Several postings to LinkedIn indicate the end for pioneering group Felix & Paul Studios.
Specifics are hard to come by and there may still be an effort to keep some work ongoing, but sources say the studio was already working at a reduced size before the additional layoffs this week.
Good Virtual Reality is extending an open invitation to co-founders Felix Lajeunesse & Paul Raphaël to join the Good VR Podcast anytime for a retrospective look at the work and ambitions of the group, as well as to others who’ve been involved in the company over the years.
If you visit the Felix & Paul Studios website you can take a scroll through the modern history of consumer VR content back to Strangers with Patrick Watson, listed as the “first VR film ever made” featuring a one-on-one encounter with a musician in their Montreal studio. The project introduced many to the potential of virtual reality with the ability to look all around during the 360-degree video and feel transported to another place by the feeling of presence. For many, the project inspired an interest in VR when they experienced it more than a decade ago on the Oculus-powered Gear VR headset from Samsung.
Others may be familiar with the studio’s series of projects with Cirque du Soleil, allowing viewers to feel closer to the acrobatic performers who seemed to be mere feet away. The studio did work in VR video ranging from Jurassic World to the International Space Station with two United States presidents in between and, in recent years, had worked on creating location-based entertainment experiences.
Check back with Good Virtual Reality for future coverage. You can reach me by emailing editor@goodvirtualreality.com.