§ 01 Overview

The experience reimagined Blumhouse films including M3GAN and The Black Phone as immersive XR cinema. Real-time environmental effects extended beyond the streamed screen while spatial audio increased presence. It premiered at Meta Connect and was later released publicly on the Meta Quest Store.

Meta × Blumhouse Enhanced Cinema — selected XR production footage.

§ 02 Scope & constraints

Scope

  • XR cinematic experience with minimal interactivity
  • Real-time streaming application for Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S
  • High-quality 4K streamed video with spatial audio
  • Immersive VFX synchronized with cinematic content

Constraints

  • Standalone XR performance budgets
  • Network latency and bandwidth variability
  • Strict Meta, Blumhouse, and Universal Pictures IP requirements
  • Delivery timeline aligned with the Meta Connect premiere

§ 03 Artwork & environments

Blumhouse Enhanced Cinema 1
Blumhouse Enhanced Cinema 11 / 4

§ 04 My role

  • Development of real-time shaders and visual effects
  • Technical-art tools and effect integration
  • Real-time VFX implementation in Unity
  • Optimization for Meta Quest hardware
  • Integration of cinematic content with immersive environmental effects

§ 05 Technical solution

  1. Developed custom HLSL shaders and XR-specific real-time VFX

  2. Balanced headset rendering budgets with streamed 4K video playback

  3. Layered real-time effects over synchronized cinematic content

  4. Used HISPlayer for streaming and Dolby Atmos for spatial audio

  5. Prototyped cloud-tank simulations and effect workflows in Houdini

  6. Maintained synchronization under changing network conditions

§ 06 Recognition

[ RECOGNITION // PRODUCTION RECORD ]
Award2026 Emmy Award nominee
Outstanding Emerging Media Program
Use & longevity
  • Live demonstration at Meta Connect
  • Public release on the Meta Quest Store
  • Strong audience response during horror sequences
  • Positive feedback from Meta and Blumhouse teams
  • 2026 Emmy nomination — Outstanding Emerging Media Program
  • Reusable techniques for future VR cinema experiences
  • The project demonstrated that streamed cinematic content, spatial audio, and synchronized real-time effects can form a convincing XR cinema experience within strict standalone-headset constraints.
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