Oculus swipes an Emmy for VR animation Henry

Henry, the VR animated short film made by Oculus’ Story Studios, has been awarded with an Emmy.

It’s the first time one of the prestigious TV accolades has been given to an original movie made for virtual reality, with Henry picking up the trophy for Outstanding Original Interactive Program.

Winners have to earn unanimous agreement from a panel of industry experts, marking a major step for the nascent medium of VR as it attempts to establish wider acceptance, as noted by the film’s director Ramiro Lopez Dau.

“When we set out to make Henry, it was a step into the unknown world of making an emotional VR movie,” he recalled. “While we didn’t know what the outcome was going to be, we were excited about the possibilities.

“We never anticipated that one of our first projects would be given such a distinction and this recognition is not only a testament to our team’s creative and technical achievements, but also a validation for the VR storytelling community as a whole.

“While Henry is just one step in the long journey ahead, we hope this moment inspires storytellers to bring their ideas to this new medium and help shape the future of VR storytelling.”

Oculus previously released the Unreal Engine 4 assets used to make the movie – which stars the voice talent of Hollywood actor Elijah Wood – through its blog in order for devs to study the use of design and animation in VR. The full movie is also freely available.