Virtual Reality Update - Latest Developments - Manatt Digital Media Newsletter

	June 17, 2015 Manatt Digital Media – June Newsletter: Virtual Reality Update VR—Power, Potential, Risks . . . VR—The Engine of Empathy and Real Social Change Jaunt, VR and the Future of Media and Entertainment River—Accelerating Virtual Reality Start-Ups VNTANA Extends Live Experiences Globally MDM Spotlight Profile “VR technology will transform every industry over the next decade or two, just as the Internet was nascent twenty years ago but now is ubiquitous.”—The River Manifesto In MDM’s previous newsletter on Virtual Reality (VR), we covered some of the basics and gave an overview of the VR landscape. Since then, we have continued to immerse ourselves in the space, and engage with and advise some of its foremost leaders. In this month’s newsletter, we share with you insights from these experiences and innovators and from VR’s countless, game-changing applications—from games and media and entertainment to education, travel, healthcare and beyond.  VR—Power, Potential, Risks . . . By Peter Csathy Earlier this month, I moderated a VR and augmented reality (AR) panel at the SLUSH Future Brunch, hosted by organizers of Helsinki’s “must know” SLUSH digital media and tech conference held annually in November. My panel included some of the most important thought leaders and innovators in the VR space—Mike Rothenberg of Rothenberg Ventures (in which Manatt Venture Fund is an investor)—Rothenberg runs the first VR accelerator, called River; Danny Gabai of Vice Media, which produces some of the most inspired VR “experiences” to date; Andy Cochrane of Mirada Studios; and Neville Spiteri of WEVR. We covered a lot of ground during the session, including: 1. The state of VR today—and the prospects for the future—with all on the panel predicting mass consumer adoption of tens of millions of VR headsets within a couple of years (MDM completely agrees with that assessment). Read more VR—The Engine of Empathy and Real Social Change By Peter Csathy MDM recently visited Silicon Valley—and one highlight of that trip was pioneering VR company Jaunt (more on Jaunt in the profile below). Jaunt demonstrated just some of VR’s possibilities. Yes, media and entertainment. Yes, games and adventure. Those are obvious and frequently discussed. Read more Jaunt, VR and the Future of Media and Entertainment By Peter Csathy On MDM’s recent trip to Jaunt, CEO Jens Christensen first sat me down in the Jaunt demo studio (pictured here to the left),where I sat through and experienced four different demos. First demo: On the stage at a recent Paul McCartney concert (yes, these will sell big time). Second demo: Extreme climbing and parachuting off cliffs in Yosemite and other extreme lands. Third demo: Immersed as a character in a horror movie (complete with a blanket thrown over my head by one of the demons that made my entire body flinch). Fourth demo: A CGI EDM-driven segment. Read more River—Accelerating Virtual Reality Start-Ups By  Mary Ermitanio In December 2014, two-year-old fund Rothenberg Ventures first opened its doors to applications for River, its new virtual reality-focused accelerator. The three-month program aims to be the “world’s VR classroom” and offers start-ups $100,000 investments, mentorship by industry veterans, and office space at the Rothenberg Ventures’ 8,000-square-foot space in San Francisco.  Read more VNTANA Extends Live Experiences Globally By Sarah Chambless Earlier this year, MDM visited the Santa Monica offices of VNTANA. Tucked away in the rear parking lot of a multiuse space near Bergamot Station, VNTANA enables immersive, multilocation live experiences through high-definition, real-time hologram technology. Read more MDM Spotlight Profile Sarah Chambless leads Manatt Digital Media’s Virtual Reality initiatives. Sarah specializes in start-up company formation, early-stage finance, venture capital investment transactions and private company mergers and acquisitions. She advises emerging tech companies in digital media, technology, consumer products, social enterprise and nonprofit sectors, and represents both emerging companies and venture capital investors in seed and venture capital financings. She also has experience in fund formation and joint ventures. Prior to joining Manatt, she taught elementary school in Compton, California, as a Teach for America corps member.  View her full profile here.