(In partnership with Syfy)
Syfy is getting ready to launch Halcyon, a groundbreaking new VR series. Here is what you need to know about the unique visual experience.
The Format
Halcyon is a 15-part series: ten traditional short-form episodes, available online and five episodes viewable only in virtual reality. Don’t worry: If you don’t have a VR headset, recaps of the VR episodes will be available online and on TV.
The Plot
In 2040, virtual reality is as ubiquitous as smartphones, but without the enormous headsets we currently use. Halcyon is the leading virtual reality nanotech company whose CEO, Blake Creighton, is found dead in his home, with no apparent cause of death. Jules Dover, a detective with the VR Crimes Unit, is assigned to the case because she has a “knack for solving the unsolvable.” Blake’s murder is the first real-life murder to take place in virtual reality.
The Tech
The virtual reality episodes will be available on the Oculus Rift or Samsung Gear VR. You can watch the series in a big-screen environment in VR, but when a virtual reality episode starts, you will be taken into a virtual rendering of the crime scene. You can interact with objects in the room, and help solve the crime. Stefan Grambart, the show’s creative director, hopes to bring the application to the Oculus Touch and HTC Vive in the near future.
The Cast
Lisa Marcos (“Hemlock Grove”) stars as Jules Dover and Michael Therriault (“Reign”) plays Blake Creighton. Stage actress Harveen Sandhu plays Asha, a Virtual Intelligence assistant who is only visible in VR. Claire Rankin (“Stargate: Atlantis”) plays Miranda Reyes, the executive who takes over for Blake as CEO of Halcyon. Also in the cast are Cody Ray Thompson (“The Lizzie Borden Chronicles”), who plays Alan, Blake’s virtual assistant; Andrew Di Rosa (“Jackie Boy”) as Dylan, a Halcyon technician; and Victor Ertmanis (“Brainscan”) as Gavin, the inventor of VR nanotechnology.
Behind the Scenes
Halcyon is being produced Canadian digital studio Secret Location. Benjamin Arfmann (“Dismissed”) is directing. He has promised that the VR episodes will be completely interactive, and were built using Unity.
Availability
The entire series will be available at HalcyonVR.com starting September 22nd.
