Writing over at ILM.com, Amy Richau takes a look at a decade of immersive entertainment at ILM, expanding the scope of the companies reach from film and TV to experiences like Vader Immortal, Secrets of the Empire and more.
While ILMxLAB was formally established in 2015 to explore the possibilities of immersive storytelling, the seeds of this endeavor actually began much earlier for Vicki Dobbs Beck. In the 1990s, Beck worked at Lucasfilm Learning, where a certain prototype caught her attention. “It was called Paul Parkranger and the Mystery of the Disappearing Ducks,” Beck tells ILM.com. “And what was really cool about all of the projects we were doing at that time is they really did sit at the intersection of storytelling, interactivity, and high-fidelity media – such that it was back then – all through an educational lens.”
Fast-forward to Beck’s time at ILM as head of strategic planning, she started bringing together talent from ILM and LucasArts (now Lucasfilm Games). “It was kind of this little rebel unit that was doing some pioneering R&D [research and development] in high-fidelity, real-time graphics,” says Beck. “Their success gave us confidence that the foundation was in place to build an immersive storytelling studio, expanding on the R&D work done by teams like the Lucasfilm Advanced Development Group (ADG).”
In 2015, ILM and Lucasfilm announced the formation of ILM’s Experience Lab (ILMxLAB) – a new division that would combine the talents of Lucasfilm, ILM, and Skywalker Sound. Lynwen Brennan, then Lucasfilm executive vice president and ILM president, announced that “The combination of ILM, Skywalker Sound, and Lucasfilm’s story group is unique and that creative collaboration will lead to captivating immersive experiences in the Star Wars universe and beyond. ILMxLAB brings together an incredible group of creatives and technologists together to push the boundaries and explore new ways to tell stories. We have a long history of collaborating with the most visionary filmmakers and storytellers, and we look forward to continuing these partnerships in this exciting space.”
