James Gaydon and Divesh Naidoo, co-founders of Johannesburg-based animation, virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) production house Dondoo Studios, both cite a lifelong love for animated films and gaming as the starting point of their foray into the world of interactive content development.
What seemed like a fated meeting at The Animation School (TAS) in Cape Town, which they both credit for the development of their complementary and varied skillset – though neither completed their studies – led to the start of Dondoo Studios in early 2015.
Gaydon explains that Dondoo initially began as a boutique animation studio producing content for the commercial market: “We had dreams of slowly building to a point where we would be developing our own IP in long-form animated TV series and films much like Triggerfish in Cape Town. However Divesh had another skill (that being programming) that we began to realise could be very useful when combined with our skills and passion for 3D content… We had been keeping our eyes on developments in VR and AR for quite some time and when it became available we purchased an Oculus DK2 development kit and brought it into the country. We then began building demos of various ideas we had around VR content,” Gaydon expands.
A meeting with one of the country’s top VFX artists who then introduced the duo to Left Post Productions led to a beneficial partnership between Dondoo and Left. Dondoo has since also partnered with Oxyg3n Media. “Our partnerships with Left Post Productions and Oxyg3n Media have been nothing short of incredible and we are continuously collaborating to create the best possible work in various digital spaces,” says Naidoo.
Today, Dondoo specialises in the development of quality virtual reality and augmented reality content for a varied assortment of clients including MultiChoice, Zenprop, Sony Pictures Television and Vodacom, while continuing to develop long-form animated content with its partner company Oxyg3n Media. Gaydon adds that the company also has big plans to develop its own mobile games.
Of particular interest and in what would be considered stepping away from the conventional world of commercial VR and AR development, Dondoo is currently working to develop systems for industrial engineering and architectural firms that will allow designers and engineers the ability to experience their designs in full scale in a way that was not possible before. “It is one thing to see a 3D rendering of your new building or mining plant on a screen and another thing altogether to be able to walk through it and experience the space and scale before any ground has been broken. It gives new insight into design choices you make and can be a very powerful tool,” says Gaydon.
In the same vein, the company is taking that concept one step further by working together with mining companies to take final engineering plans and build fully rendered, interactive, and realistic VR training simulation solutions. These simulators can be developed before the plant has been built enabling companies to train their employees beforehand so that by the time the plant has been commissioned their workers are ready to begin work. Gaydon says that a big positive that VR adds to the creation of simulation tools is that up to this point simulators have been limited to training people on heavy machinery. “VR can do that but it can go one better. With VR you can train people in processes and jobs that require them to be on their feet and using their hands. It’s a much more personal experience,” he explains.
Naidoo and Gaydon say that while VR training simulation has been welcomed in the industrial industry, it is still too early to say if the use of these solutions will assist with safety matters in mines particularly as the systems are still being implemented and finessed. “We have noticed that VR is very good at creating a much more real sense of danger and therefore a heightened perception of the consequences that may arise if he/she does not know how to complete the task. It’s a very new technique and it’s likely that we will only understand the full effects of VR training in the next few years. What is very encouraging is that these big companies are embracing new and very different technologies. Mining safety is at the top of their priority list and they are actively engaging with us in developing these tools.”
The Dondoo team plan on spending the majority of their time developing their VR based training and engineering solutions to deliver them to the international market “on an even bigger scale than we are right now,” says Gaydon. At the same time the team will be working on developing their own gaming content in the VR, AR and traditional gaming market, and continuing in the development of long form animated content with their partners Oxyg3n Media and Left Post Productions.
