You see the waves undulate in the background, then the details of the furniture in this home inside a makeshift lighthouse next catch your attention but your focus is soon dominated by the exchange between a father and his teenaged daughter. The technical complexity falls away and you are watching life at sea in this one cartoon world.

Arden’s Wake is the latest animated VR piece rom San Francisco-based Penrose Studios, the same team behind the early piece Rose and I, and then last year’s wonderful and ubiquitous Allumette. At the Tribeca Film Festival’s VR wing, Penrose is debuting Arden’s Wake: Prologue. And while Allumette had the notoriety of being the longest VR piece made, at 16 minutes, this first act of Arden’s Wake shows that Penrose is ready to go longer and further with VR storytelling.

“Our mission is to define the next generation of human storytelling. We have this vision that we can create the media technology company that transforms the way we view entertainment,” said Eugene Chung, director of Arden’s Wake and the founder of Penrose.

Though it is only the first part of a larger work, this Prologue has a three-act structure and the viewer goes through a rollercoaster of emotions. The visuals of Wake are also well made. It comes together to feel like a solid piece of immersive storytelling. And, like any great show, when it ends, it leaves you wanting more. Penrose has succeeded in creating another vibrant world to experience.

Read the full article at Upload VR.