Disguise launches Metaverse Labs for end-to-end metaverse experience enablement

Disguise announces the launch of its Metaverse Labs—a global network of creative and technical experts to empower brands, creatives and technologists to deliver experiences in the metaverse. As part of Disguise’s Metaverse Solutions division, each Lab will merge R&D, creative services and consultancy to help their clients achieve the art of the possible.

Led by Chief Collaboration Officer Abi Bowman, Disguise Metaverse Labs bridges the talent gap to keep Disguise and its community at the forefront of change, all while empowering development and exploration on the metaverse.

Its established partnerships with metaverse and virtual production experts Zerospace, Nowhere, Improbable, Film Soho, Super Bonfire, All of it Now, Zoan, 4Wall Entertainment and Shape will give rise to new proof of concepts and new workflows. With this, Disguise Metaverse Labs aims to democratise and share insight, develop the skills and talent for tomorrow as well as advise, consult and create future-facing experiences so clients have everything they need to bring their next big idea to life.

In essence, it will be an end-to-end solution for anyone seeking to experiment and innovate within the $8 trillion metaverse market opportunity.

“R&D and technology breakthroughs are rapidly changing the industry around us, all while impacting how we consume content and interact with others. Only three years ago, remote work was not the norm and it's amazing how far we’ve come in such a short space of time - once we’re enabled with the right technology,” says Disguise CEO Fernando Küfer.

The metaverse is now the new frontier for human experience and Disguise, as a founding member of the Metaverse Standards Forum (MSF), is here to help create it.

Drawing on Disguise’s proprietary RenderStream infrastructure’s ability to connect real and virtual worlds and having powered over 600 extended reality productions across more than 35 countries, Disguise prides itself as a trusted partner for the delivery of any kind of hybrid experience.

In the past two years, Disguise’s Extended Reality (xR) workflow has powered live entertainment for music artists such as Katy Perry, Billie Eilish, and Alan Walker, film and episodic TV productions for Netflix and Amazon Prime, corporate presentations for Siemens and Verizon, and live broadcast programmes from Eurosport, MTV and ITV,

First established in Auckland, by Head of Labs New Zealand Sam Folkard, Disguise Metaverse Labs is expanding globally, first, with a UK division formed and headed by Stuart Mckenna and a growing division in Los Angeles. Following this, Global Head of Labs Lara Bowen, will bring together local partners in New York, Seoul and Montreal and continue establishing Disguise Metaverse Labs’ global presence in the emerging metaverse space. These efforts are supported by Disguise partners ROE Visual, who provide the LED for all Labs locations.

“With more of us eager to live our experiences in a virtual world, there will be a seismic shift in how we communicate, interact and deliver these experiences together,” says Bowen. “For the Disguise community, that shift in workflow means both big opportunities and a steep learning curve. That’s why we started Disguise Metaverse Labs. By offering the tools and training to create innovative metaverse experiences, we aim to give creatives around the globe more time to experiment with big ideas—without worrying about the technicalities of their setup.”

Disguise Head of Labs New Zealand Sam Folkard, envisions Disguise Labs as a product of collaboration that will create the next generation of experiences in the metaverse:

“Disguise Metaverse Labs is here to provide brands, creative agencies and studios with everything they need to deliver their vision. Whether it’s creating hybrid or never-seen-before virtual experiences for artists and audiences, integrating with product or NFT launches, or even bridging a new technology innovation - we are here to help,” says Folkard.

Brands, creatives and technologists can now start taking advantage of Labs’ various services across the entire production pipeline including concept development, content creation (photogrammetry, motion capture, volumetric capture), as well as production planning and delivery support. Labs will also offer regular training days so anyone can get up to speed with new metaverse workflows and technologies.

Discover the full list of services from Disguise Metaverse Labs