CFC Media Lab and OMERS Ventures Announce Launch of VR Ecosystem Study, in partnership with Telefilm Canada
At the Augmented World Expo (AWE) in Santa Clara, California, the Canadian Film Centre’s Media Lab (CFC Media Lab) and OMERS Ventures today announced that they have partnered to co-author a study focused on the VR ecosystem in Canada. Titled Pulse on VR: A Workflow and Ecosystem Study, the study aims to identify the key players in this emerging industry and the primary workflows used to bring Virtual Reality (VR) to users.
The impetus for the study is rooted in a desire to better understand VR workflows – how VR experiences are created and distributed – and which technologies and companies are taking part in designing the different parts of this ecosystem. Ultimately, Pulse on VR will shed light on the enormous market potential and groundbreaking impacts that VR affords the creative and technology industries in Canada and beyond.
“The current reality of the VR workflow in North America is that it’s complex, multi-layered and not well understood,” said Ana Serrano, Chief Digital Officer, Canadian Film Centre. “This lack of clarity risks hindering growth in the VR ecosystem. With this study, we hope to uncover strengths, weaknesses and gaps in Canada’s VR ecosystem in order to determine and tap into new areas for growth in VR that offer promising market potential.”
The study will undertake crucial research into the VR ecosystem that will be executed by Nordicity, a leading international consulting firm providing solutions for Strategy and Business, Economic Analysis, Impact and Evaluation across the creative and digital media industries. The research is funded by Canada Media Fund (CMF-FMC), Telefilm Canada, Creative BC, On Screen Manitoba (OSM) and New Media Manitoba (NMM), the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), la Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC) and supported by Super Ventures.
“Virtual reality is very much a nascent technology and it remains to be seen how the Canadian VR ecosystem will evolve,” said Prashant Matta, Venture Capitalist, OMERS Ventures. “This study will help us understand the opportunities and challenges that VR will bring to the entertainment industry and beyond.”
Approach and Methodology
The research will investigate VR content creators, as well as companies that make software and/or hardware that enable VR content, from specific jurisdictions across Canada – notably Ontario, Québec, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia – with additional insights gathered from California. The research will also incorporate experiences such as active VR (e.g. VR games), passive VR (e.g. linear documentary experiences) and hybrid VR experiences (combining both active and passive VR). The study will address specific topics such as who is making VR experiences and creating the tools and/or hardware that enable these experiences, what companies are currently have the potential to shape the VR ecosystem, what challenges exist in creating VR experiences in Canada, and what future opportunities exist for VR.
An online survey launches on Wednesday, June 1, 2016 in select locations and will be available to complete until Friday, July 8, 2016. CFC Media Lab and Nordicity will also interview a selection of leading Canadian and international VR companies to serve as case studies of what success in VR looks like. The resulting research findings will be publicly accessible and will benefit companies, funders, investors and content creators working in VR that are seeking to understand where they fit in the ecosystem and how VR workflows apply to them and their projects.
For VR content creators and companies that make software and/or hardware that enable VR content looking to participate in the study and complete the online survey, please visit: http://fluidsurveys.com/s/PulseOnVR/
For more information on Pulse on VR: A Workflow and Ecosystem Study, please visit: http://cfccreates.com/programs/98-vr-strategy?child_id=99#tabs
Social Media Links
CFC Media Lab
@cfcmedialab | facebook.com/cfcmedialab
Canadian Film Centre
@cfccreates | facebook.com/cfccreates
OMERS Ventures
@OMERSVentures | facebook.com/OMERSVentures
About CFC Media Lab
The Canadian Film Centre’s Media Lab (CFC Media Lab) is an internationally acclaimed digital media think tank and award-winning production facility. It provides a unique research, training and production environment for digital media content developers and practitioners, as well as acceleration programs and services for digital entertainment start-ups and related SMEs. Program participants have emerged as leaders in the world of digital media, producing groundbreaking projects and innovative, sustainable companies for the digital and virtual age. CFC Media Lab is funded in part by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. www.cfccreates.com.
About OMERS Ventures
OMERS Ventures is the venture capital investment arm of OMERS, one of Canada’s largest pension funds with over $77 billion in net assets. OMERS Ventures is a multi-stage investor in growth-oriented, disruptive technology companies across North America. We seek like-minded partners with a shared vision of building a vibrant and successful knowledge economy.
CONTACTS
Cory Angeletti-Szasz
Directrice, Communications, CFC
416 445-1446, poste 463
cangeletti@cfccreates.com
Nicole Kelly
Directrice, Relations avec le milieu, OMERS Ventures
416 369-3727
nkelly@omersventures.com
