The pandemic taught us a lot about who we are. Resiliency and innovation were the means to perseverance but this also paved the way for the future. For VFX Production Coordinator Lawrence Lin, his work with Utah based Future House Studio allowed him to be a part of defining that future when it came to entertainment. Events like Justin Bieber & Teflon Sega’s metaverse concerts indicate how limitless the possibilities are while creating a template for times when public mass attendance is not a possibility. Working towards the times that allow gathering as well, Lawrence’s work on the Transformer: Decepticon Invasion VR immersive experience for Dave & Buster’s locations across North America pushes gaming to the next level.
Technology and the ever changing music industry is a catalyst for invention and recreation. Justin Bieber is an artist so globally recognized and beloved that he is very often referred to as just “Bieber.” His 2021 metaverse concert was a foray into exploring creativity in a live performance setting with the most current technology. Future House Studio made this extraordinary event a reality and Lawrence Lin was there from the initial stages overseeing the process. Lawrence compares the experience to working on a film, based on the pitch bible that their client [Wave] supplied. Bieber’s metaverse concert traverses five worlds containing elements constructed by Future House such as buildings, environments, grass, sky domes, background characters, CG backup dancers, cars, as well as interactive elements such as light bubbles, flowers, lasers, and fireworks. With so many different environments and aspects, maintaining clear communication and an adhered to production schedule was essential to realizing the creative vision of this performance. Lawrence comments, “Wave left most of the development to us [Future House] so I really had to keep things on track and maintain an open line of communication with all parties. Expectations were very high but the dalogue allowed our team to attain and even exceed goals. I’m very proud of what we were able to achieve.” The public and critics obviously agree as the Justin Bieber Metaverse Concert was nominated for a 2022 MTV VMA in the Best Metaverse Performance category. While critics of the virtual concert platform have stipulated that this type of musical performance does not replicate the social aspect of an in-person concert, the Justin Bieber Metaverse Concert negates this argument. Lawrence expounds, “I think one of the elements people were so excited about was the interactive feature. Our client Wave added an interactive feature to the show. That made this not just an online concert to watch, but allowed people to play with it and have fun. Before the show, viewers would simply register an account on the streaming website. The interactive buttons would show up at any point during the show and would trigger different effects around Justin’s CG avatar when clicked. Moreover, the system would randomly pick audience’s user names and show it up on the screen. There was also a chat section which allowed randomly selected messages to become a part of the on-screen connection. People would get very excited when they saw their messages being shown on the screen right next for Justin to see.” Other artists have also benefited from Lawrence’s contributions such as Teflon Sega who has nearly twenty million plays on Spotify as well as platforms like Soundcloud and Youtube.
Not all of Mr. Lin’s work is focused on allowing those at home to experience entertainment. On a huge project for Dave & Buster’s locations across North America, Lawrence (again as part of Future House) and his team brought awe inspiring visual to the Transformer: Decepticon Invasion VR Immersive Experience. The collaboration included HasBro, Dave &Buster’s, VRStudios, and Darkslope. The CG elements and animation work was created by Future House and featured such well known characters as Optimus Prime, Bumble Bee, Megatron, and others. This multi-player game allowed participants at Dave &Buster’s locations to ride in “Roller”, the Autobot who takes and protects the audience through the fight against the Decepticon’s invasion in the game, and also get passed around by other autobots who help players through the game’s plot points. Players experience the game via VR goggles. While he is more commonly known throughout the industry for his work on films such as the 2020 Gold Awards–winning film Beached or The 24th (nominated for an Image Award for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture), Lawrence Lin’s venture into more interactive formats has opened an exciting world for him as well as the public. Wrangling the digital assets between Future House and the client, ensuring that tracking tools are up to date, and keeping all parties aware of the progress is the support system which allowed Transformer: Decepticon Invasion VR Immersive Experience to reach its aspirational form and become a huge draw at Dave &Busters. Lawrence concedes that he had a vital role in the manifestation of this game but is quick to stipulate that he is a fan of it as well stating, “One of my favorite parts is the path of the battle fields where you get to partner with Inferno. He takes you and Roller around to help his mission, and you eventually meet the Insecticon brothers from Decepticon, Shrapnel, and Bombshell. I really like the Insecticon brother’s designs. Even though I know what is ‘in the recipe’ of the game, I lose myself in playing it. It’s a great experience!”