Traveling Without Moving: Inside The VR Revolution

The term “revolution” is sometimes overused when it comes to tech advances, but in the case of Virtual Reality, or VR, there’s a general consensus that experiences previously thought as belonging to the realm of sci-fi movies are now possible right here, right now. It’s now possible to move virtually inside a remote location just like if you were playing a video game – except you’re traveling through reality! And quite remarkably, there is no Google or Facebook behind his sea-change – small start-ups are leading the movement, particularly in the field of VR content. It’s not hard to understand why some VR content companies have chosen to be based in Southern California rather than 500 km up north in the Sillicon Valley. When you create content, it’s better to be closer to the Hollywood studios. But nothing destined those companies to be based in the relaxed beach community of Venice, California., once home to The Doors – now nicknamed “Silicon Beach,” the by-the-sea answer to San Francisco’s Silicon Valley. We traveled their to feature companies RYOT, WEVR and JAUNT, leading the field of VR content and technology. Our story includes interviews with the founders and investors of these companies.

(6 – 10 pages)

Photos by Georgia Nerheim, Dove Shore, Shanna Fisher and Sue Hudelson