Creative director/director Peter Martin and VR producer Sam Margolius have teamed with The Cavalry Productions’ commercial/digital EP Ross Grogan and business partner Aric Ackerman, Cavalry COO, to launch VR content house SPECTACLE.
Martin directed the recently released SI Swim VR project for Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Edition with platform company WEVR. Also with WEVR, Martin created and directed the VR music video “Crown” for hip-hop group Run The Jewels (released on The New York Times’ NYTVR app). Martin additionally used Jaunt’s new 24 x 4K stereoscopic 3D camera system for his latest VR music video for Ray LaMontagne’s, latest single “Hey, No Pressure,” which is available on the Jaunt VR platform. Both VR music videos were launched at the recent SXSW 2016. According to Martin, SPECTACLE will continue to use WEVR’s delivery system and transport whenever possible.
Margolius, who produced Martin’s recent VR projects with WEVR, explained, “SPECTACLE is not about VR platforms; we want to be the brightest light for providing content.”
Overseeing that content will be Martin who noted, “For the first time, users can be transported to another world using just their smartphone and a cardboard viewer. VR is on the cusp of mass adoption (25 million VR headsets by the end of 2016). However there is a lack of content as the majority of investment is going into the delivery technology. We need to redress that balance with a focus on the creation of engaging stories and immersive content that will evolve VR.”
Martin’s storytelling chops have been showcased in assorted projects, including his serving as co-producer on Waste Land, the 2011 Oscar-nominated feature documentary. In 2014–via his experiential company VALIS studios–Martin creative directed the holographic duet between M.I.A. and Janelle Monae to launch the new Audi A3. That same year Martin joined SFX Entertainment as head of SFX Studios where he specialized in virtual, experiential and immersive content. While no longer with SFX, Martin continues as CEO of VALIS which along with Cavalry are creative partners to SPECTACLE. VALIS brings its experiential expertise to the SPECTACLE VR venture.
