Even the director salutes The General: Ilya Rozhkov and Tony Dennison on the red carpet for Agent Emerson.
WESTWOOD, CA (LA ELEMENTS) 12/02/2019- “What is possible about Virtual Reality that’s not possible anywhere else?” writer and director Ilya Rozhkov asked himself when he first started to explore the world of VR. Agent Emerson is one of those answers.
On November 18, 2019, we joined the cast and crew for the red carpet premiere of Agent Emerson at the Westwood IPIC Theater . Agent Emerson has been a work-in-progress since 2016, held back only by the limitation of progressing technology. But this setback didn’t prevent Rozhkov from pursuing his creation. In this film, you enter the world through the perspective of Agent Emerson (voiced by Andrew Bowen of Mortal Kombat X) as he wakes up and realizes he is under the control of the General (Tony Denison of The Closer and Major Crimes). With the help of the rogue operative Alexandria Emerson (Lyndsy Fonseca of Kick-Ass), Agent Emerson must learn how to overcome corrupt forces and fight for what he loves.
Lyndsey Fonseca attends the “Agent Emerson” Premiere at iPic Theater.
The actual experience of Agent Emerson includes action-packed fight scenes with a complex storyline. In a short amount of time, the film develops many different relationship dynamics between good and bad characters. Bursts of electric cellos carry the intense scenes. Colorful and detailed landscapes of nature contrast with scenes of high-tech labs. While the quality of the music and details demonstrate time and care, the technology still has the expected setbacks.
While being able to watch a film in 360-degrees is a new and exciting experience, most of the action required viewers to turn sideways instead of forward. On the other hand, they were able to visit an entirely new world in the comfort of the theater. The length of Agent Emerson is a perfect balance between constant action and a coherent story. Regardless of a few technical hiccups during the premiere, the acting and writing create a theater experience unlike any other. As viewers came out of the theater, the overall response was very positive. Many stated that they were pleasantly surprised by the smoothness of the viewing experience and didn’t feel any motion sickness at all either during or after the film.
Director Ilya Rozhkov and Andrew Bowen attendsthe “Agent Emerson” Premiere at iPic Theater.
Going to the theater has long been a passive activity, but with emerging technologies, your time at the movies might be evolving. Imagine if the experience of embodying your favorite videogame character has suddenly turned into a 360-degree film experience. For thirteen minutes, you are fully immersed in a world of spies and science fiction. For thirteen minutes, you are Agent Emerson.
At its core, Agent Emerson is a well-written film that partners with the game engines of The Rogue Initiative to increase the quality of the video for all viewers. While only being a short film, it makes a powerful statement regarding the advancements of VR technology. It is now released on all major VR platforms. Are you ready to experience the next evolution of storytelling?
You can view the trailer for Agent Emerson right here.
On the red carpet of the IPIC Theater in Westwood, we talked with Writer/Director, Ilya Rozhkov, about the making of Agent Emerson.
What inspired Agent Emerson?
Actually, Virtual Reality itself. When I got my first Oculus VR Headset, I put it on and was looking at all the content it provided. But it wasn’t a lot, to be honest. I kept thinking, what makes Virtual Reality unique as a storytelling medium? I was looking for something like this when I got my first VR headset.
Who are some directors that inspire you?
When it comes to Virtual Reality, it’s all about the new language of it — finding and defining it. So, I look back at George Méliès — who pioneered the effect cinema — works of Lumiere, and Eisenstein. Those are big sources of inspiration. But when it comes to storytelling in films in general, works of Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, and Taika Waititi are always incredibly inspiring to me.
What do you want people to understand about Agent Emerson? Is there a message?
Absolutely. Storytelling is evolving, and this is a new way of pursuing it. It’s an experience first and foremost. And now you’re part of a movie. You’re part of this world. That’s something you have to experience. We’re at the beginning of this beautiful age of modern cinema. With Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and new types of other production coming out, it’s truly an exciting time to be both a content creator and a member of the audience.
What’s next for you?
We have a couple titles in development, both connecting storytelling and the latest technology. And we’re looking forward to announcing them soon.
Next, we interviewed acclaimed actor Tony Denison, who plays the part of the General.
Tony Denison at the world premiere of Agent Emerson. Photo: Kristen Kois for LA ELEMENTS
What attracted you to this project?
My publicist, Nadine Jolson, called me up and said, “I’m involved in this project, this Virtual Reality film.” And I was like, yes, I’ll do it. It sounded interesting. I’ve never done anything like this before.
Your character, the General, is considered the story’s villain, but is there anything you find redeeming or admirable about him?
For me, as an actor, when I get to play a character who believes the ends are justified by the means, it’s always an interesting place to go. The alternative is to play the character who fights against that the whole time. So, when you play this character, like the General, who definitely believes the ends justify the means, you walk in and don’t make any excuses about what you’re doing. You’re not looking for people to feel sorry for you or understand you. You just want people to accept you because this is your life. This is what you do.
How was working on a VR project different than some of your other projects?
I’ve done green screen projects, but this is my first VR. The green screen project was a long time ago, and it was fun. In the beginning, I couldn’t stop laughing, because I’m doing all sorts of weird things like pretending to get hit by bolts of lightning. When you see the finished product, it’s totally different. So, when I saw the finished product for this, I thought, “Oh my God that’s so cool.”
What projects are you working on next?
Right now, I’m working on All Rise, which is a new CBS TV series. I play Vic Callan, who’s the lead guy’s father.
Agent Emerson is directed by Ilya Rozhkov
Written by Ilya Rozhkov and Joshua King
Produced by Pete Blumel and Cathy Twig of Rogue Initiative
Starring: Tony Denison as The General, Lyndsy Fonseca as Alex Emerson and Andrew Bowen as David Emerson.
Agent Emerson is available now on Oculus Rift, Go and Quest, HTC Vive and Cosmos and Sony PlayStation VR
All photography including cover photo courtesy of Ilya Rozhkov, Lyndsy Fonseca and Tony Dennison by Billy Benight except where otherwise noted.
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