The Savannah College of Art and Design has announced the debut of the first virtual reality musical at this year's Savannah Film Festival. The short film, "Say it With Music," was created entirely by SCAD students and is the first musical treatment produced for a virtual reality experience.

Staged in a restaurant setting, "Say it with Music" follows an unexpected romantic connection between two servers. Using sound cues to drive the narrative,  the audience experiences a 360-degree perspective capturing multiple plot lines in an immersive motion picture experience. Created within a Collaborative Learning Center course, the project represents 14 of the university's academic programs, including film and television, animation, costume design, dramatic writing, production design, visual effects, themed entertainment design and motion media design. For filming, SCAD students created a custom camera rig that combined five Sony FS7 cameras and six GoPros to capture every angle on set.

"What can I say? Innovation is in our DNA! 'Say It With Music' is a cinematic marvel and a true collaborative feat," said SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. "Its debut at the 19^th annual Savannah Film Festival continues SCAD's long tradition of surprising the world of cinema and advancing the frontiers of film."

The CLC exists to connect students directly with industry professionals to solve creative challenges and deliver design concepts for global brands. Through the CLC, SCAD students have developed advertising campaigns, user experiences, and prototype plans for industry leading companies, including NASA, Disney, BMW, Google and Coca-Cola. Many students who work on CLC projects are hired upon graduation.

"Say it with Music" is the first virtual reality project developed entirely by a university in an immersive media lab environment. SCAD was also among the first universities to pioneer an immersive VR tour experience utilizing Google Cardboard goggles.

"Say It With Music" will debut at the Savannah Film Festival, SCAD's annual celebration of cinematic creativity, in a new VR programming track. The VR Showcase, presented exclusively at the Jen Library, 201 E. Broughton St., immerses audiences in dynamic and award-winning VR experiences from a variety of platforms and genres, including narrative, experimental, documentary, animated and interactive storytelling.

The Savannah Film Festival provides students unique opportunities to connect with entertainment icons, and features the year's most anticipated and acclaimed independent and studio films. The festival takes place October 22-29, 2016.