2023-06-05 17:52:01
The team sees things big for the future. (Picture: courtesy)
Techno without blind spots dissects current technologies, meets the brains behind these innovations and explores the digital tools available to Quebec businesses. This section allows you to understand today’s trends in order to be ready for those of tomorrow.
TECHNO WITHOUT BLIND ANGLES. After 10 years of existence, the immersive entertainment studio Félix & Paul Studios, known in particular for its virtual reality films shot in space, is ready to move on to a new stage of its growth. And – that’s good – virtual reality too.
It was an anecdotal encounter between two aspiring directors competing to make (for free!) a music video that led to the founding of one of the jewels of immersive entertainment in Quebec. “We had to fight for the privilege of working pro bono,” recalls laughing Félix Lajeunesse, creative director of Félix & Paul Studios, during a presentation at the C2 Montréal creative business event.
The current immediately passed between him and Paul Raphaël, now the studio’s head of innovation. “We were both interested in more experiential cinema, which is deeply immersive, and even visceral,” says Félix Lajeunesse. The two therefore decided to join forces with the aim of creating experiences of the genre.
After a few tries with different technologies, such as 3D projections, the pair turned to virtual reality with the arrival of the Oculus Rift headset on the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform. “We saw that it was going to be accessible to everyone, and that it was the medium that was going to allow us to achieve what we wanted,” explains Paul Raphaël.
From Montreal to space
Felix & Paul Studios’ track record since its founding in 2013 is impressive. The Montreal company has developed its in-house technologies (always with the aim of making its artistic vision possible), and their productions continue to grow, going from a small intimate film in the studio of artist Patrick Watson to projects with Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Today more than 70 people — artists, programmers, engineers — work for the company.
In recent years, the studio has mainly collaborated with NASA for the production of virtual reality films in space, with its own cameras, controlled by the astronauts themselves. “I think that if this project has survived so long, it is thanks to the support of the astronauts. They are truly our best ambassadors,” says Paul Raphaël.
The studio, which mainly produced its films for platforms like Meta’s Oculus and Samsung Gear VR, has now moved from a business-to-business (b2b) business model to a business-to-consumer (b2c) model, with the launch of immersive experiences such as L’infini, a virtual reality show that allows you to experience a spacewalk.
The approach makes possible new kinds of experiences, but it also ensures a certain independence for Félix & Paul Studios. “When you work with big tech companies, you have to live with their strategies, which change every six months,” notes Stéphane Rituit, third co-founder and CEO of the studio.
Executive Vice-President of the Cirque du Soleil Board of Directors Daniel Lamarre spoke to C2 Montréal with the three co-founders of Felix & Paul Studios: Félix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphaël and Stéphane Rituit. (Photo: Mikael Theimer)
Towards the “Disney of virtual reality”
The team sees things big for the future. “We want to build the Disney of virtual reality,” says Félix Lajeunesse. We want our projects to be more and more ambitious, and their emotional reach to be strong, to the point where people feel something before even going to experience it.”
However, installations like L’infini will not replace virtual reality films at home. Moreover, the industry would be regarding to experience a major upheaval on this side: the announcement expected Monday of the first virtual reality headset from Apple, and the surprise unveiling of the Quest 3 headset by Meta last Friday should contribute to revitalize the sector.
Stéphane Rituit welcomes the growing interest in this market. “We want other competitors, we want other players,” he says. The more creators there are, the more importance this narrative form can gain, and the more the studio can take advantage of it.
In short, we are entering a new era, both for virtual reality and for Félix & Paul Studios. “It’s very exciting,” summarizes Paul Raphael.
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