The feature-length film was shot entirely in VR and follows the journey of five individuals.
VR technology can be a powerful tool for connecting with others. Just ask Joe Hunting, a filmmaker who spent hours on the popular social VR platform VRChat chatting with users from around the world about the social impact of immersive technology.
Shot during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, We Met in Virtual Reality is an upcoming documentary from Hunting that follows the lives of five specific individuals using VRChat and modern VR technology to connect with others in a variety of unique ways. The 90-minute film was shot entirely in VR; at no point do we learn the real-world identities of its subjects.
“The film presents an immersive journey through the world and different VRChat communities. Each individual that you meet shares really unique perspectives on VR and each engages with their community in different ways. For them, VR means very different things,” said Hunting during an interview with VRScout, adding, “Through their eyes, the film presents a very broad portrait on how social VR can affect our emotional and social relationships with each other, but also within ourselves.”
The film was originally announced back in 2021, at which point Hunting launched an Indie Gogo campaign to help fund music licensing and submission fees to other film festivals.
Earlier today, Hunting made the exciting announcement that the feature-length documentary will be premiering later this month on HBO. Beginning July 27th, We Met in Virtual Reality will be available for streaming on HBO Max, offering mainstream subscribers an inside look into one of the most fascinating VR communities currently occupying the metaverse.
“I want people to connect with these voices and feel their emotions in the same way that they would as if they were in the real world, but also the film is so much about expression and having fun, and being playful, and embracing a new side of yourself that maybe you’ve never discovered before.” Hunting continued by saying, “I want people to walk away from the film feeling inspired and excited to embrace their own individuality, whatever that might be.”
In celebration of the announcement, IGN has dropped an exclusive new trailer that teases a surprisingly emotional journey featuring a number of virtual worlds, communities, and relationships.
For more information check out our original coverage here.
Image Credit: Joe Hunting
