VR Theater

• Log in to the SIGGRAPH Asia Submission System
• Select "Begin a New Submission"
• Select "Create" for the VR THEATER submission form

VR Theater Submission Requirements:

• All descriptions, captions, and notes to the jury must be in English.
• Submit by 20 July 2020 at 23:59 UTC/GMT.
• In order to complete a successful submission, all applicants must complete the ACM Rights Management Form, which will be sent to you upon submitting.

If you have other headset/hardware needs, you may email vrtheater_asia@siggraph.org and explain your circumstances.

Length

A maximum length of 15 minutes may be submitted, but the VR Theater reserves the right to show only excerpts of selected works at the jury’s discretion. Strong preference will lean toward selections that are 5-12 minutes in length. If your piece is longer than 15 minutes, please contact us at vrtheater_asia@siggraph.org and let us know why your piece requires such length. The VR Theater seeks experiences that start and end automatically without user interaction. Similar to a theater experience, we want the submission to start and end without user feedback.

Hardware

Make sure your submission works on a VR-ready PC.

Headset

The content should run in one of the following headsets:

• HTC Vive
• Oculus Rift

VR Jury

All submitted entries are evaluated by a jury of individuals from the technical, creative, and production communities within the immersive industry. Jurors are established experts in the immersive fields, and they take care in reviewing and ranking all entries based on several criteria set by the program and conference chairs.

Submitters will be informed by email of the status of their submissions only after the jury makes its final decisions. All submitters will be notified of their status between August - September. The jury also will select a recipient of the Best in Show Award for VR projects, chosen from the pool of works between the VR Theater and Immersive Pavilion programs.

Notification

All VR Theater submitters will be notified by email of the status of their submission(s) between August - September. Each year, we receive far more submitted pieces than we can accept, and we are not able to accept many deserving pieces.

After Acceptance

The period of time between the jury meeting and the SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 conference is very short, and many things happen in that time. If your work is selected, you will be expected to reply promptly to any request for information or clarification from the VR Theater subcommittee. It is unlikely that we will need to contact you regarding your work after your notification, but please plan to be available via email in case a need arises. In order to complete a successful submission, all applicants must complete the ACM Rights Management Form, which will be sent to you upon submitting.

Contributor and Presenter Recognition

See the SIGGRAPH Asia 2020’s Recognition Benefits for a summary of what you will receive if your work is accepted to SIGGRAPH Asia 2020.

All contributors to SIGGRAPH Asia Annual Conferences are now required to use ACM's rights management system to grant rights to publish accepted content rather than through the SIGGRAPH Asia Submission System. Essentially, submission tracking, jury review, and acceptance remain the same, but now the rights management is through ACM, the parent organization of SIGGRAPH Asia.

You will be asked to complete an ACM rights management form, which includes permission to record and distribute the audio and video of your recorded presentation through official channels of ACM/SIGGRAPH Asia. For most content types, this will be a Permission and Release form, which allows authors to retain copyright.

More Information on these options (the FAQ is particularly useful)

As a contributor to an ACM-sponsored event, the following expectations apply to you, should your content be accepted for presentation:

• You have the permission to use everything that is in your presentation. This includes securing permission to use third-party material, and providing documentation of that permission to ACM. (More information on the proper use of third-party material in your presentation)
• If you are using copyrighted musical compositions in your presentation, you must secure performing rights licenses.
• You must have the authority to grant ACM the right to distribute your presentation.

Once your contribution is accepted, you will receive a link via email to the appropriate form for your contribution.

ACM Rights Management Form

If your work is accepted for presentation at SIGGRAPH Asia:

• You must complete the ACM Rights Management Form. The form will be sent to all submitters whose work is accepted.
• Your representative image and text may be used for promotional purposes. Several SIGGRAPH Asia programs will prepare preview videos for pre-conference promotion of accepted content, which may include a portion of the video you submitted to review.

I have submitted my work to the most recent SIGGRAPH. Is it okay if I submit the same work to SIGGRAPH Asia 2020?

Yes. You can submit the same work to SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 as long as it was released after 1 July 2019. We are independent festivals with separate juries and acceptance procedures.

How many works can I submit to the VR Theater?

There is no limit. You may submit as many as you like, but ensure you complete a separate submission form for each work.

Is there a submission fee for submitting to the VR Theater?

No. You only need to complete the online submission process.

Where do I send my submission materials?

All works must be submitted via the SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 online submission system. The online submission process allows submitters easy access to the submission system, eliminates time-consuming shipping and mailing, and provides an efficient procedure for reviewing submitted work.

Can I enter my work through Film Freeway?

The VR Theater does not accept submissions through Film Freeway. All works must be submitted via the SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 online submission system.

When is the submission deadline for the VR Theater?

Online submission forms and accompanying uploads must be completed no later than 20 July 2020 for the VR Theater. All deadlines are 23:59 UTC/GMT (convert to your time zone). Submissions received after either deadline will not be reviewed.

I will not have my work finished by the submission deadline. Is it possible for me to submit “work in progress” for reviewing?

Sort of. The SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 VR Theater will only show finished projects, we are open to considering the work. Please email vrtheater_asia@siggraph.org to explain your circumstance.

We are an art school, and we are planning to submit several student works as one submission. Is this okay?

No. Each piece must be uploaded separately to the online submission system along with its own completed and signed submission form. Each piece is judged on its own merit.

What file formats are acceptable for submission?

See the How to Submit guidelines for file format details.

What criteria will the jury use to select works?

Jurors are expected to select the highest quality works from among those submitted. Each juror takes into consideration the technical aspects of the piece, the visual interest, and, where applicable, the storytelling; however, the jury’s primary criterion is to select the pieces it feels will form the strongest show.

My work makes use of commercially recorded music. Is that okay?

You are responsible for securing the necessary permissions and licenses for audio material that is contained in your work. If your music was not created originally for your content, or if you are using another person’s music, you must obtain the necessary permissions or required licenses. We will not purchase these rights for you.

Do I need to supply my own headset or computer?

No, you just need to create a submission and make sure your content is available for us to access.

What hardware platforms are supported or preferred?

The VR Theater prefers content that can be enjoyed on Oculus or Vive hardware due to the logistics of the theater format. If your piece cannot be converted to run on Oculus or Vive and uses another commercially available platform, the jury will still consider it.

Should I submit to the XR, VR Theater, or Emerging Technologies?

If your submission is primarily a technology demo — something that is hands-on for attendees to try out — we recommend submitting to the Emerging Technologies program, which closes on 31 July 2020.

If your submission is more about providing an interactive experience for an attendee to try with your own tech or third-party tech, please submit it to the XR program, which closes on 31 July 2020. In general, the Immersive Pavilion program is focused on interactive VR installations. This is where you will find new uses of VR, MR, and AR, ranging from games, simulations, or professional applications to complex art installations.

The VR Theater is focused on VR storytelling and is looking for submissions that help develop the language of storytelling in virtual reality. The type of content ranges from 360-degree video to experiences that fully utilize HTC Vive or Oculus Rift and their controllers. If your submission could go either way, we recommend that you carefully evaluate each program. If it is more suitable for a program other than the one you select, we will endeavor to transfer it.

All deadlines are 23:59 UTC/GMT.

20 July 2020
Submission Deadline

July - August 2020
Jury Review

August - September 2020
Acceptance Notification

September 2020
Final Materials Due

4 - 13 December 2020
SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 Virtual Event Days

*Publications content will be available in the ACM Digital Library one week prior to the conference.