Radiant Images Bringing Virtual Reality Expertise and Innovations to Comic-Con International: San Diego

Visionary rental house partnering with Neil deGrasse Tyson Presents Space Odyssey, hosting a VR roundtable, and enabling 360 live streams of Comic-Con’s VR CON events

SAN DIEGO (July 18, 2016) – Radiant Images, an LA-based digital cinema innovator and rental house, is bringing its virtual reality expertise and the latest VR/360 cameras, tools and technology to the new VR CON event at Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21-23.

Radiant Images is a partner and exhibitor in Comic-Con’s inaugural VR CON event and is one of the creative forces behind that event’s highlight attraction: Neil deGrasse Tyson Presents Space Odyssey. Radiant also will utilize partner VRLIVE’s unique 360-degree cinema-quality live-streaming technology throughout the event, making panel discussions and expert interviews available live to a worldwide audience in scrollable 360 degrees.

VR CON will be held in the courtyard and exhibit rooms of the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter hotel, which directly faces the San Diego Convention Center, where Comic-Con is held.

Radiant’s VR division is recognized as an industry leader in testing and developing virtual reality and augmented reality technology, helping filmmakers and camera operators capture 360-degree content in a compelling way. The company utilizes an in-house engineering team and rapid prototype capabilities to provide filmmakers with the latest virtual reality tools and creative solutions.

VR CON is an officially-sanctioned Comic-Con event that celebrates the boldest and coolest in the exploding areas of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Mediated Reality (MR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Wearable Computing.  VR CON covers entertainment, gaming, education, travel, design, and more.

VR CON’s Space Odyssey Experience will be an educational and entertaining interactive exhibition that will highlight some of the upcoming advances in virtual reality, as well as showcase the forthcoming Neil deGrasse Tyson Presents Space Odyssey multi-platform immersive gaming franchise that explores our galaxy and beyond, including virtual reality missions that will be accessible on home and mobile devices – and eventually at museums, science centers and in classrooms.

Radiant Images is partnering with Neil deGrasse Tyson Presents Space Odyssey in creating immersive and virtual reality experiences for the platform.

“We feel so fortunate to be a part of Neil deGrasse Tyson’s groundbreaking project,” said Michael Mansouri, VP at Radiant Images. “Since we collaborate with so many visionary VR creators, we find ourselves at the forefront of this fast-evolving technology. That said, Neil is taking this new medium to a whole other level by allowing imagination to explore the universe, and with our help, we are using VR to see and experience things in other galaxies and beyond. We hope that with Neil’s VR project, users are inspired to think beyond their own imagination and our galaxy.”

Mansouri added that he has always been inspired by Carl Sagan, especially his book “Pale Blue Dot,” a daily source of inspiration. “I am personally so excited that Neil is providing a new voice in science and space exploration,” he said. “Neil makes the complex simple, similar to our philosophy at Radiant Images.”

The Radiant Images booth will be located on second floor of the Hilton Gaslamp hotel. Here is a rundown of Radiant’s activities at Comic-Con/VR CON:

• Thursday – Saturday (July 21-23), Radiant and partner VRLIVE, the first VR and 360-degree live-action network, will live stream host Mark Kassen’s interviews with Randal Kleiser, Director of Grease and Defrost; Guy Shelmerdine, Catatonic Director; Doug Liman, Bourne franchise producer; Tony Kaye, American History X Director; Sinclair Fleming, Director of Engineering, Radiant Images; Shyam Kannapurakkaran, Post Production Supervisor, Radiant Images; Michael Mansouri, VP, Radiant Images; Andrew Shulkind, VR DOP for The Strain’s Comic-Con VR Experience with Headcase VR; and others.
• Friday (July 22), Radiant is hosting and 360 live streaming with partner VRLIVE (airing via the Comic Con HQ Channel and YouTube360) the “Creating Your Own Universe” panel discussion in Room 5AB of the convention center from 7:30-8:30 p.m., placing the viewer at the heart of the panel. Leading creative voices will discuss the development of a multi-platform universe that engages in the VR and AR spaces as well as the traditional animation and gaming markets.
• Saturday (July 23), Radiant will host Neil deGrasse Tyson in its exhibition area throughout the day and also live stream a panel he is moderating entitled "Creating Universes" at the Horton Grand Theater.

In addition, the Radiant exhibition booth will showcase the latest VR cameras and cutting edge technologies, including:

• The award-winning Jaunt One VR camera - available for rental exclusively at Radiant Images – the first professional-grade camera system specifically designed for capturing high-quality, high frame rate, high dynamic range, stereoscopic cinematic VR experiences.
• Nokia OZO, the world’s first professional virtual reality camera. OZO takes VR capture and end-to-end workflow solutions to the next level. Radiant is one of the first authorized resellers of the OZO in the world.  
• Dark Corner 360 Rig. Featuring four Sony A7S MKII full frame sensor cameras, the Dark Corner rig is the perfect virtual reality capture device for low light environments.
• Headcase Codex 360 Rig, which uses a combined 36 megapixel array of 17 Codex Action Cams to capture in all directions simultaneously. Matching timecode and metadata between all the cameras greatly simplify the post process.
• Mobius POV helmet rig, the 17-camera system is the first to place the viewer into the body of a character, providing a stunning perspective as they're able to see the hands, arms and body of the performer wearing it.

Radiant technicians will provide demonstrations of the capture devices and as well as other custom VR power and mobility solutions that are part of the company’s deep inventory of rental cameras, lenses, gear and accessories.

About Radiant Images
Radiant Images is an award-winning digital cinema innovator and rental house providing creative solutions in 2D, 3D, VR and augmented reality, leading-edge cameras and equipment, and unrivaled client support, to the motion picture industry worldwide.

Radiant’s VR division also is recognized as an industry leader in testing and developing virtual reality and augmented reality technology, helping filmmakers and camera operators capture 360-degree content in a compelling way. The company utilizes an in-house engineering team and rapid prototype capabilities to provide filmmakers with the latest virtual reality tools and creative solutions.

Radiant has a dedicated VR wing inside its new facility at 2702 Media Center Drive in northeast Los Angeles. For more information about Radiant Images, visit online at www.radiantimages.com. Find Radiant Images on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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