As filmmakers take their first stabs at virtual-reality entertainment, the possibilities are numerous. So are the challenges‎.

Broadly speaking, the question is how to create screen content that offers the storytelling satisfactions of traditional cinema but with the new vocabulary and immersive possibilities of VR.

That effort takes shape with one of the first mainstream VR films -- “Henry,” an animated short by the buzzy VR outfit Oculus Story Studio.

An animated piece about a lonely hedgehog, “Henry” ‎examines what happens when the title character attempts to celebrate his birthday only to find that his unique characteristics make the usual party accouterments challenging. (You can catch a look at an exclusive image of the film, complete with Henry and those accessories, at the top of the post.)


A premiere event in Los Angeles on July 28 will unveil the film to media and tastemakers; a trailer with interactive elements will follow later in the year. “Henry” is likely to be made available with every Rift CV1, the debut consumer VR headset that will ship at the beginning of 2016.

Although the last year has brought a range of VR videos -- including art-minded experiences, branded commercials and concert reproductions -- few have attempted high-end scripted narrative content like Story Studio, a unit of the Facebook-owned Oculus.

Earlier this year the division unveiled its first movie -- a sci-fi-flavored effort called “Lost.” “Henry” pushes the interactivity element a bit further. Other movies, in different genres, are expected to follow.

The goal at this point is twofold. Story Studio hopes to acclimate VR adopters to the idea that the medium can offer cinema-style entertainment ‎beyond straight video games (and that Oculus is the place to find it).


But it also aims to help creators hone a form very much its nascent stages, as Oculus attempts a trial-and-error system of sorts in forming a new medium.

As you can see above, the image suggests a character that, among other qualities, has the wide appeal and anthropomorphic traits of those in a Pixar movie. It’s for good reason: Oculus Story Studio is populated with Pixar veterans, including the longtime animator Ramiro Lopez Dau, who is directing the film.

How much audiences embrace the movie will be a key indicator of these early efforts. Equally important is other creatives pick up the trailer Oculus leaves them. There’s plenty of adventurousness ahead, even while, as the image suggests, the stories look to follow in a time-honored tradition.

Twitter: @ZeitchikLAT