This Virtual Reality Exhibit Brings Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech to Life
“The March” features around 25 to 30 minutes of education, immersive realism and reflection. First, visitors enter a “sound bath” spatial audio experience where they hear from the likes of Rosa Park’s attorney Fred Gray; Freedom Rider Henry “Hank” James Thomas; and Reverend Gwendolyn Cook Webb, a participant in the Birmingham Children’s Crusade. Then, they are transported to the heart of the 1963 march, becoming a member of the crowd fighting for racial equality and a witness to one of the greatest speeches in United States history. Viola Davis, actress and executive producer of “The March,” serves as participants’ narrator, guiding them through the VR exhibit.
After exiting the virtual world, visitors can reflect on their experience by “speaking” with Joyce Ladner, an organizer and activist who attended the March on Washington, via an artificial intelligence interview portal. In total, says Tramz, Ladner recorded around eight hours’ worth of dialogue.
More than 200 people from seven different companies collaborated to virtually render the events of 1963, according to Tramz. Digital Domain, a visual effects and production company known for its work on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Titanic and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, built the groundbreaking digital recreation of King and the surrounding scene. Using a custom-built wireless headset that renders King in real time, visitors will be able to walk around the famous activist and observe him up close as he gives his speech.
See the full story here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/virtual-reality-exhibit-brings-martin-luther-king-jrs-iconic-i-have-dream-speech-life-180974232/