The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has been captivating fans for decades, leading them to wish they could truly transport themselves to its majestic worlds, with Portal from Facebook unveiling a new immersive AR experience in honor of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child that will gives fans the next best thing. Portal users can now connect with up to three friends and utilize the AR technology to virtually transport themselves to the world of the Cursed Child and recreate some of the series’ most famous locales, while those without Portal can still use those AR features through both Facebook and Instagram.
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The Tech@Facebook blog breaks down the experience, “The Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Curtain Call experience lets you and up to three friends transform into characters from the play and bring the magic of the stage show to life during Portal-to-Portal video calls. In addition to Curtain Call, you can hangout with your friends in Hogwarts Great Hall, the Ministry of Magic, and the Edge of the Forbidden Forest during video calls or capture videos to share using Portal’s Photo Booth app. There are also 12 exclusive augmented reality (AR) masks of the most popular characters from the play available on Portal. No Portal? No problem. Fans on Instagram and Facebook can still interact with the AR masks via each app’s camera and share video and photos via Stories.”
Currently, the AR is available exclusively in the US and UK.
Set almost two decades after the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Cursed Child debuted in 2016 as a two-part theatrical event, whose script was then published as a book.
“Lighting is an important component of visual storytelling in theater — it captures a mood and creates an aesthetic,” Art Director John Niehuss explains of the experience. “But it’s particularly important in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in helping establish specific, iconic locations. Lighting is one of the primary things we could draw on to mimic the play in Curtain Call on Portal.”
He added, “We wanted to push the limits of what has been done with AR to deliver something truly unique for the passionate fans of everything Harry Potter. And we’re honored to be able to bring some of the magic of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child into people’s homes.”
You can head to Tech@Facebook to learn more about the new experience.
