The Immersive Education Initiative announced that Disney's Katie Fico will keynote IMMERSION 2014 in Los Angeles, CA, this June. The award-winning Stereoscopic Supervisor at Walt Disney Animation Studios led the stereo team through the challenge of designing dimensionality for the Academy Award-winning animated film Frozen to enhance the emotional beats and further immerse the audience in a vibrant and colorful world.

Sponsored by Disney and Target, IMMERSION 2014 features speakers and exhibits by Disney Animation Studios, the Smithsonian Institution, Google, Microsoft, Stratasys, Oculus, Oracle, Bitcoin and more.

In her keynote address, Frozen: The Art of 3D Storytelling, Fico will share with IMMERSION 2014 attendees the ways in which Disney uses 3D technology to create unique and deeply compelling immersive experiences. Frozen is a sweeping epic tale, filled with magical ice and swirling snow. For the film Fico and her team utilized stereo 3D and depth to enhance the story and emotionally engage viewers in a way that is not possible with traditional movies.

Drawing on her work on Frozen, Fico will explain how stereo 3D is used as a storytelling tool today what we expect to see and experience in future Disney films. Her keynote will also address the importance of stereo 3D as a business tool, and how this relatively new technology is already impacting the world around us.

Recently awarded with "Best Stereographer" and "Best Stereo" by the International 3D Society for her work on Frozen, Fico has worked on a number of films during her career at Walt Disney Animation Studios, including Dinosaur, Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons, Bolt, Tangled, and Paperman.

"3D Storytelling is a way for the audience to connect with a character, to feel their emotions and be a part of their journey,” Fico says. “The use of stereo on a Disney film is relatively new and still evolving. Yet, Disney is on the forefront of technology and an industry leader with their 3D techniques. Here at Walt Disney Animation Studios we use 3D in a way that allows the audience to feel immersed within the emotional arcs of the film. During my IMMERSION 2014 keynote address I will focus on what our stereo process is and how we use 3D as a storytelling tool and also what to expect in our future films. I will also talk about why stereo is important from a business stand point, and how stereo is impacting the world around us.”

Source: The Immersive Education Initiative