TIME Studios Launches Groundbreaking Immersive Project The March, Bringing Martin Luther King Jr. and the Historic 1963 March on Washington to Virtual Reality for the First Time

NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, TIME's Emmy-award winning division TIME Studios launches its groundbreaking immersive project, The March, which brings the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech to virtual reality for the first time.

Co-created by TIME's Emmy-winning Mia Tramz and industry-leading immersive storyteller Alton Glass, with executive producer and narrator of the project Viola Davis, The March features the most realistic recreation of a human performance in virtual reality to date, through advanced VR, AI, film production processes, and machine-learning techniques.

Meticulously researched and drawing on TIME's journalism, The March is created with the support of Intellectual Properties Management, Inc. (Licensor of the Estate of Martin Luther King Jr.), which granted TIME development rights for this project. The project has been made possible by Presenting Sponsor American Family Insurance.

The March will debut as an experiential exhibit on February 28, 2020 at the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago, IL, the first independent African American history museum in the country. The exhibit will run until November 2020.

The creation of The March has led to a special TIME project, digital destination and print issue on the abiding meaning of the March on Washington and the state of equality in America today, with reporting and reflections by writers, leaders and activists. https://bit.ly/2wqAVbk

The TIME cover of this special issue, realized by artist Hank Willis Thomas, features a stunning and historically precise 3-D rendering of Martin Luther King Jr. from The March. Visitors to the exhibit will see the same digital model of King in virtual reality, delivering his iconic 'I Have a Dream' speech. See the cover: https://bit.ly/2PbVmPT

Edward Felsenthal, editor in chief and CEO of TIME, writes: "Through thousands of hours of research, we have endeavored to be true to the history of that August day. But we at TIME also see the project as a call to each of us for all that is yet to be done in the unfinished fight for equality, including in our own work. Our hope is that it will not only change the way we see history, but also help awaken in all of us an understanding of the power of our own voice to have a positive impact on the world." https://bit.ly/32daRMP

"The March is a very ambitious project that was over three years in the making," said TIME editorial director of enterprise and immersive experiences Mia Tramz. "We, along with our production partners, are proud to bring this immersive, educational exhibit to visitors, who will be able to experience this iconic moment in history first-hand."

"Built on the foundation of TIME's commitment to trust, and through the technological advancements that allowed this project to entirely transcend the level of reality that has been possible in this medium in the past, The March demonstrates the visual storytelling power of TIME Studios. These are the types of ambitious projects that you will see from our innovative team in the future," said president of TIME Studios Ian Orefice.

"We at JuVee are committed to using all forms of art to disrupt, to wake up, to connect and to evoke empathy. The intimacy and immediacy of VR has the power to do just that… and, in addition, to transport," said Academy, Emmy and Tony-winning actor and producer, Viola Davis and actor and producer Julius Tennon, who, along with their award-winning production company JuVee Productions, serve as executive producers for The March. "It has been an honor to partner with TIME and IPM/King Estate to use this innovative technology to be present at one of the most important moments in history. We believe it will be a catalyst for change, both educationally and personally. This will be in the lexicon of our legacy."

"American Family Insurance has had a long-standing commitment to protecting dreams in the communities we serve, and beyond. We are honored to be at the forefront of this partnership to bring such an important historical event to life to inspire and engage a whole new generation," said Sherina Smith, V.P. of Marketing at American Family Insurance, which supports this first of its kind educational experience that will teach and inspire audiences through innovative technology.

The March is co-created by Tramz, and industry leading immersive storyteller Alton Glass of GRX Immersive Labs. To create The March, TIME Studios partnered with the Emmy Award–winning V.A.L.I.S.studio, Verizon Media's Academy Award and Emmy-nominated immersive media studio RYOT, Academy Award-winning visual effects and immersive studio Digital Domain, award-winning JuVee Productions. CAA orchestrated the deal on behalf of clients RYOT, TIME, and Viola Davis, and also serves as strategic advisor on the project. In addition to Viola Davis and Julius Tennon of Juvee Productions, Executive Producers for the project include Tramz and Orefice of TIME Studios, Peter Martin of V.A.L.I.S.studio, Jake Sally of RYOT, Guru Gowrappan of Verizon Media, and John Canning of Digital Domain. Ari Palitz of V.A.L.I.S.studio is lead producer of the project. Dr. Karcheik Sims-Alvarado is the project's historical advisor.

In addition to the VR experience, TIME has partnered with interactive technology company Storyfile to create a secondary installation. It features a voice-activated video that uses artificial intelligence to allow visitors to converse with civil rights activist, Joyce Ladner.

The exhibit was designed by award-winning experience design studio Local Projects. HTC's VR for Impact initiative provided VIVE Focus Plus headsets for the exhibit.

Learn more about The March, watch behind the scenes videos and find information on visiting the exhibition: time.com/the-march

About TIME Studios
TIME Studios is the award-winning television and film division of TIME, the global media brand that reaches a combined audience of more than 90 million around the world. Built on the foundation of TIME's award-winning visual journalism, which has earned over 52 major awards and nominations in the last seven years, as well as 577 million video streams across all platforms in 2019, Emmy-winning TIME Studios harnesses the access and authority of one of the world's most trusted and respected brands to bring premium truth-based programming to television and film around the world, while continuing to push the boundaries of journalism and visual storytelling through new cutting-edge mediums including virtual reality and augmented reality.

Contact
Kristin Matzen, TIME
[email protected]

SOURCE TIME Magazine

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