Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/863793
12 2 0 1 7 E D U C AT I O N & R E C R U I T M E N T S P E C I A L plines and gave them the 'simple' task of producing a three- to five-minute narrative VR film. From there, the storytelling team began brainstorming idea after idea and genre after genre to see what would be the ideal story to tell in a 360-degree environment," says How- ard. "It was decided that a romantic comedy would suit the musical genre." From initial planning through postproduction, the process took 10 months. The musical finished in time for debut at the Savannah Film Festival last fall. PRODUCTION DETAILS As Howard recounts, the team loved the idea of a musical set in the VR space because of how unexpected it could be. "Horror and sci-fi lend themselves very easily to the VR realm, but a musical had us intrigued from the beginning," he says. "We looked at formulas from award-winning stu- dios like Disney and Pixar, and saw how they brought classi- cal beauty into the modern world. We decided to emulate such a strategy with our own film." The musical was filmed in its entirety at the Gryphon, an ornate 1926 Scottish Rite building historically pre- served by SCAD in Savannah. Preproduction and post- production took place completely at SCAD's labs and studio spaces. "Say It With Music" was an all-SCAD student and faculty-created project. SCAD students and alumni from 17 programs, including Film and Television, Ani- mation, Costume Design, Dramatic Writing, Production Design, Visual Effects, Themed Entertainment Design, and Motion Media Design, collaborated on the project. In total, more than 100 cast and crew worked on the 360-degree narrative. "With 'Say It With Music,' just like any major produc- tion, it is only possible to make the best product when you have the best team in place. Without students from SCAD's degree programs, this project could not have happened," says Howard. "It makes the machine move for- ward in a cohesive way when the right team is put togeth- er. Everyone was able to contribute his or her expertise to create the best final product possible." While those from the Film and TV academic programs were the main tone-setters, Howard is quick to note that the collaboration with the other divisions made the film a success. The Film department took charge of the full pro- duction of the musical, along with creating a custom camera rig (with help from the Industrial Design team). The two co-directors, Oliver Chen and Lubomir Kocka, both studied in SCAD's Film and TV program. Meanwhile, the Animation department was heavily involved in the preproduction process, as high-quality visualizations of the screenplay were needed to bring it to