An interactive VR experience created to support the release of Sky Atlantic’s second series of Britannia. The show is an anarchic drama that follows the Roman army as they return to crush the Celtic heart of Britannia, a mysterious land led by warrior women and mighty Druids who claim to channel the powerful forces of the underworld.

IDEA

Britannia VR: Out of Your Mind was created to whet the appetites of existing fans of the show and draw in a new audience through immersive storytelling, inviting users to step into the world of Britannia. Performances and interactions were carefully considered for their ability to generate emotions in keeping with Britannia’s narrative. It needed to be an exploratory experience with photo-realistic detail, resulting in participants feeling the epic cinematic sense the show creates through set design, props and wardrobe. It had to be something the TV audience could grasp, with enough visual fidelity to intrigue both VR and gamer audiences. The result is a story told in two parts: you’ll step into the world of Druid magic and mysticism, and then later enter the realm of Roman imperialism and power.

EXECUTION

Pushing the boundaries of volumetric virtual production techniques, Britannia VR brings environment photogrammetry, volumetric video, and Unreal Engine together to stunning effect. With volumetric capture at its core, Britannia VR features real recordings of actors from the show, including Mackenzie Crook as Veran, and Liana Cornell as Ania. A VR story where players have agency, users interact in fun ways that reinforce the magic and the madness of the story and show. Users can eat all the food in the Oppida - with individual noises designed for each food - and sit on Roman latrines. You may paint the air in a dance triangle and mint coins. In the final Druid rave moment, raising or lowering your arms after Veran’s speech affects both your ability to fly and the audio atmospherics, giving the player a particularly psychedelic experience. Real-life locations were carefully selected to appear spectacular in VR, including a glow-worm cave where players can swim underwater.

RESULT

By blending cinematic and game production techniques, we immerse participants deep in the psychedelic world of Britannia, reaching the high cinematic aesthetic values of the show. Britannia VR was selected to premiere at Venice VR at Venice Film Festival. It was previewed at the press launch for Britannia Season 2 and has been universally positively reviewed by the broadcast, game and VR press. Essential Install questioned if Britannia VR heralds “a new dawn where TV shows morph into multi-platform experiences”.