Introducing ‘Theater Elsewhere,’ a New & Improved Way to Experience Immersive Art
From Dear Angelica to Reimagined and beyond, artists have been creating breathtaking work in virtual reality for years with Quill by Smoothstep. Today, we’re excited to introduce Theater Elsewhere, an updated version of our previous VR Animation Player where audiences can immerse themselves in new stories and worlds, hand-painted inside VR.
From the moment you launch Theater Elsewhere in-headset, you’re immediately immersed in gorgeous environments created with Quill. And with snappy speed and buttery smooth performance, navigating the app is a breeze.
To celebrate today’s launch, we sat down with Art Director Goro Fujita to talk about his path to Meta, the magic of Theater Elsewhere, and what’s next for the team.
Goro Fujita: I’m an Art Director, Illustrator, Animator, and XR Prototyper. With a decade of experience in the entertainment industry and nine years in tech, I’ve held various creative roles. My journey includes animating for TV commercials and feature films, working as a Visual Development Artist at DreamWorks Animation, directing short films and immersive experiences, and illustrating children’s books.
In 2015, I embarked on an exhilarating journey into the world of virtual reality. As the Art Director, I had the privilege of shaping the Emmy® Award-winning VR experiences Henry and Wolves in the Walls, Chapter 1 at what was then Oculus Story Studio. My role expanded as I took on the mantle of Executive Producer for a slate of Meta-funded VR-animated shorts. However, I’m best known for my work in VR with Quill, which I’ve been using as a vehicle to bring storytelling to life in virtual reality. The product we’re discussing here is a direct continuation of these innovative efforts.
GF: In 2017, I joined Meta alongside Inigo Quilez, the creator of Quill, with a vision to develop a creator-to-consumer ecosystem for immersive experiences. This ecosystem consists of the VR creation app Quill (now Quill by Smoothstep) and the VR Animation Player (now Theater Elsewhere) for consumption. Since launching our ecosystem in 2020, creators from around the globe have enriched our library with over 2,400 pieces of immersive content that can be viewed on Meta Quest headsets.
GF: Theater Elsewhere represents a transformative update to the app formerly known as VR Animation Player. This new iteration features a beautifully redesigned user interface that invites you to dive into art that lives elsewhere, hand-painted and animated by creators from all over the world. The rich and diverse content catalog includes expressive characters, captivating moments, and long-form narratives, all experienced in 6DOF VR.
Theater Elsewhere doesn't just show you the magic of immersive art—it lets you step inside.
GF: We began the update in July 2023. Reflecting on this period, I’m particularly proud of the team spirit and the dynamic energy each member contributed. Despite being a small team, everyone consistently delivered their best. I consider myself lucky to be surrounded by this group of talented individuals.
GF: We're thrilled to unveil a series of major enhancements!
Previously, the VR Animation Player was part of Meta Quest TV. With this update, Theater Elsewhere is now a standalone application where we can ensure a cohesive user experience, providing a clear destination for 6DOF animated content.
We’re excited to introduce a charming new user experience designed to whisk new users into the world of immersive experiences effortlessly. Meet “Fail Snail,” our friendly mascot, who will be your guide through the app’s features, ensuring you have a smooth and enjoyable journey from the start!
In Theater Elsewhere, we offer six beautiful immersive and animated discovery environments. Set any of these as your default to instantly immerse yourself in the magic of VR from the moment you open the app. Imagine being immediately enveloped in a magical, animated world, showcasing the full potential of VR right from the start of your experience.
Fans and new users alike now have quick access to 50+ VR-animated shorts in the “Narratives” section that offers our celebrated, longer-form stories that have garnered over 30 awards, over 20 nominations, and more than 70 film festival official selections!
And for the first time, our audience has access to the entire library of 2,400+ pieces of user-generated content, which offers access to approximately 50 times more titles than before.
New navigation features include:
- Featured: A frequently updating, curated selection of some of the best pieces of art
- Newest: Content catalog sorted by creation time
- Most Viewed: Content catalog sorted by view count
- Saved: Bookmarked Content
- My Uploads: Creators’ own uploaded content through Meta Quest Media Studio
Theater Elsewhere has super-low latency when browsing content. Flicking between pages (with 20 thumbnails) has little to no delay, making the user experience simple and efficient.
Viewers now have the convenience of bookmarking their favorite content either directly from the thumbnail or during playback. The bookmarked pieces can be found in the “Saved” category.
With the newly added Free Fly Mode, our audience has a new way to explore content from any desired angle. This also allows people to get a peek behind the scenes and investigate how pieces were created.
We’ve redesigned our app’s user experience to be just as simple as using a TV remote—allowing you to control the main features with just one hand. This not only makes the app quicker for those who use it often, but also easier for new users too, allowing you to spend more time enjoying the content instead of figuring out the controls.
The enhanced “Play next” and “Play previous” features now make navigating content as effortless as scrolling through social media apps.
Theater Elsewhere is full of surprises. Not only was Quill used to design the immersive parts of the app, we also used it to produce final assets. We’ve embraced the playful spirit of Quill, sprinkling a delightful array of Easter eggs throughout the app for you to uncover.
GF: I’d like to mention several here:
For narrative experiences, I really love our latest releasePerennials by Zoe Roellin. In the story, Elias, grappling with the recent death of his estranged father, returns to their abandoned family vacation home to sort through the remnants of the past. Overwhelmed by a mix of grief, resentment, and nostalgia, Elias is eager to leave the memories behind. However, his visit takes an unexpected turn with the presence of his adventurous niece, Emi. While Elias seeks closure, Emi is driven by a sense of adventure and a mysterious mission of her own, bringing a new perspective to their shared journey. This visually stunning experience is an excellent showcase of beautiful VR storytelling techniques.
Next, the Reimagined anthology by Very Cavaliere Productions is a women-led animated series that breathes new life into obscure fables, mythology, and folklore. Each piece in the series (NYSSA, Mahal, and Young Thang) stand out with their unique narratives and exquisite execution, offering a fresh and beautifully crafted take on timeless tales.
Lastly, step into the mesmerizing world of Tales from Soda Island by Studio Syro, an immersive series that transports you to the vibrant musical ecosystem of Soda Island. With its first season wrapping up in seven spellbinding episodes, each installment introduces you to a new array of creatures and tales where music and visuals blend in perfect harmony. The cutting-edge VR storytelling techniques employed are nothing short of magical, creating an unforgettable experience that resonates with every sense.
As for individual artists, I really like Matt Schaefer’s work. His work is unique and full of energy. Make sure to check out all his pieces in VR. Matt was also an integral part of the Theater Elsewhere team—truly a multi-talented guy!.
Daniel Martin Peixe is another artist that you don’t want to miss. This former Disney animator creates beautiful pieces with masterful animation and storytelling.
My third choice here must be the community collaboration Santa’s Delivery Squad where over 20 creators came together, each with their own interpretation of Santa’s delivery vehicle that we put together into a single experience. It resembles a happy, festive version of a Mad Max convoy—a must-watch!
GF: I strongly believe in VR storytelling. It’s such a magical, unique medium that lets creators express themselves in a unique way. I hope this new update will inspire and motivate creators to explore and tell their stories in VR. My aspiration is for this new narrative format to become mainstream, allowing major entertainment studios to join in and craft future entertainment experiences where you are part of the action—not just an observer as in traditional movies and theaters.
If you would like to be part of innovative storytelling and share your own creations, test your hand in the VR painting and animation app, Quill by Smoothstep, available on PC VR platform. Upload your content through Meta Quest Media Studio and it will appear in the “Newest” section of Theater Elsewhere.
GF: I’m working full-time remote, so luckily I can avoid the morning and evening traffic, giving me more time to focus on thrilling projects like Theater Elsewhere, which pushes the boundaries of innovation. Being part of an incredible team and finding new ways to tell stories and connect people provides immense motivation to continue advancing in our field.
GF: For the past couple of years I have been focused on XR prototyping, creating visionary prototypes for the metaverse. This has been extremely rewarding, and our team will continue on that path. While our work is not immediately visible to the public, the impact of our team can be found in various Meta products now and in the future. We also have exciting plans for Theater Elsewhere moving forward, so stay tuned for that.
GF: Unleash the magic of VR and immerse yourself in a world where imagination knows no bounds. Don’t just hear about it—experience it for yourself today and dive into Theater Elsewhere!
