While virtual reality can sometimes seem like too geeky, French company Minsar (founded in 2016 by Soraya Jaber and Thomas Nigro) has set out to democratize access to it for businesses and creators. Available on most existing devices (from our smartphones to VR/MR headsets), the Minsar Studio app is an interface for creating immersive experiences. Without a bit of code! #NoCode
Minsar is an exhibitor and guest speaker at Virtuality Experience trade show, which this year takes place 100% online from December 2 to 4 and with free access for professionals. We discussed with Maelys Jusseaux, who works on the subject of new technologies for the service cultural universes at Minsar.
Minsar Studio, a real tool for creatives
Maelys Jusseaux – Minsar Studio is an application that allows you to create and broadcast augmented and virtual reality experiences on all XR compatible platforms, and without a single line of code! Initially designed to be used in VR / MR headsets (HoloLens, Quest…), we have developed a version for smartphones and tablets. 4 years ago we started with the cultural and heritage sector, institutions such as le Centre des Monuments Nationaux or le Musée des Arts Décoratifs to provide them with innovative solutions, in particular for mediation with the public.
M. J. – In 2017, we created a HoloLens mediation app for le Centre des Monuments Nationaux at le Château de Pierrefonds. A first experience of mixed reality for culture in Europe! We have since produced other experiences for museums, such as Les Arts Décoratifs for Museums Night, or the National Archaeological Museum as part of its National Days. The current context is accelerating the digital turn for many institutions.
M. J. – Since then, we have developed our activity in many sectors, in particular with artists, but also with creative agencies, to offer them a new creative media to explore. Recently we collaborated with the fashion designer Steven Passaro who wanted to present his latest collection in an innovative but also ecological way. This gave him a real advantage in his prototyping phase not to “waste” any product, and to present his models virtually via an invitation card.
Minsar Studio for beginners: how does it work?
M. J. – Accessing Minsar Studio is fairly simple, by downloading the application to your device, then creating an account in a few very simple steps.
M. J. – Minsar Studio is a storytelling and scenography tool designed to fit into the creative workflow. We import your 3D, 2D content, videos, pre-existing sounds from spaces like Dropbox, Google Drive or Sketchfab among others. Whether you’re in virtual reality or on your phone, the app then puts the assets into space in your physical location – or the AR environment. We don’t directly create in situ content in Minsar Studio, but we will be able to organize our experience from A to Z, imagine its scenography with a whole range of actions offered in the app. The elements will be able to interact and develop a real storytelling.
M. J. – The final step is to be able to provide access to your experience through a link or a QR Code and to view it from your browser or even on our XR View viewing app. Or even export this experience to SparkAR to share it directly on Instagram. The whole idea of Minsar Studio is to democratize access to its technologies with a no-code desire for users. The whole architecture, the machine behind, is transparent to the creators.
An immersive market in the making
M. J. – Access for the general public to VR / MR headsets remains very complex compared to the cost of purchase, especially for mixed reality. Over the past year and a half we can see a clear evolution on this point with the arrival of the Oculus Quest or soon Nreal glasses at a lower cost, lighter, standalone. But we also need to educate the public about new technologies, and the emergence of new events helps enormously (notably Virtuality in France). The more immersive technologies are shown, the more the idea of discovering them will be.
M. J. – Another factor directly concerns our actions at Minsar, and that is the process of creating experiences. Today there is little content, mainly because it is complex, technical, expensive and each production has to adapt to the many distribution platforms. The XR ecosystem is not yet standardized: with Minsar Studio it is an objective to offer a unique tool for creating and broadcasting experiences. We are developing our own community around new creative media, and this is quite exciting!
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