HISTORIC "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE 40TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL" LIVES ON IN VIRTUAL REALITY AND OFFERS UNPRECEDENTED VIEWING EXPERIENCE

"Saturday Night Live" Partners with Filmmaker Chris Milk and VSRE.works to Capture Special, Behind-the-Scenes Activity and More with Custom Built VR Cameras

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - March 13, 2015 - "Saturday Night Live's" star-studded 40th anniversary special has been captured in Virtual Reality and will offer fans a viewing experience previously unavailable to them. The first segment to premiere in Virtual Reality is the Jerry Seinfeld hosted audience Q&A, available March 13, 2015 with additional segments debuting in the coming weeks and months.

The "Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special" Virtual Reality segments will be available on the VSRE app for iOS and Android for Google Cardboard and in the Oculus VR Store for Samsung Gear(TM) VR.

"We're thrilled to be working with Lorne Michaels, SNL, Chris Milk and the VRSE team to be able to bring this historic night of television to viewers in this exciting new format. The SNL 40 VR experience will bring the show to life in a unique way for years to come to current and future fans and audiences," said Rob Hayes, EVP Digital Media, NBC Entertainment.

"Saturday Night Live" and NBC Entertainment partnered with filmmaker Chris Milk and his virtual reality production company VSRE.works to capture the 40th anniversary special in the new and emerging virtual reality format. This will allow the content and the night to live for years onward in a format that will bring people as close to being in the studio as they ever could have imagined.

"I remember growing up as a kid I would beg my parents every weekend to let me stay up for SNL. Bringing the show for the first time into Virtual Reality was a privilege and an honor I'll never forget," said Chris Milk, Founder-Creator, VRSE.works and VRSE.

Milk continued, "We are also really excited to be premiering SNL in VR at SXSW this year with our friends at Google, Samsung, and Oculus. Everyone should check the Samsung Studio to see the clip on the Gear VR headset, and drop by the Google space to receive a Google Cardboard for free. Then you can load the VRSE app onto your phone and take SNL in VR home with you. Those in Austin can also visit the Oculus space to experience SNL 40 in VR."

VRSE.works captured nearly the entire anniversary special from inside the studio using their custom built VR camera mounted on top of Camera One, the main studio pedestal camera covering the majority of the special for broadcast television. Additionally, a VRSE camera operator was fitted with a Steadicam rig also outfitted with VRSE's custom VR camera and positioned in the Studio 8H hallway during and after the show to capture the action and activity behind the scenes in way unavailable to any other outlets.

"Saturday Night Live" is produced in association with Broadway Video. The creator and executive producer is Lorne Michaels.

NBC Entertainment Digital

The Emmy Award-winning digital team oversees NBC's Late Night, Primetime and Daytime initiatives across all digital platforms and is the leading mobile and online destination for television and interactive entertainment. Producing both derivative and web-exclusive programming and building digital products; the team extends the broadcast experience through key collaborations with partners and targeted social outreach via its robust social platforms. For full episodes visit nbc.com or get the NBC app. You can find us at @NBC on Twitter, /NBC on Facebook and @NBCTV on Instagram.

VRSE.works

VRSE.works is an international collective of forward-thinking artists, technicians, thinkers and innovators using cutting-edge technology to create and curate original immersive experiences in a 3D, 360o environment. The creative team and technical talent are industry leaders in short-form commercials, music videos, feature film, theatre, design, photography and fine arts. Collectively, they've earned numerous Emmys, Cannes Lions, Grand Prixes, Palm d'Ors, AICP, D&AD, One Show, ADC, Tonys, Oliviers, Webby Awards and a Grammy.