Virtual Reality Update - Latest Developments - Manatt Digital Media Newsletter

	June 17, 2015 Manatt Digital Media – June Newsletter: Virtual Reality Update VR—Power, Potential, Risks . . . VR—The Engine of Empathy and Real Social Change Jaunt, VR and the Future of Media and Entertainment River—Accelerating Virtual Reality Start-Ups VNTANA Extends Live Experiences Globally MDM Spotlight Profile “VR technology will transform every industry over the next decade or two, just as the Internet was nascent twenty years ago but now is ubiquitous.”—The River Manifesto In MDM’s previous newsletter on Virtual Reality (VR), we covered some of the basics and gave an overview of the VR landscape. Since then, we have continued to immerse ourselves in the space, and engage with and advise some of its foremost leaders. In this month’s newsletter, we share with you insights from these experiences and innovators and from VR’s countless, game-changing applications—from games and media and entertainment to education, travel, healthcare and beyond.  VR—Power, Potential, Risks . . . By Peter Csathy Earlier this month, I moderated a VR and augmented reality (AR) panel at the SLUSH Future Brunch, hosted by organizers of Helsinki’s “must know” SLUSH digital media and tech conference held annually in November. My panel included some of the most important thought leaders and innovators in the VR space—Mike Rothenberg of Rothenberg Ventures (in which Manatt Venture Fund is an investor)—Rothenberg runs the first VR accelerator, called River; Danny Gabai of Vice Media, which produces some of the most inspired VR “experiences” to date; Andy Cochrane of Mirada Studios; and Neville Spiteri of WEVR. We covered a lot of ground during the session, including: 1. The state of VR today—and the prospects for the future—with all on the panel predicting mass consumer adoption of tens of millions of VR headsets within a couple of years (MDM completely agrees with that assessment). Read more VR—The Engine of Empathy and Real Social Change By Peter Csathy MDM recently visited Silicon Valley—and one highlight of that trip was pioneering VR company Jaunt (more on Jaunt in the profile below). Jaunt demonstrated just some of VR’s possibilities. Yes, media and entertainment. Yes, games and adventure. Those are obvious and frequently discussed. Read more Jaunt, VR and the Future of Media and Entertainment By Peter Csathy On MDM’s recent trip to Jaunt, CEO Jens Christensen first sat me down in the Jaunt demo studio (pictured here to the left),where I sat through and experienced four different demos. First demo: On the stage at a recent Paul McCartney concert (yes, these will sell big time). Second demo: Extreme climbing and parachuting off cliffs in Yosemite and other extreme lands. Third demo: Immersed as a character in a horror movie (complete with a blanket thrown over my head by one of the demons that made my entire body flinch). Fourth demo: A CGI EDM-driven segment. Read more River—Accelerating Virtual Reality Start-Ups By  Mary Ermitanio In December 2014, two-year-old fund Rothenberg Ventures first opened its doors to applications for River, its new virtual reality-focused accelerator. The three-month program aims to be the “world’s VR classroom” and offers start-ups $100,000 investments, mentorship by industry veterans, and office space at the Rothenberg Ventures’ 8,000-square-foot space in San Francisco.  Read more VNTANA Extends Live Experiences Globally By Sarah Chambless Earlier this year, MDM visited the Santa Monica offices of VNTANA. Tucked away in the rear parking lot of a multiuse space near Bergamot Station, VNTANA enables immersive, multilocation live experiences through high-definition, real-time hologram technology. Read more MDM Spotlight Profile Sarah Chambless leads Manatt Digital Media’s Virtual Reality initiatives. Sarah specializes in start-up company formation, early-stage finance, venture capital investment transactions and private company mergers and acquisitions. She advises emerging tech companies in digital media, technology, consumer products, social enterprise and nonprofit sectors, and represents both emerging companies and venture capital investors in seed and venture capital financings. She also has experience in fund formation and joint ventures. Prior to joining Manatt, she taught elementary school in Compton, California, as a Teach for America corps member.  View her full profile here.

Manatt Digital Media’s December Newsletter - The International Edition (We Think It’s a “Must Read!”)

December Newsletter: The Global Edition Reflections on the U.S.-China Film Summit SLUSH Tech Conference in Helsinki Highlights and the Hottest Start-Ups (Yes, Sauna Hot!) Why MITA TechTalks Matter Mexico’s Telecom Reform: Fueling the Mobile and Online Audience Growth The Next Discovery: Will Travel–Will Post–Will Share 2014 has been a transformative year in media and entertainment, particularly with the acceleration of “mobile-first, digital-first” initiatives—which we covered in our November newsletter—from pay TV unbundling to the continuing consolidation of traditional and digital-first media companies (including MCNs). But the action isn’t all in the United States. We live in a new “borderless” digital world where content and social connections can be experienced by anyone around the globe. The population of global mobile phone Internet users surpassed 2 billion in 2014 and will continue to accelerate, creating global opportunities for companies to extend reach and engagement across previously uncharted territories (either individually or via partnerships). With these opportunities come escalating interest from companies to invest in digital, mobile innovations internationally, including in the United States. At Manatt Digital Media (MDM), we follow global developments in digital media closely and help our clients discover and navigate value-creating opportunities and partnerships. In the past month alone, MDM members have participated in key international-focused events as speakers and attendees. In this newsletter, we reflect on these events as well as global trends in digital media. And because this is our last newsletter of 2014, we wish all of our readers Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year! See you at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to kick off the New Year in early January. Reflections on the U.S.-China Film Summit By Sophia Yen and Kiley Wong It seems like you can’t go a day without hearing about some China-based company looking to make a big play in the media and entertainment industry. Over the past few years, the promise of new sources of capital and a vast developing market for product consumption has made Hollywood, both traditional and nascent players, scramble to participate in this reverse gold rush. November was a prime example as Hollywood hosted an impressive number of Chinese corporate and entertainment-related dignitaries, many of whom were in town to attend the annual U.S.-China Film Summit, the 4th Annual China International Co-Production Screenings hosted by the MPAA, or the American Film Market. Read more (Pictured above: Panelists from the 2014 U.S.-China Film Summit. Our very own Lindsay Conner, Partner and Co-Chair of Manatt’s Entertainment and Media Practice, is pictured on the far right.) SLUSH Tech Conference in Helsinki Highlights and the Hottest Start-Ups (Yes, Sauna Hot!) By Peter Csathy SLUSH—the preeminent Eurasian tech conference in Helsinki, Finland—just took place in November—and we attended. SLUSH remains under the radar to most in the U.S. tech and digital media industries. But, that certainly is not the case in the European and Northern Asian tech worlds. At least not anymore. MDM just experienced our first SLUSH—wearing multiple hats. As advisors and connectors (“Bridge to Hollywood,” “Bridge to U.S. tech”). Investors (via the Manatt Venture Fund). And I as a journalist (both for the MDM blog and as a regular contributor to leading U.S. digital video publication VideoInk). These are my observations after my first SLUSH experience. Read more Why MITA TechTalks Matter Remember Corona Beer’s memorable advertising slogan “Change your latitude?" Well, it was particularly apt for the MITA TechTalks conference that recently concluded in Punta Mita, Mexico. Leading media, digital media and tech companies—including Samsung, Netflix, PayPal and Cinepolis (more on this global Mexico-based company below)—gathered together for 2.5 days in this beautiful beach resort town. Both MDM and our Mexico-focused business strategy arm ManattJones Global Strategies participated and sponsored the event. I spoke about the mobile-fueled global transformation of the media and entertainment business (and how Mexico’s demographics are ripe for companies to seize that). Read more Mexico’s Telecom Reform: Fueling the Mobile and Online Audience Growth In 2013, the Latin American market, which has the fastest-growing Internet adoption, has reached a tipping point with the Internet penetrating 50% of the population. Mobile penetration has also grown–Mexico’s smartphone use doubled between 2012 and 2013, leading the region in mobile traffic. In light of this growth, American marketers and advertisers are quickly expanding into the region. eMarketer predicts that mobile ad spending in Mexico will grow 87.7% in 2014 to $173 million. Read more The Next Discovery: Will Travel–Will Post–Will Share Much is written about the Millennial Generation, which those of us in the digital media space are very familiar with … they will make up 50% of the global workforce in less than five years . . . digital-first . . . mobile-obsessed . . . brand loyalists . . . socially conscious . . . to name only a few. One other thread of Millennial core values that we find very intriguing is the global mindset of this generation. There is a spirit of discovery, wanting to explore new cultures, foods, and regions. And once they discover, they love to share about their discoveries and experiences on social media. The reach, the influence and the new spirit of adventure—the travel industry is rejoicing. But surprisingly, there isn’t a huge digital success story in the hospitality/travel sector . . . well, not yet. Read more