7:30pm @ Planetarium

OPENING NIGHT PROGRAM: OCC President, IMERSA, Ed Lantz, and a SPECIAL SCREENING of Atlas of a Changing Earth

Presented by COSM
Dome Fest West 2021 opens with an amazing program including appearances by the OCC President, Costa Mesa Media & Arts Council, and IMERSA Board. Ed Lantz will give a short keynote presentation  "We Came from the Stars: Digital Domes - Past, Present and Future". The evening will conclude with a special screening of Atlas Of A Changing Earth and a live Q&A with the filmmakers. 

9:00pm @ Patio

Opening Night Reception

Join other attendees for a short reception taking place on the patio of the OCC Planetarium following the Opening Night program.

8:00am @ Lecture Hall

PRESENTATION: Fulldome 101

An introduction to the fulldome medium for the newly initiated. Hosted by fulldome veterans Ed Lantz & Michael Daut, and joined virtually by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

10:00am @ Planetarium

SCREENING: "Learning Made Fun"  Kid-Focused Educational Programing

Kid-focused slate films including animated and educational selections. Films screened in this block include:

- In the Land of the Flabby Schnoock

- GranPa & Zoe Mission: Light
- Tycho Goes To Mars

- Legend of the Enchanted Reef

11:00am @ Lecture Hall

PRESENTATION: Audience Impact / New Opportunities

Some of the best, most memorable content finds a way to touch our emotions. This is no easy task, but it is the essential ingredient in creating unforgettable moments for an audience. Presenter Michael Daut asks 'How do we create these experiences that impact audiences and turn them into repeat visitors and long-time fans?' We will discuss this important aspect of immersive storytelling and share examples that will inspire you to raise the emotional resonance of your shows. We will also identify new opportunities that exist with the shifting paradigm of feature films releasing day-and-date to streaming services. How can immersive spaces step up and become the next big thing?

1:00pm @ Planetarium

SCREENING: Experimental "Expanding Horizons"

See some of the most experimental films in the line-up, along with some eye-opening South American adventures. Films screened in this block include

- SUPREMATISM. The day before

- site-inflexion
- A Toothless Grin

- Solarians
- Polydomous
- tx-reverse 360°
- New World
- Big Astronomy

​

3:00pm @ Planetarium

PRESENTATION: Live Action Camera Technology for Fulldome

Come join California Academy of Science's Planetarium director Ryan Wyatt and Radiant Image's Michael Mansouri as they present the latest camera and technologies in the fulldome space. Get an inside view on the choices available to filmmakers, as well as inside looks into how the Morrison Planetarium captures their films.

5:15pm @ Lecture Hall

PANEL: THE TRANSFORMATIONAL
POWER OF IMMERSIVE:
Domes and XR for Wellbeing

From the outer realms of space to the inner worlds of the mind and imagination, digital domes are powerful spaces for activating deeply meaningful experiences. Beautiful visual art, music, and poetic narrative can evoke transcendent experiences. Join hosts Ed Lantz, Mani Srinivasan, Michael Strauss, James Hood, and Jahna Perricone as they discuss how VR and immersive media technologies are being used for therapeutic purposes in the treatment of pain, anxiety and PTSD. Learn about these exciting breakthroughs from leaders in this space.

9:00am @ Lecture Hall

PANEL: The Potential of Immersive Storytelling

For many years, the dome has functioned as a storytelling space dominated by astronomy and space science themes. Presentations incorporate many forms of media: visuals, audio, and music. Today, pre-rendered content for the dome is digital video and this theoretically allows for an extension into the realm of transmedia. The dome offers a venue where the audience's heads are "in" the immersive space in a very literal sense. This panel hosted by Kate McCallum and Carolyn Collins Petersen addresses the potential for immersive storytelling in the dome, adapting filmmaking techniques and transmedia strategy. Special appearance by Will Nix.

12:00pm @ Planetarium

DEMO: Digistar's New Tricks

Orange Coast College Planetarium director Scott Mitchell is joined by E&S's Director of Customer Outreach Michael McConville as they show off the 8K Digistar system and it's ability to explore the universe. Fun interactive program for those looking to explore the stars and fly to different worlds.

1:00pm @ Lecture Hall

PRESENTATION: Shared Reality: The Future of Immersive Experience

Jeb Terry, Jr., Cosm' CEO, will be leading an informal chat exploring “Shared Reality and The Future of Immersive Experience” with Dome Fest West Board Member Ed Lantz. The conversation will be an opportunity for DFW attendees to hear firsthand from one of the most innovative thinkers in the Fulldome industry about Cosm and how the company is leveraging decades of experience in immersive entertainment to revolutionize the Fulldome experience. 

2:00pm @ Lecture Hall

LIVESTREAM: The "Best of Earth" Awards

Four of the world's biggest Fulldome Film Festivals announce the #BestOfEarth award winners presented Live from Zeiss-Großplanetarium in Berlin, Germany. See which films win the coveted title 'Best of Earth' award in the best Feature, Short, and Student categories. 

4:00pm @ Planetarium

SCREENING: Visual Music
"Feel Beyond The Music"

A set of films that encourage audiences to experience concerts in a brand new way, feeling beyond the music. Films screened in this block include:

- Beautifica

- Rukh
- Joris Daniel: Give It All

- déjà
- Astro
- Emersive

7:30pm @ Planetarium

SPECIAL SHOW: Live Performances by fulldome artists Michael Strauss and J-Walt

Performing LIVE as a special program exclusively for Dome Fest West, see fulldome artists Michael Strauss and J-Walt as they perform back-to-back in the Dome! See inventive visuals and hear beautiful music created live in the Dome and beloved by audiences around the world.

​

A special reception will take place immediately following the program on the outside patio.

9:00am @ Lecture Hall

Keynote: StoryWorld Revolution:
The Immersive Era Is NOW!

Reflecting on 30 years of experience in the emerging Immersive Revolution as a backdrop, visionary filmmaker Brett Leonard will discuss the evolution of Storytelling into StoryWorlding, and the unprecedented opportunities that now exist to move the medium forward with focus on positive healing outcomes for humans in the Immersive Era. 

11:00am @ Lecture Hall

PANEL: The Future of Immersive Venues

Audiences are flocking to out-of-home digital immersive experiences including Immersive Van Gogh, Team Lab, Art Tech House and more. Panelists Ed Lantz, Brett Leonard, and Jenni Ogden explore how projection mapping has come of age with long-lived laser projectors making it feasible to design immersive architectural spaces. And augmented reality attractions are emerging that project 3D "holograms" into physical spaces. Where do digital domes fit into this new LBE landscape?

2:00pm @ Planetarium

PANEL: Virtual Production Tools for Immersive Media

The immersive canvas is huge, either as a 180º hemisphere or a 360º full sphere. It also demands dauntingly high resolution: 8K x 8K for a hemisphere and 16K x 8K for a sphere. To create story-driven content, it is often necessary to use CG and special effects to extend what a camera can capture, both in terms of the frame and its resolution. Join Eric Hanson, Diana Reichenbach, Tobias Chen, Hugh Hou, and Edd Dawson Taylor as they explore how modern virtual production techniques used in projects from The Lion King to The Mandalorian offer new solutions to creating powerful stories in immersive spaces. This panel will shed light on the possibilities and best practices for doing just that.

6:00pm @ Planetarium

Awards Presentation & Closing Ceremony

Close out the festival by joining the whole Dome Fest West team as we reveal the 2021's award winners. Also revealed will be the winner of the special Sphere of Light award. 

10:00am @ Planetarium

SCREENING: Contemplative
"Inner Journeys"

Start off your Sunday right by finding bliss and inner peace with this set of meditative and relaxing films. Films screened in this block include:

- The Journey

- The Being 360
- Piano Under the Stars

- Uninhabited Memories

- LABYRINTH

- Ayahuasca - Kosmik Journey

12:00pm @ Planetarium

SCREENING: Visual Music
"See Beyond the Music"

A slate of music-focused films that guide audiences into seeing beyond the music. Films screened in this block include

- Guarania

- Horizons of the Future
- FLOW: Visions of Time

1:00pm @ Lecture Hall

PANEL: Masters of the Universe

Planetarians have arguably been some of the earliest enablers of immersive content. As we move beyond visualizing the Universe, panelists Michael McConville, Mike Smail, Dayna Thompson, and Ben Gondrez ask how can artists and producers tap into their decades of experiences and the creative potential of planetarium theaters to unleash the tools for development (like the “Digistar” visualization engine) to tell interactive, full dome stories? From concerts, theater, and music videos to fashion, TV, and drag shows, the modern planetarium dome is a land of opportunity for the future of immersive entertainment. Join innovative planetarians who have been testing the waters in format and alternative audiences.

3:00pm @ Planetarium

SCREENING: Science Education
"Searching Beyond"

Selection of the best science-focused films for all audiences. Highly recommended for all planetarium lovers! Films screened in this block include:

- Narcissus

- Living Worlds
- Atlas of a Changing Earth

- Tree Huggers
- Hayabusa 2: Reborn