SXSW 2017 AR/VR Session Schedule Summary

SXSW 2017 will feature 30+ virtual and augmented reality panel and solo presenter sessions. Topics covered span the gamut from technology, non-profit, privacy, production and psychedelic effects on the brain…and so much more.

Below is a summary of the VR/AR sessions, by date, offered at SXSW in 2017. Download schedule PDF here.  I’ve included the panel, dual and solo presentation sessions from the Vr/AR track, and also a few other relevant events. There are additional workshops and mentor session listed on the SXSW website.

I'll be attending as many of these session as I can: 
Let me know in the comments what events you would like live tweeted and
summarized on the Reality Rookie blog!

Augmented Reality and Urban Revitalization

MAR 10, 2017 | 11:00AM JW MARRIOTT SALON 8

MONA LALWANI Engadget JOHN HANKE Niantic Inc SAM GILL Knight Foundation

John Hanke, CEO and founder of Niantic Labs and Sam Gill of the Knight Foundation will discuss the potential for Augmented Reality and other mobile technologies to engage communities in dialogue and activity around public spaces.

Space 360: Experience NASA Missions in VR/AR/Video

MAR 12, 2017 | 12:30PM AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER ROOM 6AB

SASHA SAMOCHINA NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory VERONICA MCGREGOR NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory DOUG ELLISON NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory STEPHANIE SMITH NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA is using immersive storytelling tools like Facebook 360, YouTube 360, Google Cardboard and Microsoft HoloLens to convert mission data into shared experiences for people on Earth. As both content producer and content provider, see how and why NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory shares its robotic missions, from the Curiosity rover on Mars to the Juno spacecraft at Jupiter, and beyond. Meet the producers behind the projects, see the tools for yourself, and get resources to create your own space VR/AR and 360 videos. We’ll travel through space without ever leaving Austin.

Virtual Crossroads: A Look at VR and Human Behavior

MAR 12, 2017 | 12:30PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 7

ANDERS OSCARSSON Ustwo ANNIE LAURIE MALARKEY New York Media Center CHARLIE SUTTON Facebook JESSICA BRILLHART Google

For every new, successful technology that humankind has introduced into our lives, we’ve molded and altered our behaviors, sometimes creating new behaviors entirely. But it comes to virtual reality, will we follow the same path? Join this session as our panel of experts dive into how virtual reality will affect human behavior, both emotionally and physically, in 2017 and beyond.

Virtual Psychedelics: How VR Affects Your Brain

MAR 14, 2017 | 11:00AM JW MARRIOTT SALON 3-4

GLENN SNYDER Turing Tesla and Associates; Master of Shapes SOOK-LEI LIEW University of Southern California TARYN SOUTHERN Happy Cat Media & Tribe of Good IAN FORESTER VR Playhouse

VR experiences, which place you in the perspective of someone else and transport you to places you otherwise might never visit, may produce a similar phenomenon to psychedelics in the brain. VR experts will discuss how specially designed immersive content allows viewers to have out-of-body experiences, expanding consciousness, tolerance and understanding in society.

Augmenting Reality, For Real

MAR 14, 2017 | 12:30PM AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER ROOM 6AB

BRUNO RIBEIRO Moment Factory SAKCHIN BESSETTE Moment Factory

Join our session as we chart a path into new formats of “augmented” entertainment—disruptive formats that have drawn hundreds of thousands of people together, out of their isolating screens, and back into the world.

Five Use-Cases Defining VR and Mixed Reality

MAR 14, 2017 | 12:30PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 1-2

NONNY DE LA PEÑA Emblematic Group ROBERT SCOBLE Upload VR SHAWN DUBRAVAC Consumer Technology Association

VR and AR or Mixed Reality are positioned to deeply change our culture and relationship with both the digitized world and ourselves. We’ll address and debate the role of empathy and immersive story-telling; of mobile and gaming in VR; the current and coming evolution of smart phones and headsets — and touch on the role of automotive, 360 degree cameras, and drones in this new reality.

Virtual Reality Therapy: Treatment for the World

MAR 14, 2017 | 12:30PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 3-4

TIMOTHY PORTER Underminer Studios LLC ALEXANDRIA PORTER Underminer Studios LLC ERIK JOHNSON MS OTR/L Operation Supply Drop MARK POWERS The University of Texas at Austin

Virtual Reality Therapy allows the immersion of an individual into an environment that would otherwise be unsafe, unwise, or impractical for treatment of mental health issues. Creating a more effective protocol with level gradations and a safeguard to escape into a serene environment allows for gradual engagement.

What will AR/VR Revolutionize Next?

MAR 14, 2017 | 2:00PM OLD SCHOOL BAR

JAMES HAIRSTON Oculus MICHAEL HAYES Consumer Technology Association (CTA) TIM HWANG Google ANNE HOBSON R Street Institute

Augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) headsets may soon become the most popular consumer technology product on the market. However, concerns over privacy and security may stand in the way of this growing phenomenon. AR/VR’s location services, capacity to “constantly” record data, and AR’s ability to overlay information on top of physical reality could result in consumer skepticism. This panel will discuss the safety and privacy issues impacting AR/VR and how companies can ensure that user data is not being misappropriated and abused.

The Creator’s Handbook for VR & 360 Storytelling

MAR 14, 2017 | 2:00PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 1-2

BRANDON MILBRADT Pinkbox JESSICA BRILLHART Google JULIA SOURIKOFF Tool of North America YELENA RACHITSKY Oculus Story Studio

Panelists will discuss what makes for a story well-told in VR including the subtle nuances that direct user gaze; effective use of spatialized sound; POV, embodiment, and defining user existence; creative templates for spherical formats; and other techniques for developing and producing successful VR stories.

Holograms and the Future of Lifestyle VR & AR

MAR 14, 2017 | 2:00PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 3-4

LINC GASKING 8i MIA TRAMZ Time Magazine RACHEL WEISS L’Oreal USA SCOT BARBOUR Sony Pictures Entertainment

What role will human holograms play in helping leading brands like L’Oreal, Time and Sony Pictures scale their relationship with consumers in virtual reality and augmented reality? From entertainment and media, to education, commerce, fashion and beauty, how will the future of every industry be impacted by this new digital reality? And how will offline and online consumer behaviors evolve in this new medium when engaging with human holograms?

Lessons Learned from VR Prototyping

MAR 14, 2017 | 2:00PM AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER TRADE SHOW – NEXT STAGE – EXHIBIT HALL 4

STEFAN WELKER Google ROB JAGNOW Google

To explore the vast new space of possibilities, Google created a prototyping team called Daydream Labs that has built more than 90 VR and AR prototypes. They will talk about some of the insights into their development process so that others can use the same approach to discover the best of what these new platforms can offer.

Hollywood Goes VR

MAR 14, 2017 | 3:30PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 1-2

ROB LISTER IMAX Corporation PETER AKEMANN Skydance Interactive PHIL CHEN Presence Capital And Horizons Ventures MARK HUGHES Forbes

The “Hollywood goes VR” panel will take you behind the scenes with Hollywood insiders to examine the progress being made as well as the opportunities and challenges in turning their hottest properties into interactive experiences that not only compliment cinematic storytelling, but take it to the next level.

Hololens, Magic Leap, and Making the Mundane Magical

MAR 14, 2017 | 3:30PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 3-4

JAKE LEE-HIGH Future Colossal

This discussion will delve into the challenges and possibilities of creating for MR while looking at how other emerging technologies like AI, narrative engines, next-gen GPS, and VR will combine to create a powerful toolset for the next generation of memorable, immersive creative experiences.

Why Immersive Technologies Are the Future of Music

MAR 14, 2017 | 3:30PM AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER TRADE SHOW – NEXT STAGE – EXHIBIT HALL 4

FACUNDO DIAZ Vrtify

Thanks to AR, VR, and now MR the way we experience and access to the music will change for ever. This is the moment in which we need to re-define the concept of a music video clip, the way we access to a live concert and how we’ll set up our audio preferences in these new platforms.  the CEO of VRTIFY will share they take a ways and present the challenges but also the amazing opportunities these immersive technologies are bringing to us.

How Can We Make 360 Video Actually Compelling?

MAR 14, 2017 | 5:00PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 1-2

NICK BICANIC RVLVR IMRAAN ISMAIL Within OLA BJORLING MediaMonks ROSE TROCHE Alforbel Inc

This panel will discuss Editing, Narrative techniques and UX – to move the medium of 360 video forwards we need to accept that what we are building are not just stories but interactive experiences (even if the interactivity in 360 video today is limited to rotation alone).

What If You Could Present Like Iron Man?

MAR 14, 2017 | 5:00PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 3-4

KIMBERLY COOPER Prologue Immersive

Kimberly Cooper will be speaking on the topic of how to work and communicate in VR. Through virtual reality the user can be immersed into a presentation and understand information better.

The Impact of Audio on the VR Visual Story

MAR 15, 2017 | 11:00AM JW MARRIOTT SALON 1-2

JOHN HENDICOTT Aurelia Soundworks GAWAIN LIDDIARD The Mill SCOTT GERSHIN The Sound Lab at Technicolor (VR/AR) TAWFEEQ MARTIN The Mill

‘Does Not Exist’, which premiered in Cannes, is an immersive piece performed by beatbox phenomenon Reeps One and composed specifically for mixing in 3D sound, making it the first music video of its kind.  The diverse panel of award-winning experts will discuss how sound impacts emotion and is pivotal to the visual journey, particularly in the new immersive media space.

Learning From the 1st VR Boom to be Successful Now

MAR 15, 2017 | 11:00AM JW MARRIOTT SALON 3-4

LINDA JACOBSON Accelerator Ventures CHRISTOPHER STAPLETON Virtual World Society / Simiosys DAVID POLINCHOCK PwC’s Experience Center JACQUELYN MORIE All These Worlds, LLC

VR IS a new medium; but we’ve been here before. Experts from the early days of VR will present lessons learned with their relevance to today’s more affordable and accessible VR.

Virtual Reality: A Tool for Accelerating Global Policy Change?

MAR 15, 2017 | 12:30PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 1-2

MARK ALLEN Merck for Mothers ROBERT HOLZER Matter Unlimited JOANNE SPRAGUE Facebook DANIELLE LEVITT

Specifically, the panel will focus on the following questions:
How can we better connect business and government leaders with key issues?
How can we demonstrate the need for their intervention?
How can we leverage compelling calls-to-action to drive change?
What are some successful examples of this approach?

ThoughtPolice – How the End of Privacy Is Near

MAR 15, 2017 | 2:00PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 1-2

SUZANNE LEIBRICK Udacity

With the age of BigData, VR/AR, Machine Learning and AI, these technologies together have the potential to eliminate privacy completely – even to the point of knowing what you are thinking when you are thinking it, or even predicting how you will act in the future. This session will explore VR and AR hardware, the potential directions it could go in the next five to ten years, and the implications for privacy.

Human-Centered Design in VR

MAR 15, 2017 | 2:00PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 3-4

KAMAL SINCLAIR New Frontier Lab Programs at the Sundance Institute MIKE WOODS White Rabbit VR SASCHKA UNSELD Oculus Story Studio MAUREEN FAN Baobab Studios Inc

What do we know about the human elements of perception and emotion; how do these instinctual responses drive immersive theatrical experiences; and how can we best apply these learnings as we create and translate experiences for VR?

Immersive Theater and VR Spaces

MAR 15, 2017 | 3:30PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 1-2

KAY MESEBERG Arte GEIE MARIE KRISTIN MEIER Berliner Festspiele GmbH MONA EL GAMMAL Berliner Festspiele NONNY DE LA PEÑA Emblematic Group

Immersion is the goal for VR and theater. It is also the nucleus of both ways to tell stories. The collaboration “Immersion. Analog arts in the digital age” between Berliner Festspiele, the leading institution in Berlin to explore art and new formats, and the leading European cultural channel ARTE is dedicated to bridge the worlds: theater and VR.  The panel will present as a world premier the experience “Rhizomat VR.”

Brazilian VR: Creativity to Hit Millions of Views

MAR 15, 2017 | 3:30PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 3-4

RICARDO LAGANARO O2 Filmes, FRANCISCO TEIVELIS MEIRELLES O2 Filmes

Headed by the creator of City of God, Fernando Meirelles, O2 Films is the biggest production company in Brazil. In constant search for innovation, they’ve decided to focus in VR content, even though there were no tools or proper equipment available in Brazil.  

How to Fund Original VR Content

MAR 15, 2017 | 5:00PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 1-2

DYLAN FLINN Creative Artists Agency ARNAUD COLINART Ex Nihilo JOEL BRETON HTC RENE PINNELL Kaleidoscope VR

ear from a panel of experts who are at the forefront of VR content funding, and learn who to approach for funding and how to successfully package & pitch your project. 

How Did Shazam Get Wyclef in AR on My Phone?!

MAR 15, 2017 | 5:00PM JW MARRIOTT SALON E

GREGORY GLENDAY Shazam WYCLEF JEAN

Music & Tech industry futures session featuring Greg Glenday, CRO from Shazam, and Wyclef Jean. Shazam and Wyclef have partnered to deliver unique Augmented Reality experience around his new album J’OUVERT. The experience launches from a Shazam Code which is the next generation of the Shazam visual recognition feature. This Session will provide an overview, demo and Q&A of the technology being discussed.

Augmenting Reality: When AR Meets Documentary

March 16, 2017 11:00 am JW MARRIOTT SALON 3-4

Avinash Kumar BLOT! Quicksand and UnBox Fetival, Mark Atkin Crossover Labs, Nicolas S Roy Dpt, Klasien Van De Zandschulp Lava Lab

Augmented Reality applications allow us to place people and objects into our immediate environment, whether that is our lounge-room, a station or a bar. What does the intimacy and portability of these experiences provide that VR does not?

DayDream for Everyone: VR and Google Play Games

MAR 16, 2017 | 11:00AM JW MARRIOTT SALON 1-2

JAMIL MOLEDINA Google

In this talk, Jamil Moledina shares how Google Play is adapting its store management approach to programming the launch portfolio of games for Daydream – with the goal of moving VR from a novelty to a mainstream movement.

Wrapped Up in the Big Screen: Amplifying Cinematic Film and TV with VR

MAR 16, 2017 | 12:30PM  JW MARRIOTT SALON 1-2

CHRISTINE CATTANO Framestore CHUCK PEIL Reel FX DANIEL ENGELHARDT Lionsgate Entertainment TED SCHILOWITZ 20th Century Fox

Immersive VR experiences have evolved into the next level of movie and TV trailers for a continually tech and media-savvy generation, luring them into fresh cinematic content and holding their interest in between seasons for highly anticipated franchises. A panel of studio, VR, production and tech experts will discuss campaign results, best practices and an outlook for the future.

AR/VR: The promise and danger behind the hype

MAR 16, 2017 | 12:30PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 6

SKIP RIZZO University of Southern California TODD RICHMOND University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies

The hype around AR/VR is reaching a noisy crescendo as pundits sing the praises of immersive tech. Join seasoned AR/VR veterans Todd Richmond and Skip Rizzo as they lead a provocative debate on the practical realities of AR/VR and Mixed Reality. Discover promising and pioneering AR/VR therapies in use today and explore their benefits and future promise. Find out how immersive tech is also suited for darker uses, from brainwashing and gaslighting to torture. As developers attempt to realize the promises of AR/VR, this session examines many practical, moral and ethical considerations related to protecting the health and safety of people. Part of the IEEE Tech for Humanity Series.

Virtual/Augmented Reality in a Real World

MAR 16, 2017 | 12:30PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 3-4

DAVID FINK Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

As this new technology takes hold, a wide variety of legal issues are also arising. Intellectual property, privacy/First Amendment, products liability and other areas of the law will surely be tested as this innovation is implemented across many uses.

David Fink, managing partner of the Los Angeles office of Kelley Drye will address the current state of VR and AR in the law and the issues expected to arise in the near future.

Hear the Music and Then Follow It

MAR 16, 2017 | 2:00PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 3-4

ANTHONY BATT Wevr JOEL DOUEK Ecco VR ELIAS CONSTANTOPEDOS Melyo SARAH STEVENSON REVRIE Immersive Works

This panel brings together music psychology experts, VR/AR creators and interactive music producers to discuss the power of music on behavior and whether it can be crafted into a guide through VR & AR worlds.

Interactive Cross-Platform Social VR

MAR 16, 2017 | 3:30PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 3-4

FINN STABER TheWaveVR

Virtual Reality allows for a new level of immersive interaction, and multiplayer experiences can create the sense of amazing social presence. This session will cover advanced development tips for creating interactive cross-platform multiplayer VR experiences.

Brands are Leading the Way in the Evolution of VR

MAR 16, 2017 | 3:30PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 1-2

TREVOR O’BRIEN Deutsch REBECCA HOWARD Discovery Communications CHET FENSTER MEC Entertainment KEVIN CORNISH Moth + Flame

This panel will dissect the ecosystem behind brands and VR. We will look into the relationship between Creators and Brands and discuss why some of the most innovative VR content created today is being financed by Brands.

Owlchemy Labs Fireside Chat

MAR 16, 2017 | 5:00PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 3-4

ALEX SCHWARTZ Owlchemy Labs DEVIN REIMER Owlchemy Labs

Come join them as they talk about the early days of VR, their findings, successes, glorious mistakes, as well as their anticipation for the future of this phenomenal and immersive medium.

VR Film Production in Extreme Environments

MAR 16, 2017 | 5:00PM JW MARRIOTT SALON 1-2

BAILEY WEST DAVID YEWDALL ULRICO GRECH-CUMBO Deep VR GREG PASSMORE PassmoreVR

We will discuss the rewards and challenges of shooting VR in a variety of extreme environments, and solutions to overcome obstacles. From the highest mountains down to underground caves, under seas to foreign war zones, we will cover all manner of challenging environments, and bring to light their diverse range of experiences.

AR: Bringing the Magic Back to Gaming

MAR 17, 2017 | 5:00PM AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER ROOM 6AB

JERI ELLSWORTH castAR BRIAN CRECENTE Polygon

Augmented reality will be the next format to unlock the magic of modern day gaming. Jeri Ellsworth, Co-founder of castAR will discuss the state of AR in a post-Pokemon GO world, redefining social gaming in the digital age, lessons learned in hardware and software development and why gaming is the perfect entry point for mass market adoption of AR technology.