Tell Stories in VR

VR Theater

Experience the rise of storytelling in this growing medium and enjoy a sampling of the very best virtual reality in short-form narratives.

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Call for Submissions

Submit to VR Theater

The SIGGRAPH VR Theater strives to create a memorable experience in a world of immersive storytelling. From documentaries to fantasy films, the VR Theater showcases the best of the world’s auteurs working in a medium without walls or frames. Our goal is to provide attendees with a fresh perspective on this ever-evolving medium. These short-form narratives provide a glimpse into new ways of storytelling that indeed create virtual realities.

Contribute to what’s next for virtual reality storytelling by sharing your short-form narratives as part of this truly theatrical experience.

The VR Theater is a showcase featuring innovative and inspiring virtual reality stories. Attendees will enjoy and celebrate the evolution of an art form in a one-hour compilation of the best of the best in short-form immersive narratives.

Note: Submissions for VR Theater are currently closed.

What is the VR Theater?

The VR Theater is a world-class showcase of exemplary virtual reality storytelling that celebrates the early evolution of the medium. The main program is a showcase of the best VR narrative content experienced in a high-end, seated, panoramic, multi-viewer immersive space, running approximately one hour from start to finish. Even if you feel like your piece doesn’t fit into the main program, we strongly encourage you to still submit!

What is the VR Theater looking for?

We want to show pieces that stand out in terms of quality and execution. Selected works will present a mix of experiences from established companies, indies, and educational institutions; should be accessible; and, hopefully, celebrate diversity and inclusion. Submitted content will be reviewed by an expert jury who will evaluate each piece based on thematic fit, how it works in the appropriate space, its order of playback, and, most importantly, whether the theater can respect the viewing format/intended experience.

How to Submit

SIGGRAPH 2021 will move forward at this time as a virtual-only event. We look forward to celebrating 48 years of advancements in computer graphics and interactive techniques in our virtual venue. We are excited you are submitting your work for consideration. As we finalize our conference plans, visit the About the Conference page for the latest updates.

Log into the submission portal, select the “Make a New Submission” tab, and choose the VR Theater form. To review the information you need to submit, view the VR Theater Sample Submission Form.

VR Theater Submission Requirements:

All descriptions, captions, and notes to the jury must be in English.
Submit by 23 February 2021, 22:00 UTC/GMT.
Content links need to be accessible from the time of submission through the end of SIGGRAPH 2021.
In order to complete a successful submission, all applicants must complete the ACM Rights Management Form, which will be sent to you upon submitting.

Submission Specifications

Length

A maximum length of 30 minutes may be submitted, but the VR Theater reserves the right to show only excerpts of selected works at the jury’s discretion. Strong preference will lean toward selections that are 5–12 minutes in length. If your piece is longer than 30 minutes, please contact the program chair and let us know why your piece requires such length. The VR Theater seeks experiences that start and end automatically without user interaction. Similar to a theater experience, we want the submission to start and end without user feedback.

Hardware

Make sure your submission works on a VR-ready PC.

Headset

The content should run in one of the following headsets:

HTC Vive
Oculus Rift

Evaluation

VR Jury

All submitted entries are evaluated by a jury of individuals from the technical, creative, and production communities within the immersive industry. Jurors are established experts in the immersive fields, and they take care in reviewing and ranking all entries based on several criteria set by the program and conference chairs.

Submitters will be informed by email of the status of their submissions only after the jury makes its final decisions. All submitters will be notified of their status by early May. The jury also will select a recipient of the Best in Show Award for VR projects, chosen from the pool of works between the VR Theater and Immersive Pavilion programs.

Upon Acceptance

Notification

All VR Theater submitters will be notified by email of the status of their submission(s) by early May 2021. Each year, we receive far more submitted pieces than we can accept, and we are not able to accept many deserving pieces.

After Acceptance

The period of time between the jury meeting and the SIGGRAPH 2021 conference is very short, and many things happen in that time. If your work is selected, you will be expected to reply promptly to any request for information or clarification from the VR Theater subcommittee. It is unlikely that we will need to contact you regarding your work after your notification, but please plan to be available via email in case a need arises. In order to complete a successful submission, all applicants must complete the ACM Rights Management Form, which will be sent to you upon submitting.

Pre-Recorded Video Presentation

To present in the virtual conference, the contributor must: 1) provide a video of their presentation, and 2) plan for one contributor to be present for the entirety of the virtual session for their VR Theater Q&A session. Final accepted video presentations will be published in the ACM Digital Library. Further details and instructions regarding the video specs will be provided upon acceptance.

Presenter Recognition

To present your work at SIGGRAPH 2021, at least one contributor per submission must register at the appropriate registration level. All other contributors can register at the level of their choice.

You can find a link to the contributor recognition policy here.

ACM Rights Management Form

If you are submitting work to the SIGGRAPH 2021 VR Theater:

You must complete the ACM Rights Management Form, which will be sent to you upon submitting.
Your representative image and text may be used for promotional purposes. Several SIGGRAPH 2021 programs — Art Gallery, Computer Animation Festival, Real-Time Live!, Technical Papers, and all installation programs — will prepare preview videos for advance promotion of accepted content, which may include a portion of the video you submitted for review.

Timeline

23 February 2021, 22:00 UTC/GMT
Submission form deadline

Early May 2021
VR Theater submitters are notified of accepts/rejects.

Summer 2021
SIGGRAPH 2021

VR Theater Frequently Asked Questions

I have submitted my work to the most recent SIGGRAPH Asia. Is it OK if I submit the same work to SIGGRAPH 2021?

Yes. You can submit the same work to SIGGRAPH 2021 as long as it was released after 1 April 2020. We are independent festivals with separate juries and acceptance procedures.

How many works can I submit to the VR Theater?

There is no limit. You may submit as many as you like, but ensure you complete a separate submission form for each work.

Is there a submission fee for submitting to the VR Theater?

No. You only need to complete the online submission process.

Where do I send my submission materials?

All works must be submitted via the SIGGRAPH 2021 online submission system. The online submission process allows submitters easy access to the submission system and provides an efficient procedure for reviewing submitted work.

Can I enter my work through Film Freeway?

The VR Theater does not accept submissions through Film Freeway. All works must be submitted via the SIGGRAPH 2021 online submission system.

When is the submission deadline for the VR Theater?

Online submission forms and accompanying uploads must be completed no later than 23 February 2021 for the VR Theater. All deadlines are 22:00 UTC/GMT (convert to your time zone). Submissions received after the deadline will not be reviewed.

I will not have my work finished by the submission deadline. Is it possible for me to submit “work in progress” for reviewing?

The SIGGRAPH 2021 VR Theater will only show finished projects. If the file/project you would like to submit is scheduled for completion after 13 March 2021, we will not accept your submission. If the project will be completed on or before 13 March 2021 but after 23 February 2021, we are open to considering the work. Please email vrtheater-s2021@siggraph.org to explain your circumstance.

We are an art school, and we are planning to submit several student works as one submission. Is this OK?

No. Each piece must be uploaded separately to the online submission system along with its own completed and signed submission form. Each piece is judged on its own merit.

What file formats are acceptable for submission?

See the How to Submit guidelines for file format details.

What criteria will the jury use to select works?

Jurors are expected to select the highest quality works from among those submitted. Each juror takes into consideration the technical aspects of the piece, the visual interest, and, where applicable, the storytelling; however, the jury’s primary criterion is to select the pieces it feels will form the strongest show.

My work makes use of commercially recorded music. Is that OK?

You are responsible for securing the necessary permissions and licenses for audio material that is contained in your work. If your music was not created originally for your content, or if you are using another person’s music, you must obtain the necessary permissions or required licenses. We will not purchase these rights for you.

If my work is selected for the VR Theater, will SIGGRAPH 2021 pay for my expenses?

No. You are responsible for your own expenses. To present your work at SIGGRAPH 2021, at least one contributor per submission must register at the appropriate registration level. All other contributors can register at the level of their choice. Once the recognition policy becomes available, a link to the policy will be provided.

What hardware platforms are supported or preferred?

The VR Theater prefers content that can be enjoyed on Oculus or Vive hardware due to the logistics of the theater format. If your piece cannot be converted to run on Oculus or Vive and uses another commercially available platform, the jury will still consider it.

Should I submit to the Immersive Pavilion, VR Theater, or Emerging Technologies?

If your submission is primarily a technology demo, we recommend submitting to the Emerging Technologies program, which closes on 23 February 2021.

If your submission is more about demonstrating an interactive experience, please submit it to the Immersive Pavilion program, which closes on 23 February 2021. In general, the Immersive Pavilion program is focused on interactive VR installations. This is where you will find new uses of VR, MR, and AR, ranging from games, simulations, or professional applications to complex art installations.

The VR Theater is focused on VR storytelling and is looking for submissions that help develop the language of storytelling in virtual reality through 23 February 2021. The type of content ranges from 360-degree video to experiences that fully utilize HTC Vive or Oculus Rift and their controllers. If your submission could go either way, we recommend that you carefully evaluate each program. If it is more suitable for a program other than the one you select, we will endeavor to transfer it.