Director’s Reel: Ashley Maria

New Media – Film – Television

As a Director, Ashley brings award-winning creative vision and expertise as well as an incredible creative team composed of actors, cinematographers, production design, writing, production sound and post design, editing, etc. necessary to deliver the final project.

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Comedy/horror and immersive video writer & director

Yes, comedy and horror…

Ashley is known for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) award-winning film Friday Night Fright™, a blended comedy/horror which lead to a coveted mentorship with director Wes Craven, and for having developed the first ever 360 immersive virtual reality Kickstarter update video!

photo by Tonya Wise

Ashley was recently featured by the DGA Women’s Steering Committee as a “director to watch”; representing the future of women in film.

“We truly feel your accomplishment of winning a student film DGA as well as your continued work within the industry will lead to really great things for you as the future of DGA and the entertainment industry as a whole.”  Kat Landsberg, DGA Women’s Steering Committee

360 filmmaking can be affordable

What are the elements that go into making a 360 video? Well, what IS a 360 video?

In short, a 360 video is made with a camera that is able to capture ‘everywhere.’ It is able to see and record everything that goes on around it. It’s challenging to filmmakers since we are accustomed to guiding the audience with our shots, angles and edits, but it is also a welcomed change to a world that is way more connected than ever.  360 videos allow YOU, the audience, to decide where to look. You’ve got the power! As a filmmaker, I can use sound cues to encourage the audience to look in one direction or another, but what if they don’t? Then there must be something aiding the story all around.

This can be expensive for the independent filmmaker – or, so we are told. Sure, some stories require multiple cameras, hours and hours of stitching the footage and rendering, a production and post sound crew and many more experts to get everything just right so the audience will feel immersed. And yes, to be able to afford this for every story, would be the dream!

But what if you simply want to show your audience the full perspective of a moment in time? Creating this kind of empathy doesn’t have to be expensive. So, I decided to get out of my head and into the world with my 360fly camera.

360 filmmaking is about giving your audience the full perspective and allowing them to simply be in the moment. This weekend, I marched in Los Angeles for the Women’s March, and I filmed moments with my 360fly camera. Those who were unable to attend a march or maybe wondered ‘what is this march all about’ can see what it is like to be right in the middle of it all. I chose eye level so the audience would feel like they are right there next to me.

After all, these are tools to connect us. They make us think about our own lives and how we relate with each other. And – in more ways than one – they allow us to see different perspectives. Embrace 360!

Follow me on YouTube to see other 360 Full Perspectives I have created just for you 🙂

Pokemon Go and AR

Ashley playing pokemon

Since global phenomenon Pokemon Go launched on July 5, 2016 Nintendo’s shares are at 14,490 Japanese yen ($136.59), more than doubling Nintendo’s stock. Personally, I have had a great time just learning to play the game. I’ve chatted up strangers as I tried to learn tips and tricks, and I’ve totally enjoyed the exercise! In a recent interview in the Lenovo blog (below) I shared that my Fitbit step count has been the highest it has ever been.

Also shared in that interview: my initial perspective of how this free app, which works on just about any Android or iOS device, is most definitely bringing AR into the public consciousness. And oh my gosh — this is very good for me and what I’m doing around narrative 360/virtual reality (VR)!!

What I think will happen 

Gaming publishers and developers will soon come out with improved AR smartphone and goggle-related experiences; allowing for people to become even more accustomed to interactive entertainment.

So, who’s next?

My bet is on products like the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro smartphone (globally available in September) to make AR and VR as pervasive as the GPS. This Lenovo smartphone has a 16 megapixel rear camera on board with a special depth-sensing unit, along with multiple camera sensors, which power the AR experience. I am also betting on Minecraft. Yeah…I know…developers need to first make it work on smartphones and follow that up with an even more immersive experience with Hololens (or any other headset).

What do you think?

I’m guessing the future looks bright for both AR and VR — and I couldn’t be happier about it!

[What’s the difference between VR and AR? Click here.]

In the news

Article published on Lenovo blog – 14 July, 2016:

Why Pokémon Go Could Be a Watershed Moment for AR Technology

– by Gavin O’Hara

If you are alive and/or have checked the Internet over the last few days, then you know: there is an invasion happening. They are here and living amongst us—down the street, in the park, at the office—and they are adorable.

Less than a week after the release of Pokémon Go, people of all ages are wandering their neighborhoods, smartphones in hand, obedient zombies desperately hoping for a glimpse of Ponyta or Eevee. Pokémon Go not only looks to be a legitimate gaming phenomenon right out of the gate, it could also represent the moment that augmented reality (AR) went mainstream. We asked LA-based virtual reality filmmaker Ashley Maria for her take on the Poké-madness.

* * * * *

I live in Los Angeles, right across the street from a huge church. I pass it often, waving to the pastor and continuing on to the grocery store next door. It’s a nice, neighborly relationship. I have never just stood outside of it, though, looking up and staring at its sign—until today.

I just stood there. Looking. And waiting. You see, I was trying to figure out my first beacon.

Ashley at fence

I’m talking about Pokémon Go, a new smartphone-based game that forces players to go outside and explore the world around them. Maybe force is a strong word but you do have to go outside to catch Pokémon and collect supplies from “beacons” in your area.

The game places a Pokémon in the space around you and challenges you to catch it with a Poké Ball. It uses the camera on your phone, so you can actually see a little Pokémon in front of you. They put one next to you when you first start the app, but then you must venture out for a super-fun Augmented Reality experience in your city.

As AR & VR technologies make their way into the mainstream, all it takes is one breakout application to help us understand how much they will impact our lives. Pokémon Go is that app. With more than 7 million downloads after a few days, this interactive AR game leveraged nostalgia to gain initial traction, and used its real-life implementation to get us all absolutely obsessed.

I first heard about the game in my Facebook feed when a few friends were hunting Pokémon at Disneyland. A short while later—with my social feed full of images of Pokémon popping up in friends’ apartments—I knew I had to join the party.

I downloaded the app, created my character (“itsashleymaria”) and waited for it to figure out my location. Immediately, there was a little Squirtle in front of me ready to be caught! I never played the Pokémon games back in the day so I felt pretty cool throwing a little white-and-red Poké Ball to catch this guy. Through the app, I saw that there were even more beacons and interactive spots for me to check out.

I ventured out, arriving at my first beacon (the church). As I stood outside, it didn’t seem to be working. I noticed the sign was on the other side of the fence – did I need to be directly under it for it to work? I actively tried to figure out how to get into the fenced-in courtyard but no luck. I’m not one to give up easily but my phone was drained. (This app drains your battery FAST.)

After a quick charge, I returned determined to figure it out. This time, it worked right away. A cool horse-like Pokémon called Ponyta appeared. I took a billion screenshots because she was so cute, and then I caught her.

Now I’m hooked. And it made my FitBit happy! I hit about 5,000 steps just searching for Pokémon. Plus, I got to see other parts of my neighborhood I may otherwise have never seen.

To learn more about Lenovo’s own augmented reality technology, explore their new AR smartphone.