Walt Disney Animation Studios’ first Virtual Reality-based short film on show with its creators at La Salle-URL

Virtual reality is being implemented across all audiovisual fields.The Degree in Animation & VFX has invited the creators of Cycles to present it at La Salle, its first short film using Virtual Reality (VR), “Cycles”. Four of the film's creators came to La Salle-URL to present a behind-the-scenes video on the making of the short film. Jeff Gipson (director), Edward Robbins (Character TD), Jorge E. Ruiz Cano (animation lead) and José Luis Gómez Díaz (virtual reality technology lead) revealed some of the details behind Disney’s production. The audience included more than 300 Animation and Multimedia students from La Salle.

“Cycles” focuses on the true meaning of creating a home and family life. The film’s director, Jeff Gipson, described how he was inspired by his personal life and childhood, when he spent time with his grandparents and the memories he has of his home. “We wanted to create a story in a simple space in which we can watch life go by”, says Gipson.

The creators of “Cycles” offered details about the technical side of the production, where space and choreography play an important role along side lighting to achieve the effect they wanted in the short, which lasts three and a half minutes. José Luis Gómez explained that they had faced several challenges, “as there are a lot of tests to see what works and what doesn’t”. Referring to the future of this technology in cinema, Gómez commented that “cinema isn’t going to disappear because of virtual reality, but it is going to revolutionise the way in which cinema is made; cinema and all other types of productions”. Jorge Ruiz added that “it’s simply another brush in our toolbox, but what's really important is the story, the motivation”.

All of them also gave advice to students in terms of the challenges they will face in their professional life with these new technologies, but also in a sector where it is now important to learn how to work in a team, in collaboration, to delegate and leave the comfort zone, to realise just how much we can learn from others.

“Cycles” made its Europe début, sponsored by La Salle-URL, on Friday at the B'Ars Animation Festival at the Design Museum in Barcelona.