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    VR technology company Pixvana launched with $6M investment

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2744 Views

    Pixvana, a virtual reality (VR) technology startup, has been launched with a $6 million investment led by Madrona Venture Group with participation from Paul Allen’s Vulcan Capital, and angel investors. Pixvana is developing a cloud-based technology platform that dramatically improves the immersive video viewing experience for VR and augmented reality (AR) applications across a broad set of viewing devices, and is coming to market in 2016.

    The founding Pixvana team has been deeply involved in digital video and entertainment content production, delivery and software platforms for more than two decades. Headed by entrepreneur and digital media exec Forest Key, Pixvana is solving the challenges inherent in creating and delivering high quality VR and AR video.

    “There is incredible momentum in the VR space and it is clear that outstanding VR video will be a central pillar to the success of the medium, “ said Tim Porter, managing director, Madrona Venture Group. “It’s exciting to back the Pixvana team that has been at the forefront of the massive shifts we have already seen in the industry–from film to digital and from TV to web and mobile video. This team has the experience and vision to create the industry standard technology platform for VR video.”

    “It is clear that just as in the early days of web video, which was hard for consumers to configure on their devices and often stuttery and unsatisfying to watch, VR video is facing similar challenges,” said Pixvana CEO Key. “I couldn’t be more excited to work with this incredible team as we make VR video a reality for content producers and crucially, make viewing video on VR headsets a profoundly magical experience for consumers.”

    Also investing in the company are notable angels including former Microsoft Developer Tools division executive S. Somasegar, and aQuantive co-founder Mike Galgon, both of whom will join the company’s board of directors, along with Porter.

    The Pixvana founding team brings together singular experts in software platforms, visual effects, video production, codecs and content creation with the business expertise to build a meaningful company.

    — CEO Key started his career in visual effects at Lucasfilm. He was later central to the success and evangelism of the two most important web-based video technologies, Flash and Silverlight. Key has also built and sold two successful companies, most recently buuteeq, a cloud-based solution for hotel marketing and customer management that was purchased by Priceline in 2014.
    — Chief product officer Bill Hensler has driven the consumer- and business-facing products in the digital image industry for both Apple and Adobe. Most recently he was sr. director of engineering at Apple for photo apps and imaging technologies, and at Adobe he was the chief technologist of creative suites and oversaw engineering and R&D for all video products.
    — CTO and creative director Scott Squires is a Sci-Tech Academy Award winning digital visual effects pioneer and software innovator. At Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light and Magic, Squires was the CTO who led the company’s transition from analog film to digital production technology, and was a three-time VFX Academy Award nominee for his work on several feature films including Star Wars: Episode I-The Phantom Menace.
    — VP of product management Sean Safreed is the co-founder of film and video software company Red Giant whose products have been used by thousands of filmmakers and designers. Safreed has developed go-to-market strategies for dozens of professional media and entertainment software tools.
     

    Tags:Forest KeyMadrona Venture GroupPixvana

    Director Kacper Larski Joins RSA Films For Spot Representation

    Tuesday, November 12, 2024

    RSA Films has added director Kacper Larski to its roster for commercial representation in the U.S. Larski is known for his work in automotive and sport, and a style of filmmaking which features epic visuals and gripping montage, often combining the real and surreal. Among his most recent commercial films are Garmin’s “Fenix 8” (direct to brand), U.S. Army Reserve’s “Helper” (DDB Chicago) and Bushmills Whiskey’s “Follow No One” (Mekanism). He’s also directed campaigns for Hyundai, Jeep, GMC, Subaru, VW, Mazda and Chevrolet.

    Larski’s distinctive aesthetic emerged in one of his first projects, Land Rover’s “68 Years Later,” which won a Cannes Young Directors Award in 2016. Two years later, he directed the “Greatness is Rare” campaign for BBDO Toronto and the Canadian Paralympic Committee which won Cannes Lion Gold. Prior to joining RSA, Larski had most recently been repped in the U.S. market by production house Eleanor.

    “The camera and film for me have always been about the ability to live 1,000 lives,” Larski said. “Stylistically, I want to transport viewers in whatever stories I’m telling--a super athlete’s runner’s high, a skier’s dream powder, a giant’s tale, even driving in space.”

    “Kacper is one of the most exciting filmmakers I’ve seen over the last several years,” said Luke Ricci, president, RSA Films US. “Whether it’s a character, an emotion, an environment, car or other product, he has a special and distinctive way of capturing and articulating the world around him in all his work. He is a fantastic addition to our RSA family.”

    “Joining RSA is a dream come true,” Larski said. “The roster includes some of the best filmmakers in the world, with founder Ridley Scott... Read More

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