Latest news with #ImmerseLDN
Fast Company
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
Inside ‘Elvis Evolution': AI and immersive tech bring the King's life to the stage in London
Stage fright is not a term you'd associate with Elvis Presley, but in 1968 he was all shook up—with nerves. Ahead of his make-or-break 'comeback special' after years floundering in Hollywood, the King had cold feet. He told the special's director, Steve Binder, he was 'terrified,' adding, 'I don't know if I can do this . . . just me and a guitar in front of people?' He half-joked to his entourage about retreating to Hawaii. Apart from a few close confidants, no one has ever witnessed these intimate moments of reservation. But starting July 17 in London, guests at Elvis Evolution will see an AI -generated Elvis play out these fears, and other key moments of his life. The immersive event will be powered by various types of tech, but the creators want to ensure that none of them get in the way of the magic of being transported back in time. Layered Reality puts on experiential events comprising three 'layers': tech, theater, and physical elements. The tech is multifaceted, from augmented reality to 3D audio effects; the theater comprises traditional sets and live actors; the physical elements are sensory stimulants like touch and taste. 'That's a really intoxicating combination,' says founder and CEO Andrew McGuinness. 'Often they're kept in separate worlds. We firmly believe they belong together.' The company has deployed this mix of elements for Londoners three times before, including in retellings of War of the Worlds, and The Gunpowder Plot, hosted in the eerie vaults below the Tower of London. The new endeavor is far from a 17th-century plot against a king—though, this one also has a king, or rather, the King. Back in time with theater and tech Guests will be escorted through a story-based experience of Presley's life, from a young boy, through the rebellious leg shakes of the '50s, through the opulent Vegas years, all on purpose-built sets at Immerse LDN, a new immersive entertainment complex on the River Thames waterfront. Groups will walk through scenes like a '50s diner and a dressing room. At times, walls and sets will move around them. They'll take on different points of view. 'You are literally going to walk in his shoes at one point,' says Simon Reveley, head of studios, not indicating if those shoes are blue suede. Different scenes will employ different tech tactics. 'We are very deliberately technology agnostic,' McGuinness says, stressing that tech is simply a 'tool' to enhance the experience. 'When it's at its best, the technology gets out of the way.' In past Layered Reality shows, tech ranged from subtle to sensory: in one scene in The Gunpowder Plot, for example, guests hide in pitch dark from priest hunters, with spatial audio and LED floor lights simulating creeping footsteps; in another, a VR-enhanced boat ride layers motion effects with water sprays, cool air, and the salty scent of the sea—blending physical cues with digital immersion to trick the brain into believing the experience. For Elvis, they don't want to give away too much to ruin the element of surprise. Of course, music will be central. Through it all, artificial intelligence helps to remaster sounds, and upscale footage quality. 'AI Elvis' But AI's starring role is in 'AI Elvis' himself. Guests will come face to face with the recreation of Presley. Layered Reality trained the AI on hours and hours of footage, feeding an algorithm concert clips, Cine 8 films, and thousands of photos. AI Elvis has been done before in 2022, on America's Got Talent. An actor served as Elvis' deepfake double, creating movements to make it look as if Presley were performing 'Devil in Disguise' (with a deepfake Simon Cowell). Reveley explains that with more advanced facial generative AI, you can now tune the algorithm to lean more into the original source material than the human actor. AI can pick up on minute nuances, vital for someone whose expressions, like the lip curl, were so iconic. 'We all know them so well, and so does the machine learning algorithm,' Reveley says. Much of the purpose of AI Elvis is to 'unearth' footage that happened but wasn't captured—like the nerves before the '68 TV special. Ethics and delays Recreating imagined scenes raises ethical questions, of whether a person no longer living would want to share their most intimate moments with the world. But the team insists its project is different from the Simon Cowell duet—or the AI Anthony Bourdain that was controversially made to narrate part of a documentary—because they aren't fabricating something that never happened. 'AI [is] being a digital archivist rather than an originator,' McGuinness says. The Presley estate is also heavily involved, and granted the team access to all the footage. (The Presley estate did not respond to Fast Company To create AI Elvis, Layered Reality partnered with the Mill, a visual effects agency that won an Oscar for bringing Oliver Reed back to life in Gladiator. The Mill was a subsidiary of the postproduction giant Technicolor Group, which since 1915 set the industry standard for color entertainment. But in February, after years of financial struggles, Technicolor went bust. (Fast Company reached out to the Mill to confirm it was also affected, but didn't hear back.) That caused delays; though Layered Reality had ownership of AI Elvis, it had work to finish. They scrambled to hire artists from The Mill on contract to complete the final phases. They pushed back the start date twice, from the original planned date of March. A post-pandemic events boom It's now on course to welcome guests, to experience what McGuinness views as part of a 'live entertainment revolution.' It views its competitors not as other tech or AI companies, but anything else you could be doing that night, from a musical, to mini golf, to 'that Italian restaurant on the corner of your street [where] you'll end up spending 130 pounds.' Given that comparison, McGuinness thinks 75 pounds ($102) for a standard ticket is fair. 'We're in the memory business, [and] too much of our money is still spent on immemorable things,' he says. The business banks on a rising demand for these types of events. The term 'experience economy' has existed since 1998, when it appeared in Harvard Business Review, but COVID-19 accelerated the allure, boosting the popularity of experiences like Cosm in Los Angeles and the Sphere in Las Vegas. With that backdrop, Elvis Evolution hopes it can usher in a modern-day comeback. Of course, the '68 one turned out to be a tour de force, full of raw vocals and black leather. Nerves dissipated, and gave way to humor. 'I sang to turtles and palm trees for years,' Elvis told the audience about his movie career. 'This is a lot better, don't you think?' The super-early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, July 25, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
Euronews
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Euronews
London show retells the story of Elvis through immersive theatre
A new show in East London is taking audiences on an immersive, multi-sensory journey through the highs, lows and hip thrusts of the King of Rock & Roll's legendary career. Held at Immerse LDN, "Elvis Evolution" blends live actors and musicians with cinematic effects, pulsating sound, and sets that shimmer and transform around its visitors. "We've been working on the show for nearly two years now, and we've got 220 LED panels, we've got 180 speakers, we've got a cast of 29, we've got endless amounts of technology and people involved in this show from all across the world," said the show's writer and director, Jack Pirie. Footage shot in Memphis earlier this year is also projected onto a huge screen, featuring actors Alexander Bayles as a young Elvis and King J. Henry as his childhood friend Sam Bell - grounding the story in the people and places that shaped the icon. "For me, Elvis represents this idea of the power of music to transform lives, to bind communities, and to kind of shape human experience," said Pirie. Created by Layered Reality - the team behind the cult hit "The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience" - "Elvis Evolution" opens its doors at Immerse LDN, Excel Waterfront, on 18 July. Check out the video in the web player above for a sneak peek of "Elvis Evolution."
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I tried the new Squid Game experience in the UK – it felt like being in the TV show but there is a downside for families
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) K-POP chimes loudly as posters are plastered across the walls advertising typical South Korean treats and fictional businesses. Presented like a Seoul high street, Squid Game: The Experience immediately transports you to South Korea. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Presented like a Seoul high street, the Squid Game experience immediately transports you to South Korea Credit: Cyann Fielding Then the anticipation builds as 'pink guards' lurk around the dark corners, and this is all before you have even been handed your bib. London's Squid Game experience opened last month at ImmerseLDN on the waterfront at the ExCeL and welcomes players into the world of the hit Netflix show... but without actual violence and death. Over the course of five challenges, players can get competitive - playing for points to ultimately win. From the moment I received my numbered bib, I was no longer 'Cyann - travel reporter', I was player '008'. Then after having my mugshot taken, I entered the game. The first room is set out like the sleeping quarters from the show, with bunk beds uniformly lined next to each other. Your host then introduces you to the experience ahead, as you prepare to enter the first challenge. As the doors open and you move into the next room, in front of you lies four rows of glass, next to each other. Mimicking the 'glass stepping stones' from the show, four players simultaneously step in accordance with a pattern memorised a few moments earlier. The glass lights up green as you go if you get it correct. You have 2020 vision and a high IQ if you can spot all five guards with triangle masks in Squid Game brainteaser If you don't, it turns red and you are forced to stay where you are. Players are then awarded different amounts of points depending on how far they reached across their 'bridge'. Whilst the game is one of the most iconic moments from the TV show, in the experience itself there is a lot of waiting around. I was in a group of about 30 people and as one of the first four people to do the challenge, myself and my friend found ourselves waiting around for all the other players to complete the challenge. Whilst watching a few groups attempt the game with some messing it up is entertaining, it wears off quickly and you are left waiting with nothing else in the room to occupy your time. Once everyone is finished crossing the 'glass stepping stones', you enter the next challenge. 8 Then the anticipation builds as 'pink guards' lurk around the dark corners Credit: Cyann Fielding Arguably the best game for those who are super competitive, in groups of four you stand around a small table, each with a bucket of 10 marbles. The aim of the game is to throw the marbles in the middle of the circle. Those who achieve this, then get to take all the marbles from the table into their hoard. If you run out of marbles, you lose. The game lasts about five minutes or so and it's a great way to meet other people that are in the experience or have some family/group fun. Once this game is complete, again you scan your wristbands depending on whether you won, lost or drew. 8 Over the course of five challenges, players can get competitive - playing for points to ultimately win Credit: Cyann Fielding Then on into a dark room, lit by flickering street lamps, with a singular rope running along the ceiling and dropping down to the floor. For this challenge, you play as a team - with another group of people on the other side of a glass door, doing the same challenge. Essentially a version of tug-of-war, each player has five seconds to pull as hard and fast as they can. Whichever team brings the marker on the ceiling closer to them by the end of the game, wins. For me, this had to be the least thrilling challenge of the experience. Whilst my team had no children, the team we played against had several - giving us a slightly unfair advantage. 8 Some challenges you play to get points as a team Credit: Cyann Fielding Whilst families on the other team may have had fun together, there were also groups of friends on the team who may have felt a little disappointed with the inevitable lose. However, the next challenge is where the experience thrives - an icon of the whole Squid Game franchise - 'Red Light, Green Light'. Standing on a red line, with dozens of people either side of me, I keenly wait for the giant girl at the end of the room to close her eyes. On green light, you go. On red light, you do not flinch under any condition. Guards lurk over your shoulder, waiting for you to scratch the itch on your head or even blink. 8 Players get an wristband which they scan to collect their points on throughout the experience Credit: Cyann Fielding The on green light, you can move freely and as quickly as you can to the other side of the room. This was definitely the most fun game of the experience and makes you feel as if you have stepped into the TV series itself. Again, if you cross the line before the timer ends - you get points added to your player profile. The final game in the last room plays upon the iconic shapes from the series. Stars, umbrellas and squares sit around in a circle and you move clockwise around the circle - kind of like a game of musical chairs. When the music stops, a shape is presented on a screen in the room that you then have to rush to find on the circle. 8 An icon of the whole Squid Game franchise - 'Red Light, Green Light' - is also part of the experience Credit: Cyann Fielding The players that find the shape first, stay in the game. For me this is where my ultimate competitive side came out. I was in this for myself and I'd already not got that many points throughout the other challenges and this was my chance of redemption. As a nimble person, I sprinted to each shape the screen presented and managed to get past the first and second round. With just two players against me, I fell at the third - literally on my face. The final player then goes head to head with the player that has the most points from the experience thus far. 8 Once you leave the experience, there is also a bar and photo opportunities to explore Credit: Cyann Fielding The 'Front Man' in a dark black cloak and mask then emerges, to conduct a game of rock, paper, scissors between the final two players. The winner overall then gets to decide whether they want to share their prize or keep it to themselves. Unfortunately, this is the rather anti-climatic end of the experience, as you then leave the maze of rooms and head back to the faux highstreet. However, you can extend your stay by purchasing Korean drinks and snacks from the bar - which is well worth it - and snapping some pics are some set up photo ops. The experience definitely transports you to the series, but the lengthy waits really prevent this experience from being the best it could be. Whilst it cannot be helped if there are children in your booking, it would perhaps be better if the experience separates adult-only sessions and family-friendly ones. It's great for fans but for competitive friends, not so much. The experience costs from £26 per adult and £18 per child. One woman visited the new Paddington immersive experience in London with 'train rides' and street parties. Plus, the 'world's most immersive experience' to open two new UK sites after huge success.
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I tried the new Squid Game experience in the UK – it felt like being in the TV show but there is a downside for families
K-POP chimes loudly as posters are plastered across the walls advertising typical South Korean treats and fictional businesses. Presented like a Seoul high street, Squid Game: The Experience immediately transports you to South Korea. 8 Presented like a Seoul high street, the Squid Game experience immediately transports you to South Korea Credit: Cyann Fielding Then the anticipation builds as ' pink guards' lurk around the dark corners, and this is all before you have even been handed your bib. London's Squid Game experience opened last month at ImmerseLDN on the waterfront at the ExCeL and welcomes players into the world of the hit Netflix show... but without actual violence and death. Over the course of five challenges, players can get competitive - playing for points to ultimately win. From the moment I received my numbered bib, I was no longer 'Cyann - travel reporter', I was player '008'. Read more on experiences Then after having my mugshot taken, I entered the game. The first room is set out like the sleeping quarters from the show, with bunk beds uniformly lined next to each other. Your host then introduces you to the experience ahead, as you prepare to enter the first challenge. As the doors open and you move into the next room, in front of you lies four rows of glass, next to each other. Most read in News Travel Mimicking the 'glass stepping stones' from the show, four players simultaneously step in accordance with a pattern memorised a few moments earlier. The glass lights up green as you go if you get it correct. You have 2020 vision and a high IQ if you can spot all five guards with triangle masks in Squid Game brainteaser If you don't, it turns red and you are forced to stay where you are. Players are then awarded different amounts of points depending on how far they reached across their 'bridge'. Whilst the game is one of the most iconic moments from the TV show, in the I was in a group of about 30 people and as one of the first four people to do the challenge , myself and my friend found ourselves waiting around for all the other players to complete the challenge. Whilst watching a few groups attempt the game with some messing it up is entertaining, it wears off quickly and you are left waiting with nothing else in the room to occupy your time. Once everyone is finished crossing the 'glass stepping stones', you enter the next challenge. 8 Then the anticipation builds as 'pink guards' lurk around the dark corners Credit: Cyann Fielding Arguably the best game for those who are super competitive, in groups of four you stand around a small table, each with a bucket of 10 marbles. The aim of the game is to throw the marbles in the middle of the circle. Those who achieve this, then get to take all the marbles from the table into their hoard. If you run out of marbles, you lose. The game lasts about five minutes or so and it's a great way to meet other people that are in the experience or have some family/group fun. Once this game is complete, again you scan your wristbands depending on whether you won, lost or drew. 8 Over the course of five challenges, players can get competitive - playing for points to ultimately win Credit: Cyann Fielding Then on into a dark room, lit by flickering street lamps, with a singular rope running along the ceiling and dropping down to the floor. For this challenge, you play as a team - with another group of people on the other side of a glass door, doing the same challenge. Essentially a version of tug-of-war, each player has five seconds to pull as hard and fast as they can. Whichever team brings the marker on the ceiling closer to them by the end of the game, wins. For me, this had to be the least thrilling challenge of the experience. Whilst my team had no children, the team we played against had several - giving us a slightly unfair advantage. 8 Some challenges you play to get points as a team Credit: Cyann Fielding Whilst families on the other team may have had fun together, there were also groups of friends on the team who may have felt a little disappointed with the inevitable lose. However, the next challenge is where the experience thrives - an icon of the whole Squid Game franchise - 'Red Light, Green Light'. Standing on a red line, with dozens of people either side of me, I keenly wait for the giant girl at the end of the room to close her eyes. On green light, you go. On red light, you do not flinch under any condition. Guards lurk over your shoulder, waiting for you to scratch the itch on your head or even blink. 8 Players get an wristband which they scan to collect their points on throughout the experience Credit: Cyann Fielding The on green light, you can move freely and as quickly as you can to the other side of the room. This was definitely the most fun game of the experience and makes you feel as if you have stepped into the Again, if you cross the line before the timer ends - you get points added to your player profile. The final game in the last room plays upon the iconic shapes from the series. Stars, umbrellas and squares sit around in a circle and you move clockwise around the circle - kind of like a game of musical chairs. When the music stops, a shape is presented on a screen in the room that you then have to rush to find on the circle. 8 An icon of the whole Squid Game franchise - 'Red Light, Green Light' - is also part of the experience Credit: Cyann Fielding The players that find the shape first, stay in the game. For me this is where my ultimate competitive side came out. I was in this for myself and I'd already not got that many points throughout the other challenges and this was my chance of redemption. As a nimble person, I sprinted to each shape the screen presented and managed to get past the first and second round. With just two players against me, I fell at the third - literally on my face. The final player then goes head to head with the player that has the most points from the experience thus far. 8 Once you leave the experience, there is also a bar and photo opportunities to explore Credit: Cyann Fielding The 'Front Man' in a dark black cloak and mask then emerges, to conduct a game of rock, paper, scissors between the final two players. The winner overall then gets to decide whether they want to share their prize or keep it to themselves. Unfortunately, this is the rather anti-climatic end of the experience, as you then leave the maze of rooms and head back to the faux highstreet. However, you can extend your stay by purchasing The experience definitely transports you to the series, but the lengthy waits really prevent this experience from being the best it could be. Whilst it cannot be helped if there are children in your booking, it would perhaps be better if the experience separates adult-only sessions and family-friendly ones. It's great for fans but for competitive friends, not so much. One woman visited the Plus, the 'world's most immersive experience' to open two new UK sites after huge success. 8 London's Squid Game experience opened last month at ImmerseLDN on the waterfront at the ExCeL Credit: Cyann Fielding
The Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I tried the new Squid Game experience in the UK – it felt like being in the TV show but there is a downside for families
K-POP chimes loudly as posters are plastered across the walls advertising typical South Korean treats and fictional businesses. Presented like a Seoul high street, Squid Game: The Experience immediately transports you to South Korea. Then the anticipation builds as 'pink guards' lurk around the dark corners, and this is all before you have even been handed your bib. London's Squid Game experience opened last month at ImmerseLDN on the waterfront at the ExCeL and welcomes players into the world of the hit Netflix show... but without actual violence and death. Over the course of five challenges, players can get competitive - playing for points to ultimately win. From the moment I received my numbered bib, I was no longer 'Cyann - travel reporter', I was player '008'. Then after having my mugshot taken, I entered the game. The first room is set out like the sleeping quarters from the show, with bunk beds uniformly lined next to each other. Your host then introduces you to the experience ahead, as you prepare to enter the first challenge. As the doors open and you move into the next room, in front of you lies four rows of glass, next to each other. Mimicking the 'glass stepping stones' from the show, four players simultaneously step in accordance with a pattern memorised a few moments earlier. The glass lights up green as you go if you get it correct. You have 2020 vision and a high IQ if you can spot all five guards with triangle masks in Squid Game brainteaser If you don't, it turns red and you are forced to stay where you are. Players are then awarded different amounts of points depending on how far they reached across their 'bridge'. Whilst the game is one of the most iconic moments from the TV show, in the experience itself there is a lot of waiting around. I was in a group of about 30 people and as one of the first four people to do the challenge, myself and my friend found ourselves waiting around for all the other players to complete the challenge. Whilst watching a few groups attempt the game with some messing it up is entertaining, it wears off quickly and you are left waiting with nothing else in the room to occupy your time. Once everyone is finished crossing the 'glass stepping stones', you enter the next challenge. Arguably the best game for those who are super competitive, in groups of four you stand around a small table, each with a bucket of 10 marbles. The aim of the game is to throw the marbles in the middle of the circle. Those who achieve this, then get to take all the marbles from the table into their hoard. If you run out of marbles, you lose. The game lasts about five minutes or so and it's a great way to meet other people that are in the experience or have some family/group fun. Once this game is complete, again you scan your wristbands depending on whether you won, lost or drew. 8 Then on into a dark room, lit by flickering street lamps, with a singular rope running along the ceiling and dropping down to the floor. For this challenge, you play as a team - with another group of people on the other side of a glass door, doing the same challenge. Essentially a version of tug-of-war, each player has five seconds to pull as hard and fast as they can. Whichever team brings the marker on the ceiling closer to them by the end of the game, wins. For me, this had to be the least thrilling challenge of the experience. Whilst my team had no children, the team we played against had several - giving us a slightly unfair advantage. 8 Whilst families on the other team may have had fun together, there were also groups of friends on the team who may have felt a little disappointed with the inevitable lose. However, the next challenge is where the experience thrives - an icon of the whole Squid Game franchise - 'Red Light, Green Light'. Standing on a red line, with dozens of people either side of me, I keenly wait for the giant girl at the end of the room to close her eyes. On green light, you go. On red light, you do not flinch under any condition. Guards lurk over your shoulder, waiting for you to scratch the itch on your head or even blink. 8 The on green light, you can move freely and as quickly as you can to the other side of the room. This was definitely the most fun game of the experience and makes you feel as if you have stepped into the TV series itself. Again, if you cross the line before the timer ends - you get points added to your player profile. The final game in the last room plays upon the iconic shapes from the series. Stars, umbrellas and squares sit around in a circle and you move clockwise around the circle - kind of like a game of musical chairs. When the music stops, a shape is presented on a screen in the room that you then have to rush to find on the circle. 8 The players that find the shape first, stay in the game. For me this is where my ultimate competitive side came out. I was in this for myself and I'd already not got that many points throughout the other challenges and this was my chance of redemption. As a nimble person, I sprinted to each shape the screen presented and managed to get past the first and second round. With just two players against me, I fell at the third - literally on my face. The final player then goes head to head with the player that has the most points from the experience thus far. 8 The 'Front Man' in a dark black cloak and mask then emerges, to conduct a game of rock, paper, scissors between the final two players. The winner overall then gets to decide whether they want to share their prize or keep it to themselves. Unfortunately, this is the rather anti-climatic end of the experience, as you then leave the maze of rooms and head back to the faux highstreet. However, you can extend your stay by purchasing Korean drinks and snacks from the bar - which is well worth it - and snapping some pics are some set up photo ops. The experience definitely transports you to the series, but the lengthy waits really prevent this experience from being the best it could be. Whilst it cannot be helped if there are children in your booking, it would perhaps be better if the experience separates adult-only sessions and family-friendly ones. It's great for fans but for competitive friends, not so much. The experience costs from £26 per adult and £18 per child. One woman visited the new Paddington immersive experience in London with 'train rides' and street parties. Plus, the 'world's most immersive experience' to open two new UK sites after huge success.
