Interactive filmmaking platform Stornaway.io has been awarded a SMART grant from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, to invent a radically new type of video editing software – designed for the next generation of interactive and immersive video stories and games.
Building on Stornaway’s previous Innovate UK Audience of the Future grant which created a no-code Object-Based-Media integration with Unity game engine, this new award will go towards funding what the Innovate Assessors described as “A game-changing innovation that will simplify the production of immersive content – offering more accessible options than Unity and Unreal.”
Transforming video creation for Scenario-based learning, marketing, immersive film and games.
Named by the Creative Industries Council as a CreaTech One To Watch 2021 startup, Stornaway plans to use the grant to develop a new model for interactive immersive video editing, taking video beyond the linear single-clip paradigm that’s dominated video software until now. This project will extend the existing Stornaway toolkit which empowers non-technical creators to easily create interactive/immersive video stories and games for multiple platforms including web, mobile apps, consoles, desktop, tv, VR and live events.
Launched in 2020 to global users, Stornaway.io is an industry-leading no-code content creation platform that uniquely provides the ability to gamify and personalize video stories and was a previous Silicon Gorge winner. It was dreamed up by video tech pioneer Ru Howe and renowned singer/writer/producer Kate Dimbleby who felt the need for better tools for interactive storytelling.
With simple, template-based tools and realtime playback, Stornaway already empowers its 12,000+ global creators to create interactive video and 360° stories without coding.
The first interactive feature film created in Stornaway had its world cinema premiere in September at the Dinard Film Festival – simultaneously releasing on Playstation, Xbox, Switch, iOS, Android and Steam. Paul Raschid’s “The Gallery”, produced by Aviary Studios was edited in Stornaway.
Writer-Director of “The Gallery”, leading interactive filmmaker Paul Raschid (The Complex, Five Dates), who is already working on his next interactive feature, says of the software, “Stornaway has completely revolutionised our way of working, saving time and money and allowing me to put more budget onscreen.”
” Because we’ve designed it for non-technical users, it can be picked up and used by absolutely anyone with an interactive story idea, and they can publish without coding on whatever platforms or apps they prefer. “
Alongside independent film and game creators, Stornaway is seeing an uptake in learning use, with businesses looking to upskill their internal teams and engage their employees and customers better.
Brands like Diageo and Deutsche Telekom are using Stornaway to create more immersive content for their customers and employees.
Meanwhile theatre companies and cultural institutions like the Egg Assembly, Theatre Royal Bath, Staatstheater Kassel in Germany, Fort Edmonton Park and StratFest in Canada are using the platform to create engaging interactive and immersive educational experiences for children.
Co-Founder and Creative Director of Stornaway.io Kate Dimbleby says, “Video can now be personalized and gamified – but existing video editors like Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro and iMovie have lagged behind because they were built for a linear era – so it’s been too tricky for most creators and companies to unlock video’s enormous untapped creative potential by making it interactive, immersive and personalized. Stornaway is a magical toolkit for the next generation of video makers.
“We designed Stornaway as a super easy interactive filmmaking platform that hides a powerful object-based-media game engine underneath. Because we’ve designed it for non-technical users, it can be picked up and used by absolutely anyone with an interactive story idea, and they can publish without coding on whatever platforms or apps they prefer.
“We have listened to our creators and we are so excited to use this funding to pioneer a whole new model of video editor while keeping it a simple platform for everyone – people totally new to video and games, but also experts who want better workflows.”
Co-founder and Product Designer Ru Howe adds, “We’re so happy that Innovate UK has seen the enormous potential of our idea, with such high scores and amazing assessor comments on our proposal. I’m particularly excited to see partnerships and integrations emerging with enterprises and platforms who want to join with us – please get in touch.”
