Ty Curtis is a formidable XR (Extended Reality) creator who has been at the forefront of immersive and interactive craft since 2012. His journey began when he discovered the transformative potential of XR to redefine how we perceive and interact with the world.
For over a decade, Ty has been shaping the immersive content landscape with clients like Jimmy Choo, BMW, Lendlease, VW, Youtube Kids, Coca Cola and many more. His relentless thirst for emerging tech and traditional storytelling has led to the creation of groundbreaking experiences. Through Activate Studios, and his work with Fin Design + Effects, Ty has shared his commitment to a more beautiful, imaginative world enhanced by technology.
Ty has designed and produced immersive experiences around the globe. This has provided him the opportunity to work with many different cultures and markets including the South Korean and Chinese. For Fin Design + Effects, he spearheaded real-time rendering with Unreal Engine in their Shanghai Studio, which lead to some wonderfully unique opportunities. Ty brings a solid understanding of the VFX pipeline combined with immersive integration frameworks.
Driven by a commitment to 'Tech for Good,' Ty has harnessed the potential of XR not only to create captivating experiences but also to make a positive impact. In his most recent projects, he has seamlessly integrated generative AI to push the boundaries of what's possible in immersive storytelling.
As Immersive Producer, Tyronne was integral to seamlessly integrating Unreal Engine into the classical VFX pipeline for Free Fire's 15-minute music video, directed by James Chapelle and choreographed by Del Mac. Leading a team of world-class UE designers and artists at Fin Design + FX, he pushed the boundaries of real-time rendering, complex simulations, and advanced visual effects to deliver a groundbreaking immersive experience.
Free Fire, the ultimate survival battle royale game published by Garena, set records with over 150 million active users globally in 2021 and grossed more than $4 billion worldwide.To launch a new brand identity, Free Fire created a groundbreaking fully animated YouTube livestream interactive performance as part of their first and largest global brand campaign, ‘Battle In Style.’ This innovative project allowed fans to interact with their favourite characters from Free Fire’s virtual band T.R.A.P. in real-time, combining music, choreography, and emerging technologies.
Creative talents and teams collaborated across Shanghai, London, and Sydney to pull off the music performance in just 3 months. The main show gathered over 500k views in 48 hours, with a peak live chat rate of thousands of messages per minute, demonstrating the immense success and engagement of this immersive experience.
As CTO & EP for Imperfect Circle, Tyronne spearheaded a groundbreaking project to craft a sophisticated Instagram filter for the launch of the new BMW iX electric crossover. This ambitious endeavour, distributed through BMW's global official Instagram profile, was a collaboration with Ibiza/UK-based Astral Projekt, a future-facing creative production studio focusing on new media art and real-time technologies.
The project began with an intensive design process, where Tyronne and his team meticulously planned and conceptualised the visual and interactive elements of the Instagram filter. Drawing on the expertise of highly skilled VFX designers and artists, the team aimed to push the boundaries of Spark AR Studio to deliver a sophisticated and modern experience.
Tyronne and his elite team of artists and designers brought electrifying life to Jimmy Choo's Neon Player, revolutionising WeChat mini applications. This groundbreaking project seamlessly blended emerging technology with personalised AR lenses, delivering a luxurious web experience that redefined immersive elegance.
The Neon Player was designed around Jimmy Choo's iconic silhouettes, including the Diamond sneaker, which has left an indelible mark in the sneaker world, and the classic pump that launched the brand in South Korea.The exclusive collection, created in collaboration with celebrity stylist Mr YK Jeong, aimed to redefine modern street style glamour.
In collaboration with Fin Design + Effects, who produced the immersive 360-degree environment, and his team at Imperfect Circle, who developed the interactive and AR features, Tyronne's team pushed the boundaries of immersive technology by developing a WeChat H5 interactive experience, one of the first integrations of web-based AR. The project was rolled out in China through WeChat and in South Korea via Vine, reaching a wide audience and setting new standards for digital luxury experiences. By leveraging advanced AR and web technologies, Tyronne and his team created an engaging and memorable experience that captivated users and elevated the Jimmy Choo brand.
Over the past decade, Tyronne has been at the helm of Activate Studios, seamlessly blending technology and storytelling to create unforgettable immersive experiences. His visionary approach has transformed audience interactions with digital content, combining design, character creation, and immersive development into impactful and engaging projects.
Tyronne's diverse portfolio includes creating virtual doorways for Visit Brisbane, allowing players to explore real destinations through stunning 360-degree video immersion, and reimagining music discovery with spatial AR for The Coca-Cola Company. His work at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary merged the physical and digital worlds, developing interactive floor and wall projections, a 20-meter interactive wall rigged with sensors, LEDs, and touch screen applications that provide unique educational experiences.For Lendlease, Tyronne built AR gamified experiences that engaged users through interactive gameplay, and for Suzuki, he developed an augmented reality car showroom that allowed potential buyers to experience and personalise their car choices through immersive AR technology.
Under Tyronne’s leadership, Activate Studios has solidified its reputation as a pioneer in immersive technology, consistently delivering innovative solutions that captivate and inspire.
As On-Set VFX/UE Producer, Tyronne and the team harnessed the capabilities of a colossal 20m LED setup in Beijing for a high-profile virtual production shoot, producing VP stage content with Fin Design + FX. After successfully integrating Unreal Engine into the VFX pipeline, Tyronne's expertise allowed Fin Design + FX to embark on ambitious VP projects.
For this particular project, Ty was positioned on set alongside the head of VFX in Beijing for a three-day shoot, utilising one of the largest LED setups that included walls, ceiling, and floor coverage. The collaboration with P.I.G and Superbon Fire showcased the technical prowess of UE capabilities, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in virtual production.
Tyronne wrote, designed, and produced the award-winning AR app series, Underwater Adventure, which consisted of three highly successful and experimental gamified scavenger hunts. These experiences, developed long before the global success of Pokémon Go, showcased Tyronne's visionary approach to AR technology.
The Underwater Adventure series featured 15 meticulously designed 3D animated characters, brought to life to engage users through interactive gameplay. Each installment offered 10 minutes of immersive experiences, combining locative gameplay, interactive sea creatures, and educational content on ocean conservation. The AR-enabled trading cards extended engagement beyond the physical location, while the app's availability on iOS and Android ensured high user participation. Schools could also compete for a $5000 prize, promoting environmental education and further enhancing the project's impact.
This innovative project significantly boosted foot traffic and user engagement at the shopping centre, demonstrating Tyronne's ability to leverage emerging technology to create meaningful and impactful experiences.
Ty and the Activate Studios team transformed the visitor experience at Queensland's biggest show, the Ekka, by bringing its mascots to life using augmented reality and geolocation-based gameplay.
The Ekka App, developed by Activate Studios, serves as a digital guide for visitors, revolutionising their experience at Brisbane’s iconic agricultural exhibition.The iOS and Android app acts as a central hub for event information, showbag listings, and showground navigation. It features a powerful search and filter system, real-time map functionality, and a notification system for segmented updates.
One of the highlights is the interactive AR game, “Milo’s Magic,” written and produced by Ty, where users help Milo, the Ekka mascot, catch enchanted sheep around the showgrounds using geo-location and image recognition.
The app achieved significant success with 40K downloads, reaching number 2 in the app store, and enhancing the engagement of 400,000 visitors at the event.
As Director and Co-producer, Tyronne wrote and directed his first TV commercial (TVC) featuring Disney-inspired, well-crafted CG and VFX to showcase the AR game for Queensland's biggest show, the Ekka. The TVC aimed to highlight the innovative AR game, “Milo’s Magic,” which was part of the Ekka App developed by Activate Studios.
This commercial seamlessly integrated visual effects to bring the game’s enchanting elements to life, showcasing the geolocation-based gameplay and interactive features that captivated visitors at the show.Through a combination of dynamic storytelling and sophisticated VFX, Tyronne successfully delivered a compelling TVC that not only promoted the AR game but also elevated the overall image of the Ekka.
At AdFest 2024, the premier advertising event for the Asian market, Ty delivered a compelling 35-minute presentation titled "Is Spatial Computing the Key to a New Wonderland?" to an audience of over 500 industry professionals. His talk focused on the convergence of the physical and digital worlds through spatial computing, highlighting the transformative potential of AI, AR, and VR in creating seamless and powerful brand experiences.
Tyronne shared insights from his extensive experience in the emerging tech space, using examples of innovative projects from both Fin Design + Effects and Activate Studios. He explored the practical applications of spatial computing across the advertising industry, emphasising its ability to revolutionise user experience, drive engagement, and connect brands with consumers in completely new ways. Additionally, Ty discussed the impact of products such as the Apple Vision Pro on the advertising industry, reinforcing his status as a leading expert and thought leader in the field.
