The AI/XR Podcast. SPECIAL EPISODE - From the Venice Film Festival August 30th, 2025 ft. Doug Liman and the 30 Ninjas Team
Sep 1, 2025
Doug Liman, a visionary director and partner at 30 Ninjas, joins Juliana Tatlock and Jed Weintraub to discuss their immersive XR film, Asteroid. They dive into the creative journey of transforming a feature script into an interactive short experience. Liman reveals how cutting-edge technologies like Google's digital human capture and Unreal Engine play a crucial role. The team shares insights from their decade-long exploration of immersive storytelling, showcasing the potential of AI and audience engagement in revolutionizing cinema.
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Technology Expands Story Possibilities
- Doug Liman views technology as a tool to tell stories that were previously impossible to make.
- He cites James Cameron as a model for building new tech to enable new cinematic storytelling.
A Decade Of Immersive Experimentation
- 30 Ninjas have been experimenting with immersive tech for nearly a decade since producing Invisible.
- They traced their work from early VR series to today's high-fidelity headsets and interactive platforms.
AI + High-Fidelity XR Unlocks New Narratives
- Modern headsets plus generative AI create new narrative opportunities by combining realism and interactivity.
- Android XR's Gemini enables always-on character interactions layered atop cinematic experiences.
