SHAED "Once Upon a Time" VR Experience

SHAED: Once Upon A Time (Official VR 180° Music Video) Listening to @SHAED 's, "Once Upon a Time," in the midst of the most chaotic year in recent memory was like a breath of fresh air. The track is so human and accessible. We've all had a first love and felt the intensity that goes along with it. Even though those memories can be painful, "Once Upon a Time" invites you to explore them in a safe place, transported by a serene melody and fantastical instrumentation. Aesthetically, we wanted to ground the video somewhere that matched our comfort while listening to the song. We developed a queer adaptation of the postwar, Ozzie and Harriet aesthetic. In this space, we reveled in the curl-your-toes excitement of young love and examined the pitfalls of trying to love someone while navigating the social constructs and identities. The dancers and choreography shift between gender roles, combining ballet and contemporary dance with sharp isolated movements and everyday gestures. This VR music video offers a level of intimacy not felt in traditional film and theater, so we played with that by juxtaposing moments of almost interactive closeups with more conventional choreography.
All in all, this immersive experience, like the song, invites viewers to feel for something lost while still appreciating its beauty.
➡️Watch on Oculus TV with Oculus Quest 2: https://ocul.us/3niVtYa
stream/download: https://shaed.lnk.to/onceuponatime
Creative Director: Morgan Embry
Assistant Director: Keeley Turner
Director/DP: Xiaoyu Hugh Hou
Lighting Design: Lee Duck
Assistant Camera: Keeley Turner
VFX: Jan Boria
VR Tech Advisor: Brent Schnarr / Oculus Media
Choreographer: Koryn Ann Wicks
Set Design: Zachary Titus
Costume Design: Lauryn Terceira
Performers: Morgan Embry / Koryn Ann Wicks
Produced by CreatorUp & Ducklights
​Camera by Oculus