Netflix Boosts George Clooney's 'The Midnight Sky' with Innovative AR Hologram Tool

UNIT9 and Netflix have launched an AR social hologram and digital microsite inspired by the upcoming George Clooney movie 'The Midnight Sky' to send hologram video messages to friends and family for the holidays. The site allows fans to record and share personal video messages with loved ones through augmented reality holograms. 

Available on 'The Midnight Sky' website, the tool is powered by 8th Wall AR technology, and it’s the first time this tech has been used to deliver messages like this. Once recorded, a filter is applied to the videos to make them 3D, curved holograms that recipients can play on any flat surface in their home. There’s also a George Clooney hologram, also viewable on Twitter. With most people separated from loved ones for the holidays, this is a fun way to still feel an emotional, personal connection while staying apart. This is the first time 8th Wall technology has been used to deliver messages in this way. The microsite opens with a welcome message from George Clooney, giving visitors the opportunity to place his hologram in their own environments, and fans of the film are encouraged to share hologram messages on social media.

'The Midnight Sky', which premieres on Netflix tomorrow, is directed by and stars George Clooney, as well as Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Tiffany Boone, Demián Bichir and Kyle Chandler, and introduces newcomer Caoilinn Springall. George and his longtime partner Grant Heslov produce, as well as Keith Redmon, Bard Dorros and Cliff Roberts.

The film follows Augustine - played by George - a lonely scientist isolated in the Arctic Circle who must race to contact a crew of astronauts with a warning about dire circumstances on Earth. Throughout the film, the astronauts (Jones, Oyelowo, Boone, Bichir, Chandler) are able to view holographic memories of their friends and families as a way to cope with the isolation of space. This project brings the holograms from the film to life and uses emotional technology to create moments of connection for families and friends who are separated this holiday season.

Yehuda Duenyas, experiential director at UNIT9, said: “Although people remain distanced from their loved ones this holiday season, they are still craving connection with family and friends, so we set out to help foster these connections through innovative technology. The-MidnightSky.com is a web-based AR tool that turns personal video messages into three-dimensional holograms. This is the first time that this technology has been used to send messages like this, and we couldn’t have created it at a better time as people continue to look for creative ways to see loved ones in their homes while staying safe and apart."