Immersed – A Cinematic Immersive Album by Justin Gray, 60min,. Canada
Directed by Justin Gray, Michael Fisher
Justin Gray’s Immersed is a groundbreaking cinematic album that transforms how audiences experience music. Composed, recorded, and produced as an immersive audio experience, the album features 38 artists from Toronto and around the globe, placing listeners at the center of a three-dimensional global orchestra.
https://www.instagram.com/justingraysound/
Get to know Justin Gray:
1. What motivated you to make this film?
I have long dreamed of creating an immersive cinematic album experience. As a music composer, engineer, and producer, I work regularly in the area of Immersive Audio, and I see movie theatres as incredible places for audiences to experience music.
From the moment I started writing this music, I imagined the ideal playback environment as a movie theatre, where an audience could collectively watch the film and experience the music in Dolby Atmos or 5.1 Surround Sound.
This film presented an opportunity to realize this dream, pushing the boundaries of music technology and expanding the album listening experience into a visual, cinematic one.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
This cinematic album took four years to make. I started by writing the music. Once it was entirely composed and orchestrated, I entered pre-production, which involved rehearsing the music, developing technology to record it for three-dimensional playback, and collaborating with co-director Michael Fisher to establish the visual concept for telling the story of this music on screen.
We then recorded the majority of the music in a Toronto studio over the course of 30 days, recording and filming each part live. We also did 10 additional shooting days to capture footage of the dancers, additional music performances, and the natural world.
3. How would you describe your film in two words?
Cinematic Album
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Scheduling is always the most significant obstacle for me in any production. This cinematic album features 38 artists from around the world. As an independent film producer, I was responsible for scheduling the entire team throughout the project.
I’m grateful it all came together as planned. Still, as any music producer or filmmaker knows, the people involved are the most valuable asset of all, and having them all in the right place at the right time is a monumental task.
5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I was overjoyed to see the audience respond so positively to the film. What stood out most to me is that, despite the immense amount of technology required to create this production, everything fades away for the audience. They simply experience the beauty and power of the music and the film.
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I’ve loved film since I was a kid. And although I’m not a traditional filmmaker, I’ve been pairing music and film for over a decade. For me, the two art forms are intimately connected. IMMERSED is the most ambitious and fully realized project I’ve had the pleasure to produce.
It would have been impossible without the co-director and cinematographer, Michael Fisher. Michael and I have been working together for over a decade, and we’ve been dreaming of a project like this for a long time.
7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, followed by Pulp Fiction.
8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
I think it would be valuable to have more opportunities for live screenings. Online screenings are practical, but nothing can replace the collective experience of an audience being together in a theatre.
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experience been working on the festival platform site?
As a producer coming from the music world, I’ve enjoyed the FilmFreeway experience. It keeps everything organized and transparent, and I’ve found it to be a very efficient way to share projects with festivals around the world.
10. What is your favourite meal?
A wonderful spread of vegetarian Indian dishes, served with naan and rice.
11. What is next for you? A new film?
Next, I look forward to continuing to work with artists worldwide—to push the boundaries of their art and explore new ways of expressing music in partnership with cinema.
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