Memories From the Future of Immersion
To think about where we are heading next with extended and immersive reality, stepping back in time may be an inspiration to better step forward. Doug Trumbull is an immersive media pioneer, a filmmaker and a visual effects visionary. We owe him the special effects of landmark productions, from 2001: A Space Odyssey to other classics such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and Blade Runner. Doug directed Brainstorm and Silent Running, all of which earned him multiple academy award nominations for Best Visual Effects. He also wrote, produced, and directed Back To The Future – The Ride, for Steven Spielberg and Universal Theme Parks. He is the recipient of an Academy Award for Scientific and Technical Achievement and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Cinematographers.
He is currently involved in the evolution of visual effects using virtual digital sets and electronic cinematography, and is presently developing an advanced all-digital immersive cinematic medium called MAGI, which is 3D 4K at 120 frames per second, presented in specially constructed “pop-up” theaters called Magi Pods. He also operates Trumbull Studios in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts as a laboratory for exploring the future of immersive experiential media.