Other virtual reality works had already tried at the BAFTAs, but this time the work of Alchemy VR and Atlantic Productions achieves the award and gets a big step for this new medium.
David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef Dive, a production of Alchemy VR and Atlantic Productions, has taken the first BAFTA awarded to a virtual reality project. Unlike at the Oscars, where the 2D version of Pearl was nominated, this time it is the virtual reality experience that was not only nominated, but has also won in the category of digital creativity of the television BAFTAs. It is not the first time that virtual reality has had a presence at the BAFTAs. For example, recently some games with PlayStation VR support such as Batman: Arkham VR, opted for several categories in the video game BAFTAs, but they did not win.
The award-winning experience of David Attenborough, one of the best-known naturalist popularizing scientists, transports users to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, to explore its marine worlds, with colorful fish and the fearsome reef sharks, while Attenborough guides us. Great Barrier Reef Dive VR is available at the Natural History Museum in London.
“This is a key moment for virtual reality as a medium and we are immensely proud to be at the forefront of this content revolution. We are delighted that BAFTA has recognised the risks and innovation, which are vital to pioneering a new form of cinema. At a time when the Great Barrier Reef has never been more threatened, we hope that our experience in this immersive medium will continue to inspire and encourage the public to participate in its conservation,” he commented Anthony Geffen, CEO of Atlantic Productions.
Virtual reality as a new medium continues on its way, achieving a great step by winning its first award at the BAFTAs, prestigious awards.
