Disney StudioLAB

Prototyping volumetric storytelling

Focus: Unity Developer

With the launch of Disney Plus, Disney StudioLAB wanted to explore ways to enhance at-home storytelling experiences for their viewers.

I worked as a Unity Developer alongside a Senior Dev and 2D Designer to create a Volumetric ARFoundation app showcasing Disney Imagineers and their stories of creating Disney’s legendary animated characters.

*Placeholder volumetric content used in video due to confidentiality

 

  • This was my first client project as a Unity developer, and the total project spanned 2 weeks.

    My contributions:

    • Led Unity UI Development process: Created iOS UI for the Unity app, including splash screen, menu flows, content, and AR UI

    • Collaborated with Designers: Reviewed UI proposals and negotiated tradeoffs based on utility and technical cost

    • Collaborated with Clients: Worked with Disney stakeholders on what features would be beneficial to Disney’s brand

    During the project, I encountered and overcame some interesting challenges.

    • First, AR Foundation object selection felt very strict as it requires the full object to be in view. This was solved by creating a custom script that improved the selection user experience.

    • Secondly, UI overlays (e.g. dropdown menus, buttons, etc.) on top of the AR view can lead to accidentally selecting virtual content within the AR View. By creating separate asset classes for UI elements and 3D/AR content, and creating custom scripts, this issue was bypassed.

    • And lastly, working with volumetrically captured content (Metastage) was simple to incorporate within Unity, although file sizes are quite large (~102MB for 17 seconds).