Project Overview The “Climbing a Ladder to Space” project was an innovative and interactive live stream event produced by Cory Williams aka DayDream Studios, powered by Unreal Engine, OBS, and various other cutting-edge technologies including Movella Entertainment | Xsens #mocap. This one-of-a-kind experiment allowed viewers to witness and interact with a virtual astronaut climbing a ladder from Earth to space, creating a truly immersive and engaging experience.
Objectives
- To create an interactive and engaging live stream that pushes the boundaries of real-time rendering and virtual production.
- To leverage YouTube’s Super Chat feature to enable viewer-triggered interactions, enhancing viewer engagement and monetization.
- To raise awareness about the advancements in virtual production tools and the potential for indie creators.
Execution
- Concept Development: The idea was simple yet captivating – a virtual astronaut climbing a ladder to space in real-time. | “Have an astronaut climbing a ladder from earth to space, it’s so simple, yet so cool. And it’s happening live, powered by Unreal Engine, OBS and lots of other technology, including Movella Entertainment | Xsens #mocap.” – Remco Sikkema
- Technology Integration: Utilizing Unreal Engine for real-time rendering, OBS for broadcasting, and Xsens for motion capture, the stream was technically robust and visually compelling.
- Viewer Interaction: Over 100 unique events were prepared, allowing viewers to trigger interactions like alien encounters, suit changes, and humorous effects such as astronaut farts, by paying small amounts via Super Chat. | “During this approximately 36 hours live climb you can trigger all kinds of fun events by paying small amounts of money on Super Chat.” – Remco Sikkema
- Monetization: The integration of Super Chat allowed viewers to support the stream financially while actively participating in the event.
Results
- Engagement: The stream attracted a significant number of viewers who actively participated in triggering events, creating a dynamic and entertaining experience.| “I’ve triggered a few of them today, it’s really fun.” – Remco Sikkema
- Innovation Recognition: The project was noted for its innovative use of real-time rendering and interactive technology, setting a precedent for future interactive live streams.| “Once again Cory Williams is spearheading innovation on YouTube.” – Remco Sikkema
- Learning and Growth: Despite not receiving the expected publicity, the project was a valuable learning experience in virtual production and viewer engagement strategies. | “While it didn’t get the publicity I thought it would, I learned a lot from it and I have zero regrets about the time I spent to make it.” – Cory Williams
Challenges and Learnings
- Technical Challenges: Ensuring seamless integration of various technologies and managing real-time interactions required meticulous planning and execution.
- Viewer Engagement: Balancing the frequency and variety of interactions to keep viewers engaged without overwhelming the stream.
- Publicity: Gaining widespread recognition in a competitive content landscape proved challenging, but the project reinforced the importance of innovation and persistence.
Conclusion The “Climbing a Ladder to Space” project exemplifies the potential of interactive live streaming and real-time rendering technologies. It showcased how creativity, technology, and viewer engagement can be harmoniously blended to create a unique and memorable experience. This project serves as a testament to the endless possibilities in virtual production and the importance of continuous experimentation and innovation.
“I believe in being fully transparent when it comes to innovation in order to keep things real. So I hope my unfiltered experiences can help you on your own creative journey in some way.” – Cory Williams
The real downfall of this project was, that it was o“ver too soon, only just over a day and half climb! but our calculations to the next closest body would have been the moon and that would have taken over a week. Which seemingly would have been too much for the computer to run as we found out that UE5 had a limitation and we hit it just shy of reaching the space station.
here are Cory’s thoughts on the project