Virtual reality (VR) devices and 360-degree videos are two of the hottest topics in digital media, and one VR studio is establishing itself as a company to watch. River Studios, which first launched in the Bay Area in 2015, has now opened up shop in Los Angeles, with content creator Sam Macaroni and former YouTube Space LA exec Andy Stack serving as two of its latest hires.
River Studios launched as an offshoot of investment firm Rothenberg Ventures. Since its inception, River has worked with partners like NBCUniversal, Coldplay, Bjork, the Denver Broncos, and the Sacramento Kings to create VR projects.
River’s new hires suggest it will ally itself with the YouTube community as well. Macaroni, a filmmaker with nearly 230,000 subscribers, has experimented with the 360-degree format on his channel. At River, his job title will be executive producer. Stack, who joined YouTube in 2010, helped launch the video site’s VR infrastructure during his time as the head of creator technology at YouTube Space LA. At River, he serves as executive director.
Macaroni has grand plans for his partnership with River. “My goal is to blow people’s minds,” he told Variety. “I feel like we are a bunch of Charlie Chaplins.”
There are a lot of content producers looking to capitalize on the VR video industry’s current heat, but considering the quality of its previous productions and the intriguing nature of its new hires, River Studios merits particular attention. You can follow it on Twitter, where it posts regularly about its current projects.
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