Coming Soon: Impact Reality Summit, a New XR Event Hosted by Kaleidoscope and Vulcan Productions

A new XR event will soon be awarding immersive projects focused on environmental and social issues. Organized by Vulcan Productions and Kaleidoscope, Impact Reality Summit will have its first edition on January 9 and 10, 2020, at Vulcan Technologies headquarters in Seattle, WA. The summit will feature artists and social impact organizations focusing on “XR for Good”.

An XR Event for a Sustainable Future

The focus of the Impact Reality Summit is on promoting immersive storytelling with powerful impact. The XR event will be covering four impact categories. These are Climate Change, Ocean Health, Conservation, as well as Community and Social Justice.

“We’re excited to host this gathering of creators and organizations interested in discovering and supporting new ways to leverage storytelling for social good,” said Creative Director of Emerging Media at Vulcan Productions, Matt Milios, in a press release.

The team of curators consists of top-level decision-makers from Vulcan Productions, Kaleidoscope, and Unity. They will select four projects which will receive funding amounting to US$50,000 in total.

What Are the Selection Criteria for the “Best in XR” Projects?

All the curated projects will be judged during the XR event by a review committee that includes experts from the XR and film production fields. Some of the reviewers of the Impact Reality Summit are for instance Liz Rosenthal (immersive content programmer, Venice Film Festival), Blake Kammerdiener (VR programmer, SXSW), Elie Levasseur (XR programmer, Cannes Film Festival), and Mária Rakušanová (Content partnerships, HTC VIVE).

The judging committee will analyze the projects against the following criteria:

• Content – the storytelling must be clear and effective and promote action or provide solutions to the issue;
• Innovation and Originality – the immersive project must appeal to a wide range of audiences and have a unique approach;
• Overall impact – the project must generate notable effects on various development indicators, such as social, environmental and economic factors.

“We’re looking for development XR projects that tell a powerful story in a fresh and unusual way,” commented René Pinnell, Kaleidoscope CEO.

Steps for Submitting a Project

Applicants should upload and save their project in the Kaleidoscope platform. The submission deadline is December 9, 2019. If curators select your project, you will attend the XR event in Seattle to present it before the review committee. However, the organizers will cover your traveling and accommodation costs.

There are four prizes in total. Grand Prix ($20,000) will go to the XR project with the highest potential to achieve global impact. Best in Climate Change ($10,000) will be awarded to the project with the best approach in presenting the causes and solutions to climate change. The project with the highest potential to improve ocean health and waste prevention, will take home Best in Sustainability award ($10,000). And finally, Best in Community & Social Justice ($10,000) will go to the project with the highest potential to create positive impact in local communities and social justice.

How to Attend the XR Event?

The Impact Reality Summit is a private XR event dedicated to professionals. It will consist of discussions, workshops, and the “XR for Good” exhibition. Thus, participants must register here to receive an invitation.

However, there is also an eligibility condition for receiving the invitation. Attendees must be Pro members of Kaleidoscope platform ($95 per month fee).