to helping mold the next generation of VR filmmakers.”

Alongside content creation, the Lab will support the foundation of industry-wide content production techniques and help establish a standard visual language for cinematic VR storytelling. By collaborating with the creative talent at the USC School for Cinematic Arts, The Jaunt Cinematic VR Lab will play a significant role in defining best practices for cinematic VR, while encouraging other creatives to tell stories through cinematic VR. As these are the early days of this new medium, the Jaunt Cinematic VR Lab at USC School of Cinematic Arts will push boundaries, defining the vocabulary and create storytelling that audiences will not only understand, but embrace.

Click here for further information about, or to apply to, the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. The Jaunt VR app is available for download on Google Play, iTunes, and GearVR.

About Jaunt

Jaunt is pioneering the future of creative storytelling through cinematic virtual reality. Founded in 2013, Jaunt is the leading developer of the hardware, software, tools, and applications to enable cinematic VR and put the power of virtual reality in the hands of today’s best content creators. In addition, Jaunt works with leading creatives – from brands to artists to filmmakers – to create cutting-edge content through its studio arm, Jaunt Studios. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, the company also maintains a presence in Los Angeles and produces branded and original VR content for audiences worldwide. Jaunt’s investors include The Walt Disney Company, Evolution Media Partners, China Media Capital, Highland Capital Partners, Google Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, Axel Springer, ProSiebenSat.1 SE, The Madison Square Garden Company, Peter Gotcher, Blake Krikorian, and Sky (corporate.sky.com). Experience more at www.jauntvr.com.

About University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts

The University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts is one of the leading media schools in the world. Founded in collaboration with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1929 over 85 years ago, the USC School of Cinematic Arts has fueled and mirrored the growth of entertainment as an industry and an art form. The School offers comprehensive programs in directing, producing, writing, cinema and media studies, animation and digital arts, production, interactive media and games, all backed by a broad liberal arts education and taught by leading practitioners in each field. Its more than 13,000 alumni are among the world’s most distinguished animators, scholars, teachers, writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, sound experts, video game designers and industry executives. Since 1973 not a year has passed without an alumnus or alumna being nominated for an Academy Award or an Emmy. For more information, visit cinema.usc.edu