Felix & Paul Studios and Just For Laughs Launch “The Confessional” VR Comedy Series on YouTube and Daydream featuring comedians like Trevor Noah
Felix & Paul Studios, the EMMY® award-winning creator of cinematic virtual reality experiences, and Just For Laughs, producer of the world’s largest comedy festival, today announced the launch of “The Confessional”, a seven-episode virtual reality comedy series available on Daydream, Google’s mobile VR platform, and YouTube. “The Confessional” features leading comedians and YouTube stars, including Lilly Singh, Trevor Noah, Judd Apatow, Howie Mandel, Jim Norton, Moshe Kasher, Natasha Leggero, and Grace Helbig & Mamrie Hart.
“The Confessional” was conceived and produced by both Felix & Paul Studios and Just For Laughs in collaboration with Google, and was filmed over the course of 2017’s Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal. Headspace Studio, the leader in 3D positional audio processing, provided audio capture and end-to-end sound processing for the series.
In each episode of this first-of-its-kind 3D, 360-degree VR comedy series, viewers find themselves in a confessional booth, face to face with one or two comedians, who then ‘confess’ their most awkward, humorous and embarrassing stories to the viewer. From a first date gone wrong, to an ongoing prank on a known comedian, to a nightmare car ride to Vegas, “The Confessional” features intimate stories from today’s biggest comedy stars.
“As a creator, I’m always looking for the newest platforms to tell stories,” said entertainer Lilly Singh, who stars in the first episode. “‘The Confessional’ provided an innovative opportunity to learn more about the technology behind VR and explore an even more intimate setting for storytelling. I loved working with Felix & Paul Studios, Just For Laughs and YouTube to share some pretty personal confessions for this series, alongside a group of such talented comedians.”
“When we approached Just For Laughs about creating VR’s first premium short comedy show, it was amazing how quickly we realized we had a shared creative vision - to create a new form of comedic experience by fusing VR’s capacity to create a strong sense of proximity and intimacy between viewer and talent, with the extraordinary quality of presence and performance of the best comedians. Think of ‘Comedians in Cars’ or ‘Between Two Ferns’, but in the highly immersive, intimate and personal medium of virtual reality where the viewer essentially becomes the host,” said Paul Raphaël, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Felix & Paul Studios. “We are thrilled to launch our first VR experiences on the Daydream platform and look forward to future collaborations with both Google and Just For Laughs.”
“Just For Laughs is thrilled to be working with Felix & Paul Studios, the premier VR company in the world. We share a desire to showcase brilliant comedians in new and innovative ways outside of the stand-up space. VR is defining the way we will experience entertainment in the future. We are excited to create content that introduces stand-up to the world of VR,” said Bruce Hills, COO of Just For Laughs.
"We're really excited to be partnering closely with talented creators like Felix & Paul Studios and Just For Laughs to bring innovative VR content to YouTube and Daydream. ‘The Confessional’ series pairs their VR expertise with popular comedians like Lilly Singh and Trevor Noah, resulting in a fun, compelling new VR format for comedy. It's an opportunity for viewers to connect with their favorite comedians like never before,” said Julia Hamilton Trost, Business Development Manager, Daydream.
“The Confessional” will be available for streaming on YouTube, and YouTube VR on Daydream.
About Felix & Paul Studios
Felix & Paul Studios is the industry leader in the field of high-end cinematic virtual reality with an unparalleled reputation for producing the highest quality experiences in this emerging new medium. The studio combines technological innovation with a unique, pioneering and in-depth approach to the new art of virtual reality storytelling—creating ground-breaking original cinematic experiences (MIYUBI, Nomads series, Strangers, The Confessional) and collaborations with existing franchises (Jurassic World, Cirque du Soleil, Fox Searchlight’s Wild) and world-renowned personalities and leaders (President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, LeBron James, President Bill Clinton).
The company is the world’s only full spectrum VR studio, showcasing end-to-end creative and technological know-how and proprietary tools within one company—including best-in-class spherical 3D camera systems, production and post-production software and processes, and specialized audio capture, design and processing through its Headspace Studios division.
With its headquarters in Montreal, Canada and offices in Los Angeles, CA, Felix & Paul Studios has a highly experienced team of over 60 VR specialists and is backed by Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, Comcast Ventures, Investment Quebec, OMERS Ventures, and the Phi Group.
About Just For Laughs
Founded in 1983, the Just For Laughs Group has had but one goal in its 30-plus years of operation: Make People Happy. To achieve this goal, the Just For Laughs Group has focused on four major products: Festivals in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney; television production including Gags seen in over 130 countries and on over 75 airlines and stand-up specials; live shows, such as Canadian tour dates for Jerry Seinfeld, Louis C.K., Jim Gaffigan and the Just For Laughs Comedy Tour; and talent management. The Just For Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival is the world’s largest and most prestigious comedy event welcoming on average 1.35 million visitors to Montreal each summer and generating approximately $80 million for the city’s economy. The Group has offices in Montreal, Paris, Los Angeles, Toronto, and London.
