Connections

The day that will live in infamy can now be re-lived in virtual reality.

Deluxe VR has partnered with Time’s Life VR, the HTC Vive and semiconductor company AMD to create “Remembering Pearl Harbor,” a virtual reality experience of the Dec. 7, 1941 attack by the Japanese, ahead of the 75th anniversary.

This is no violent video game-like VR experience either: Deluxe was chosen because it promised to take an empathy-driven approach to the attack, following the story of Lt. James Downing, 103, the second-oldest living American vet to have survive the experience. Instead of the violence and trauma associated with the attack, the experience instead looks at the immediate aftermath, and what happened next as Downing (postmaster on the U.S.S. West Virginia) helped notify the families of those who were attacked.

“From the thoughtful concept to the technical execution, Deluxe VR was a wonderful partner throughout this project and helped us create a powerful experience that we hope will educate viewers on a deeper level than a textbook or video,” said Mia Tramz, managing editor for Life VR. “From sharing in the fear of a missing soldier’s family, seeing the aftermath and hearing Lt. Downing’s story, Deluxe VR captured the human element of the Pearl Harbor story in a profound way.”

Using archival video and photographs from sources the Library of Congress and the Life Picture Collection, the experience begins in the living room of a family waiting to hear their son’s fate, before moving to the scene of Pearl Harbor after the attack. Each location allows viewers to learn about current events and Downing’s role in the story.

“Drawing from the extensive holdings of the Life archive, we were able to feature original issues of LIFE magazine that would have been in the homes of Americans at the time, and photos by the staff photographers throughout the experience,” said Liz Ronk, photo editor, for Life and Time History.

Alexander Stein, creative director for Deluxe VR, added: “It was important to us to make sure our approach was respectful. Our aim was to transport viewers to an important moment in history, allowing people to feel the emotional weight of the events.”

Deluxe VR’s partnership with AMD has the experience optimized for Radeon RX 480 graphics cards, and the app is now available exclusively for the HTC Vive at Viveport, and will be added to museums and schools in the U.S. A 360-degree version will be available on the Life VR app for Google Cardboard in December.