Bigscreen creates a simulated theater experience in virtual reality.
Successful virtual reality business models have been slower out of the gate than many observers expected, but one scenario that always seemed to have promise was using VR to replicate big, spacious viewing experiences for live events, sports and concerts for people who can’t attend in person. That’s the theory of the case adopted by Bigscreen, a Bay Area startup that today announced a partnership with Paramount Pictures to distribute classic 2D and 3D films through the company’s social VR movie-watching platform.
Beginning December 16, four new movies will premiere in Bigscreen every Friday at 6:00PM EST. Movies run for one week with a new lineup of movies available the following Friday. Films are broadcast live on a pay-per-view basis with scheduled showtimes every 30 minutes. December’s lineup includes blockbuster hits like Interstellar and Star Trek. Bigscreen’s virtual screenings will be available in 10 countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, and Japan.
“Bigscreen’s virtual reality platform offers a new way for fans to experience films in their homes,” said Bob Buchi, the President of Paramount Pictures (Home Entertainment). “We’re excited to be a part of this experiment using cutting-edge technology to give fans a new entertainment option.”
The Bigscreen app, which is available for most VR platforms on the consumer market, simulates watching a movie in an actual theatre with friends or just random folks who happen to be logged in. Users enter through a virtual lobby and can voice-chat with fellow fans. 2D and 3D films are screened on a virtual IMAX that provides an immersive viewing experience within an immersive viewing experience.
Bigscreen’s rendering technology uses VR to create a perfect 3D picture in each eye, producing a level of depth and detail that is not possible with traditional 3D glasses, according to the company. The company also works with hardware partners to create crisp, optimized displays that reduce the fatigue usually associated with long sessions using VR equipment.
But the company says the technology’s biggest selling point is the social aspect. “We want social functionality for VR out of the box. We should be able to use VR/AR to watch something together regardless of where we are,” says Bigscreen CEO Darshan Shankar. “Our software has been out for 3 years. People use it to watch TV together, play games, collaborate on work – anything where there’s a social component of sharing something with friends or colleagues.”
Shankar says that one way to reinforce the social aspect of the experience is the platform’s policy of conducting scheduled screenings and ticket sales, as opposed to the more wide open all-you-can-eat, whenever-you-want models used by most streaming services. Shankar says that having an event you can put on your calendar as an appointment with your social group to enjoy a limited-run movie makes each viewing a special occasion.
One of the refreshing aspects of Bigscreen’s approach is this kind of minimalism. Whereas some players in the VR space are attempting to use the technology to create completely new, spectacular interactive environments, Bigscreen is using a new tool to bring a familiar experience back into style. Shankar points to a few use-cases, like staging a virtual date-night for couples in long-distance relationship, connecting family members or friends in different locations for a movie night, or bringing the social aspects of going to a movie back to housebound elderly or disabled people. There’s also the population of young, tech-savvy urban workers crammed into tiny apartments that can barely accommodate a big screen, much less seating for a group of friends, who can now stage virtual social events with real-time communication, or just enjoy the experience of watching a movie in a more spacious environment without leaving the house.
That’s made Bigscreen a relative success in the nascent consumer VR space. The company, founded three years ago following investment rounds led by True Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz that raised $14 million, claims 1.5 million users worldwide. Though it is not yet profitable, Bigscreen is prudent with its expenditures and maintains a lean workforce while working to expand partnerships with content providers.
“Paramount is first and only content partner at the moment, but the deal is not exclusive,” says Shankar. “We will be working with others soon.”
