By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --Fresh off his co-starring role in "La La Land," John Legend is trying another medium: virtual reality.
Legend will executive produce and lend his voice to the title character of the upcoming Baobab Studios series "Rainbow Crow." The production company was to announce Legend's involvement Tuesday. The first installment of the series is to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival later this month.
"A lot of the attraction to the project was being involved with a new technology that's just emerging as a new medium for creative talent," Legend said in an interview.
Inspired by Native American folklore, "Rainbow Crow" is about a bird "with the most dazzling plumage and mellifluous voice, who, after the planet turns dark and cold, must journey far from home to bring light back to the world." Says Legend: "It's about love. It's about inclusion. It's about community."
Though virtual reality remains a nascent art form, Baobab has emerged as an early leader. One of its first two VR "experiences," ''Invasion!" was nominated for an Emmy and is to be adapted into a feature film. "Rainbow Crow" is directed by Eric Darnell, co-founder and chief creative officer of Baobab.
Oscar season is still fresh on the mind of Legend, who called the Academy Awards finale "surreal."
"At the end of the day, the voters voted for 'Moonlight' and 'Moonlight' was a deserving film," says Legend. "It was a beautiful film that I loved, personally, and I'm happy for the team that created 'Moonlight.' And I'm also happy for our incredible team with 'La La Land.'"
Legend is also producing the WGN America series "Underground," about slaves and abolitionists in the years before the Civil War. He recently taped a guest appearance as Frederick Douglass. At a Black History Month event in February, President Donald Trump appeared to be only somewhat familiar with the abolitionist and author, calling him "an example of somebody who's done an amazing job and is getting recognized more and more, I notice."
"We filmed it last year when Obama was still president," says Legend. "We had a president who actually knew something about black history – and American history for that matter. If the president sees me in the street, he might think I'm him."
Music, though, remains Legend's "primary role," he says. "And I don't see that changing." In June, Legend goes on tour to support his latest album, "Darkness and Light." As he begins preparation for the tour, politics are on his mind.
"I think about all of what's going on in the world," says Legend. "I also know that people want a night full of love and human connection, so I want the show to be inspiring and positive for people."
SCHROM x Yacht Club and Be Electric Studios Launch Electric XR for Virtual Production
SCHROM x Yacht Club, a full-service live-action, tabletop, and postproduction company, has teamed with Be Electric Studios, a soundstage, equipment rental, and virtual production company, to launch Electric XR, a virtual production collective.
Industry veteran Thomas Rossano will lead the new venture, which provides advanced virtual production solutions across multiple facilities. He brings over 25 years of experience in live-action, tabletop, postproduction and talent curation to enhance Electric XR’s offerings as a resource for brands and agencies, as well as other production companies in need of virtual production solutions. Additionally Rossano continues to serve as EP at XR New York (XR-NY), a role he’s held since December 2022. SCHROM x Yacht Club originally established XR-NY to help provide XR services for third-party rentals. While XR-NY will continue to function independently for SCHROM X Yacht Club, it now operates under the Electric XR umbrella.
Rossano’s expertise spans producing live-action commercials, branded content, interactive and experiential content. In addition to leading Electric XR, he holds responsibilities at SCHROM x Yacht Club which include driving business development, collaborating with sales reps and expanding the company’s creative talent network. Rossano’s career includes serving as an exec producer at Hungry Man for about 11 years, right from that company’s inception. He then went on to become a partner at Station Film where he also had a lengthy tenure. Later he was a partner at PRISM. Then after the pandemic hit, he became a freelance EP for nearly two years, looking into opportunities in virtual production, which led him to XR NY and now Electric XR. Over the years, he has produced high-profile... Read More