SCAD Savannah unveils extended reality stage

SAVANNAH, Ga. (CBS46/WTOC) - The Savannah College of Art and Design is combining movie making with game design.

It’s called an extended reality stage, or XR stage, and it’s meant to create an immersive virtual environment.

The stage uses technology to help expand the boundaries of production.

“It is literally game-changing. It’s just an incredible place for our students to be able to tell stories. It’s what’s next,” said Andra Reeve-Rabb, Dean of SCAD School of Entertainment Arts.

So what is it? It’s where filmmaking comes together with game design. The Extended Reality Stage, or XR Stage, combines tracking and real-time rendering to create an immersive virtual environment.

“It’s the largest XR Stage at the university level. It’s in fact the only XR Stage available for student use in the country,” said Reeve-Rabb.

Of course, a 40 x 20 x 17-foot screen that can transport you anywhere you can dream up is cool, but for the students getting to use it, it could literally transport them to a place they once could only dream of.

“To be able to, coming out of college, land a job and not only just land a job but hopefully work for a company that I’ve wanted to work for since I was 10. That’s something that you can’t beat when you choose to come to college and learn about the film industry,” said Sean Hussey.

And getting hands-on experience with technology used by the pros.

“So that when they take that step into the industry it’s seamless for them because this is what a classroom looks like,” said Reeve-Rabb.

So, for students like Sean Hussey, those dream jobs don’t seem so far, far, away.

“Like working with Lucas Films and Industrial Light & Magic,” Hussey said.

“That’s why we did it. Because we knew this would be the thing that puts our students out in front,” Reeve-Rabb said.

For additional information, click here.

Copyright 2022 WGCL. All rights reserved.