With the news that ArcLight Cinema and the Pacific Theatre will permanently close their doors, a Los Angeles tech startup is using augmented reality to pay homage to the hidden history of the iconic Cinerama Dome on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.
The developers of ReplayAR have released an augmented reality video that highlights the renowned venue by virtually projecting old photographs from the past onto the real-life Cinerama Dome of today. The video was filmed on location using a free AR photo app that, the company says, lets smartphone users freeze time and instantly turn their digital photographs into locational augmented reality memories. People can also use the app to record videos of their AR creations to share on social media.
"ReplayAR explores visual context at the intersection of where and when," said inventor and company co-founder Jay Huddy. "We felt AR could shine a light on the colorful past of this historic landmark and remind us of the role cinematic institutions like ArcLight Cinemas and the Cinerama Dome have played in shaping Los Angeles."
The project is a special edition of ReplayAR's AR Time Capsule series, which uses their app's patented AR technology to explore the invisible history that surrounds us in everyday life. The series has previously featured AR history tours of uplifting events in New York such as the Rockefeller Christmas Tree lighting at Rockefeller Center, and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Herald Square, as well as more somber historical moments, like the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
Closer to home, ReplayAR will soon be releasing a new augmented reality history tour of greater Los Angeles, allowing local Angelenos a chance to revisit memorable moments from LA's past.
ReplayAR's historical exploration of the Cinerama Dome and other video installments of their AR Time Capsule" series can be found on their YouTube channel and at ReplayAR.com. A single-user version of the ReplayAR augmented reality app is available for free on the App Store for iOS and Play Store for Android.
ReplayAR http://www.ReplayAR.com