FIVARS 2021 Spotlight: Lifetime Achievement

Lifetime Achievement, created entirely in Quill, is a whimsical tale about balancing work and family, and immerses the viewer in a fantastical wonderland as the protagonist, Albert, loses sight of what matters most.

We had the opportunity to ask creator Yonatan Tal a few questions about the project.

 What lead to the creation of Lifetime Achievement?

At the core of the Lifetime Achievement’s story, there’s the theme of presence. I live in LA, and my entire family lives in Israel. The story represents the state that I’m in right now, where I’ve followed my career path to the other side of the world, but now, more than ever, I wish I could teleport away and spend time with my family more often.

What was the production process for you and the Parade Animation team? What did you learn?

The production of the project marked lots of “firsts” for us. The first project for “Parade” as a studio, first time working together with a bigger team, first time doing a big project in VR and in Quill particularly. On top of that, we were all working from different places in the world, from LA to Paris, Vancouver to Tel Aviv. So much could have gone wrong, and yet, thanks to our producer Ziporen Hazum, everything ended up being extremely streamlined.
A big takeaway for me was that even though working remotely was initially perceived as a setback; it turned out to be an efficient and convenient way for many of us to work. It made me think of “Parade” as possibly a none-location based studio, if not a hybrid.

How did you become an immersive media content creator and why?

I had been drawn to immersive media for a few years before trying to actually create something in VR/AR. I’m most drawn to the idea of innovation in storytelling, developing a new artistic language in a brand new medium, and exploring ways to interact with animated worlds and characters.

What is the VR/AR industry like in your region?

I live in LA, and there’s a lot of opportunities to experience VR, and to be a part of emerging communities around VR/AR. One of my first meaningful experiences with immersive media was when I went to VRLA expo, a few years ago. It was thrilling to be exposed to new titles, technologies, and people that were excited about VR/AR the way that I was. When you work in a new field, it’s key to surround yourself with like-minded people that believe in the same things as you do, and have similar goals and visions for the future.

What does the future look like for Parade Animation?

We’ve got some ambitious plans for the near and far future at “Parade Animation.”
To begin with, we will continue to explore more original narrative stories in VR. We’re interested in working with tones and styles that are very different than the ones in Lifetime Achievement, and we strive to expand the vocabulary of VR storytelling.
Later we would like our content to become exponentially more interactive, with an emphasis on interactive characters.

What would you like to share with fellow content creators and/or the industry?

You’re incredible. Keep pushing the bar up and inspire each other the way I’ve been inspired by you so far.

Do you think VR festivals like FIVARS are important?

They are extremely important. They take a crucial part in building a solid environment and community in which VR creators can flourish and be recognized. They make a great platform for exchanging ideas and they pull in a brand new audience that is introduced to VR for the first time. Curating great VR content for new audiences is highly important since one’s first experience in VR sometimes determines if they would like to keep consuming VR content in the future or not.

Anything else you’d like to add?

We would love FIVARS’s audience to follow our journey and say hey on Instagram and Facebook!


Lifetime Achievement is available to watch for All-Access Pass Holders