Viacom NEXT

{{Short description|American media conglomerate}}

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| name = Viacom NEXT

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| founded = {{Start date and age|2015}}

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| defunct = {{End date|2018|02}}

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| products = Augmented reality/ Virtual reality

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| parent = Viacom

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Viacom NEXT was Viacom's production studio focused on building immersive experiences, interactive music videos, narrative worlds, and video games. Based in New York, the studio employed developers and specialists with expertise in 3D modeling and animation, storytelling, and experience design.

Founded in 2015, they first collaborated with the New York City Media Lab (NYCML) on a VR fellowship exploring storytelling mechanisms afforded by virtual reality.{{Cite web|url=https://medium.com/@nycmedialab/introducing-the-summer-2016-viacom-vr-fellows-89bf52768176|title=Introducing the summer 2016 Viacom VR Fellows|last=Lab|first=NYC Media|date=2016-06-16|website=NYC Media Lab|access-date=2018-02-10|archive-date=2018-02-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210180442/https://medium.com/@nycmedialab/introducing-the-summer-2016-viacom-vr-fellows-89bf52768176|url-status=live}}

In 2016, Viacom NEXT released their first brand project, "Open Your Eyes,” a free virtual reality art show for MTV's Elect This campaign. The project was met with great reception.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bustle.com/articles/193681-mtvs-open-your-eyes-virtual-reality-art-show-brings-to-life-everything-thats-at-stake-in|title=This VR Art Brings This Election's Issues To Life|last=Weiss|first=Suzannah|work=Bustle|access-date=2018-02-10|language=en|archive-date=2018-02-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210180511/https://www.bustle.com/articles/193681-mtvs-open-your-eyes-virtual-reality-art-show-brings-to-life-everything-thats-at-stake-in|url-status=live}}

Some of the artists, brands, creators, and universities Viacom NEXT has collaborated with include Billy Corgan,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/watch-billy-corgans-trippy-cosmic-voyage-in-aeronaut-video-w510964|title=Watch Billy Corgan's Trippy Cosmic Voyage in 'Aeronaut' Video|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=3 November 2017|publisher=}} Cabbibo, Daniel Bittman, Hot Sugar,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/inside-gamechanging-new-vr-experience-the-melody-of-dust-w471090|title='The Melody of Dust': Inside Viacom's Gamechanging New VR Experience|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=13 March 2017|publisher=}} Isobar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Max Frost, MTV,{{cite web|url=http://www.adweek.com/digital/mtv-is-using-snapchat-holograms-and-augmented-reality-to-drive-tune-ins-for-the-vmas/|title=MTV Is Using Snapchat, Holograms and Augmented Reality to Drive Tune-Ins for the VMAs|publisher=|access-date=2017-11-10|archive-date=2017-12-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204064547/http://www.adweek.com/digital/mtv-is-using-snapchat-holograms-and-augmented-reality-to-drive-tune-ins-for-the-vmas/|url-status=live}} Paramount Home Media, and Tyler Hurd.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/viacom-next-virtual-reality-1202007928/|title=Viacom's Take on Virtual Reality: Room-Scale, Original and Fun|first=Janko|last=Roettgers|date=13 March 2017|publisher=|access-date=29 December 2017|archive-date=24 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224082024/http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/viacom-next-virtual-reality-1202007928/|url-status=live}}

Viacom NEXT was dissolved in February 2018 after a company-wide restructuring.{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/viacom-next-vr-shutting-down-1202690420/|title=Viacom Shuts Down Viacom Next VR Studio|last=Roettgers|first=Janko|date=2018-02-07|work=Variety|access-date=2018-02-10|language=en-US|archive-date=2018-02-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210010250/http://variety.com/2018/digital/news/viacom-next-vr-shutting-down-1202690420/|url-status=live}}