DVDizzy Forum

Disney Animation's first ever VR short, "Cycles," will make its world debut at Siggraph 2018 in Vancouver. The experimental film, from director Jeff Gipson, centers around the true meaning of creating a home and the life it holds inside its walls.

The short film, “Cycles,” is directed by Disney Animation lighting artist Jeff Gipson, marking his VR directorial debut. It centers around the true meaning of creating a home, inspired by Gipson’s childhood spending time with his grandparents in their home and then later helping them move to an assisted-living residence.

“We wanted to create a story in this single place and be able to have the viewer witness life happening around them,” Gipson said in a statement. “It is an emotionally driven film, expressing the real ups and downs, the happy and sad moments in life.”

“VR is an amazing technology and a lot of times the technology is what is really celebrated,” Gipson said. “We hope more and more people begin to see the emotional weight of VR films, and with ‘Cycles’ in particular, we hope they will feel the emotions we aimed to convey with our story.”

Jeff Gipson wrote:So stoked to announce the amazing opportunity I was given to DIRECT Walt Disney Animation's first VR Short Film! It has been an incredible journey working with the best artists in the world to tell a story close to my heart. Thank you to everyone who has worked, hustled, innovated, and put love into the film. Check it out at ACM SIGGRAPH in Vancouver Aug 2018.

Jeff Gipson wrote:Here are our main characters Bert, Rae, Rachel, and Bruce designed by the amazingly talented Meg Park. Working with these characters has been a form of emotional closure, telling a story I hope that many can connect with. Bert and Rae are named after my grandparents, Rachel after my dear friend who took her life 11 years ago.

Jeff Gipson wrote:Production designer Dan Cooper's beautiful concept of the Disney Cycles house. When I pitched the story to Dan I told him to "imagine a mid century home mixed with a grandma's 60s/70s home vibe". The house is a main character in the film which evolves and changes. Absolutely love what Dan brought to the project!

Dan Cooper wrote:Painted over a great sketchup model done by Cycles director Jeff Gipson. We were pushing for severe foliage design and adding charm and curves into the set while still maintaining the mid-century modern feel. Colors also evocative of the period. Very much a team effort honoring Jeff's grandparents. I'm proud to have been a part of this first VR short film by Disney Animation.

Dan Cooper wrote:Color script from Jeff Gipson’s short, Cycles. Mood and emotions were critical in this brief but moving experience.

Jeff Gipson wrote:Throwback Tuesday to premiering Disney Animation's first VR short film "Cycles" at ACM SIGGRAPH. Excited to show at New York Film Fest Convergence in October!

Jeff Gipson wrote:Getting stoked for the US premiere of Disney Animation's first VR short film "Cycles" at New York Film Fest this weekend! If you are in there area come check it out. Myself and some of the crew will be there hanging out!

Jeff Gipson wrote:Here in NYC for the New York Film Fest. Excited to share Disney Animation's first VR short film “Cycles” for our US premiere! If you are in the area come by and hang out. Swipe to check out an image from the short animated by Jorge E. Ruiz Cano and an image of my grandparents — Bert and Rae — that inspired the moment. It’s been so cool to tell a story inspired by them and share it with audiences.

Jeff Gipson wrote:Disney Cycles crew speaking in Barcelona at B'Ars VFX. Such an amazing trip!

Jeff Gipson wrote:Disney Cycles at the Sundance Film Festival. So stoked to be here! If you are around DM me come check it out and I’ll get you a pass!

Jeff Gipson wrote:Disney Cycles at the Sundance Film Festival. Stop by to see Disney Animation's first VR short film and our accompanying AR projects.

Jeff Gipson wrote:That’s a wrap on Sundance 2019. It was amazing experience sharing Disney Animation's first VR short film Cycles. Thank you StudioLAB for hosting us...Back to LA for the Lumiere awards!!

Jeff Gipson wrote:Feeling so fortunate and humbled to have Cycles win the Advanced Imaging Society's Lumiere award for Best Animated VR short film. Congrats to everyone at Disney Animation and everyone on the Cycles crew, you all put your faith in the short and allowed for the opportunity to take risks and innovate both in the technology and in storytelling!! Here are a few pics from the night as well as one with Ed Catmull—the co founder of Pixar—who truly believed in the short from the beginning, pushed to share the film with audiences around the world, and was a mentor for myself and the core crew as we started this journey. It’s not everyday that a first happens for a company like Disney who has been around for nearly 100 years...but Cycles is Disney Animation's first VR short film and this beautiful golden aurora is the first VR award for our studio. Much love to every one at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Jeff Gipson wrote:Cycles crew!! I’m very lucky...I get to work some of the most talented artists & technologists in the world...we have great confidence in one another, we all want to push into new areas of storytelling/animation and don’t believe in standing still. Congrats!!! Much love to everyone at Disney Animation.

Jeff Gipson wrote:Cycles crew at Stanford this weekend mentoring the TreeHacks' hack-a-thon!

Jeff Gipson wrote:Rad day sharing Disney Animation's Cycles with the Oculus Quill & Oculus teams at the Facebook headquarters. Thanks for having us Goro Fujita and friends!!!

Jeff Gipson wrote:2008: scraping by, refusing to spend cash on magazines, hanging out in Barnes and Noble in Encinitas 'til closing reading 3D Artist magazine dreaming about computer graphics/making badass images and working in the industry. 2019: so stoked to have a feature for Cycles, Disney Animation's first VR, real-time, short film with my dude Jose Gomez. Much love to 3D Artist magazine for making this dream a reality. Lots of dreaming, hard work, sleepless nights, and sacrifices on this crazy-ass ride; but stoked to keep pushing storytelling and technology forward with the ride or die crew of Ed Robbins, Jorge E. Ruiz Cano, Jose Gomez, Nick Russell.

Every home tells a story. Experience "Cycles," Disney Animation's first-ever VR short film, making its U.S. debut in the Virtual Reality Arcade New York Film Festival's Convergence this weekend!

D82 wrote:I guess they wanted to give the characters a painterly look, but they look like porcelain figures. I suppose it’s the combination of 2D and CGI.

Sotiris wrote:I don't think there's any 2D in it. It's just non-photorealistic rendering and lighting.

An innovative collaboration between technology and animation, PoseVR is an experimental project developed at Disney Animation to demonstrate the potential of virtual reality as a tool to pose and animate CG characters. The tool was used in the production of the VR short film, "Cycles," which makes its U.S. debut at New York Film Festival October 13-14.

At New York Film Fest? Come experience "Cycles," our first-ever virtual reality short film at Convergence today!

This weekend, the filmmaking team behind our VR short Disney Cycles took to Sundance to share this unique story with festival goers.

Sotiris wrote:

D82 wrote:I guess they wanted to give the characters a painterly look, but they look like porcelain figures. I suppose it’s the combination of 2D and CGI.

I don't think there's any 2D in it. It's just non-photorealistic rendering and lighting.

Jules wrote:Based on those two screenshots (both from different angles) it actually looks like real-time rendering to me, as in videogames.

Am I going mad?