Uncanny Alley: A New Day to have its U.S. Premiere at SXSW

An intimate VR experience featuring live theatrical performances from the award-winning VR companies: Ferryman Collective And Virtual Worlds Company

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, January 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Ferryman Collective and Virtual Worlds Company are proud to announce that their latest VR theatre experience, “Uncanny Alley: A New Day” will have its U.S. premiere at the prestigious SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.

At the intersection of the SXSW Film & TV Festival and Exhibitions, the SXSW XR Experience is where technology and art collide to create something truly extraordinary. Since 2016 SXSW has been presenting the XR Experience, showcasing the most innovative creators from around the globe, pushing the boundaries of storytelling and immersive art. From world premieres of groundbreaking works to acclaimed international projects, the XR Experience is a must-see celebration of creativity and technology in Austin.

“Being part of the SXSW XR Experience is always an honor, as it provides an unparalleled platform to connect with other techno-pioneers and audiences who are redefining the boundaries of XR, and embrace our live performances in the virtual world. We are excited to contribute to this inspiring community once again and can’t wait to share our latest work at SXSW 2025!” says Stephen Butchko, writer and co-creator.

Ferryman Collective is thrilled to return to SXSW for the third time, a festival that embraces FOMO having so many incredible things happening all at once.

“Our journey with SXSW began in 2022 with Gumball Dreams, which won the prestigious Audience Award, and continued in 2023 with Find WiiLii, an incredible collaboration with GiiOii Immersive Storytelling Studio, where we had the privilege of introducing their Korean project to American audiences” says Deirdre V. Lyons, assistant director and a producer with Ferryman Collective.

NARRATIVE SUMMARY
Adaptive Learning Industries is about to launch the New Day update through legislation that passed with little public support. Uncanny Alley’s “Metizens” will soon feel the amnesia-like effects from weaponized Radio Frequency waves.

Cyberpunk hacker-whiz, Gh0st, breaks a group of protesters out of jail to lead them and her increasingly sentient Service-Bot, Atom, to safety through a hacked portal, out of the city and to a new metaverse. They must stick together, evade capture, and decide whether to leave Uncanny Alley or stay and fight for their freedom, and their home.

HOW IT WORKS
“Uncanny Alley: A New Day” is a live performance featuring two actors who seamlessly bring multiple characters to life. This immersive theater experience differentiates itself from traditional theater by removing the stage and immersing audiences within the performance itself.

"Our international cast is truly exceptional, featuring talent from film, television, gaming, and Broadway. They bring a diverse range of skills, and are some of the most experienced VR actors in the world today" informs Whitton Frank, one of the project's producers.

With the transformative power of VR technology, participants are fully immersed in our captivating 3D world. Audiences will go through multiple environments, exploring the tunnel system underneath the fictional Uncanny Alley world, to the heights of the ALI government penthouse offices.

“When I’m given an opportunity to ‘be extra’ I take it,” says Christopher Lane Davis, aka Screaming Color, the animation and effects creator on the project. “This is why I love developing for VR so much, where the capacity for innovation, magnitude and spectacle are bound only by the frame rates I have to optimize around.”

PROJECT HISTORY
Uncanny Alley began as two award-winning virtual worlds before evolving into a live theatrical show. Creator Rick Treweek, took it a step further, designing a new world specifically for the show while tackling the challenge of optimizing it for standalone headsets like the Quest.

“Creating a world of this scale that can be experienced on a headset that essentially functions like a mobile phone is incredibly challenging, especially after working with PC-built environments with minimal size limitations,” comments Rick Treweek, the artistic director and co-creator of Uncanny Alley: A New Day. "We approached this challenge with a spirit of innovation and determination, cracking the code to deliver a seamless, immersive experience across platforms. It was crucial to us because it’s where the future of VR—and the majority of VR actors and audiences—resides. As well as a personal technical challenge to accomplish a world at this scale in a mobile format.”

This endeavor signifies a bold step forward, showcasing how new platforms and new media like social VR can transcend traditional boundaries, bringing immersive storytelling to a broader audience and redefining how we connect with digital worlds and characters.

THE TEAM BEHIND “UNCANNY ALLEY: A NEW DAY”
‘Uncanny Alley: A New Day’ is produced by Ferryman Collective and Virtual Worlds Company and is Co-Created by Stephen Butchko and Rick Treweek.

Theatrical Direction: Stephen Butchko

Artistic Direction: Rick Treweek

World Animation and FX: Christopher Lane Davis, a.k.a Screaming Color

Avatar Designer and Creator: Rick Treweek

Original Music and Sound Design: Screaming Color

Assistant Director: Deirdre V Lyons

Written by: Stephen Butchko. Story inspiration by Rick Treweek, Deirdre V. Lyons and Clark Kohanek.
Inspired by the Uncanny Alley, created by MetaRick (aka Rick Treweek).

The Ferryman Collective production team includes Deirdre V. Lyons, Whitton Frank, Stephen Butchko, and Christopher Lane Davis, a.k.a Screaming Color and Tanvi Agrawal.

Performers: Nicole Eun-Ju Bell (Collider, Snarl), Miles Berman (10E, Shenanigans), Brendan Bradley (Dolly Parton’s Magic Mountain, Friends with Benefits), Stephen Butchko (Scorpion, Gumball Dreams), Christan Copeland (Nothing Special, Undetermined), Whitton Frank (Stranger Things VR, Gumball Dreams), Athena Galvin (Skinnyfat, One by One), James Hyett (Find WiiLii, Through the Fairy Circle), Deirdre V. Lyons (Gumball Dreams, The Willows), Jonathan David Martin (Gumball Dreams, Life of Pi), Jacob Miller (Find WiiLii, The Willows) and Ona Zimhart (Gumball Dreams, Cages).
Voice Over Artists: Bruce Barker (Fairly OddParents: A New Wish, Fallout 76) Ava Lucas (The Only One series, Fix-It Witches series) and Adam Shedlock (Sundered Soul, Book I and Shatter War).

Poet: Caitlin Krause

Special Thanks: Ruben Asebedo, Ed Frank, Natasha Parkin, Rachel Pohl, Joker is Punk, Michel Reilhac, Liz Rosenthal, Michael Salmon, Paisley Smith, Gregory Sztain

This project was made possible, in part by Unity Charitable Fund, a fund of Tides Foundation.

Deirdre V Lyons
Ferryman Collective
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube

Uncanny Alley: A New Day trailer