Virtual Reality Startups: When Art and Technology Reinvent Storytelling

Founders often tell of a “light bulb” moment, when a confluence of experience and environment shine a light on a revelation, a brand new way of thinking about an opportunity to change the world. While we picture revelations as fleeting moments of instant clarity, they often take time. Author Stephen Johnson calls this winding path to enlightenment the “slow hunch.”

Upon graduation from Cal Lutheran's MBA program, Cedric Gamelin decided that he wanted to be an entrepreneur in pursuit of a “blue ocean” startup opportunity. His first revelation was that the movie industry was the perfect ocean for him to sail. It’s complicated, expensive and ripe for disruption. Although he had a passion for making movies, Cedric knew little about the industry. So, with no experience, he applied to pursue a master’s degree in film production at the American Film Institute (AFI). 

Gamelin’s second revelation came while studying at the AFI. On an exam, he was asked the question, “If you had $50 million, how would you invest it in the movie industry?” To Gamelin, the answer was clear. The industry needed a new technology to rally around, with the sole purpose of reinventing the magic of movies, completely immersing the viewer inside the experience.

Two years later, Gamelin experienced his third revelation. He discovered virtual reality technology and realized its potential for transforming storytelling. He joined fellow storyteller and revelation seeker Nonny de la Peña, founder of Emblematic Group, on a path not only to reinvent the magic of movies, but storytelling itself.

Gamelin will share his journey, including the following topics:

• Campbell's hero's journey and the structure of success
• The loneliness of visionaries and learning to trust one's vision
• Obstacles as a path to personal reinvention
• Technology democratization
• Unlocking a secret: How to hook an audience and have them asking for more
• Segmenting the VR marketplace

Cedric Gamelin is an award-winning filmmaker and senior producer at Emblematic Group (http://emblematicgroup.com), where he leads initiatives to build groundbreaking experiences and pioneer new ways of producing VR. His works were showcased in numerous venues and festivals including Sundance, The White House and the U. S. Congress.

Please join us at Hub101 for our next Entrepreneur Speaker Series event. There's no charge, but registration is required as seating is limited.

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Agenda: The evening will begin with networking at 6 p.m., the main speaker will go on at 6:45 and the event will conclude by 8 p.m.

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Sponsors:

Community Leaders Association 

Verizon 

Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management

Anton & Chia

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Register by Feb. 8