HOW TO

How to Make Katy Perry’s September Cover Come to Life With W‘s Augmented Reality App

Inside the process to unlock a new magazine experience, extending the boundaries of print into the world of augmented reality with our new “Beyond the Page” app.

by Angus John Kneale

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As a lifelong creative and technophile, I have an insatiable curiosity about technology and how it constantly changes our lives. I am passionate about innovation and finding new ways to capture the imagination.

At The Mill, a global creative-technology-and-content studio where I have served as the chief creative officer in the U.S. since 2015, we specialize in crafting engaging experiences by using emerging technology to stimulate people through moving images. We are particularly excited about this collaboration for a Special Collector’s issue of W magazine, in which we are extending the boundaries of print into the world of augmented reality, enhancing the content you see on the printed page before you with immersive graphics that unlock a totally new magazine experience.

Katy Perry Roars for W‘s September Cover: “I Feel Very Free”

Photograph by Steven Klein. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Shay Ashual at Art Partner; makeup by Yadim at Art Partner; manicure by Honey for Londontown at Exposure NY. Set design by Stefan Beckman at Exposure NY.

Miu Miu dress; Repossi ear cuff; Perry’s own nose ring.

Photographs by Steven Klein, Styled by Edward Enninful

Katy Perry wears Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello boots; Tom Ford skirt.

Photographs by Steven Klein, Styled by Edward Enninful

Miu Miu stole; Prada top and skirt; Swarovski necklace.

Photographs by Steven Klein, Styled by Edward Enninful

Miu Miu stole. Beauty note: Own the night with Covergirl Outlast All-Day Matte Finishing Powder.

Photographs by Steven Klein, Styled by Edward Enninful

From left: AG shirt. Bottega Veneta dress; Delfina Delettrez ear cuff; Tom Ford boots.

Photographs by Steven Klein, Styled by Edward Enninful

Brandon Maxwell coat; Repossi ear cuff; Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello boots. Beauty note: Shock hair into recovery with Moroccanoil Mending Infusion.

Photographs by Steven Klein, Styled by Edward Enninful

Miu Miu dress; Repossi ear cuff; Perry’s own nose ring.

Photographs by Steven Klein, Styled by Edward Enninful; Hair by Shay Ashual at Art Partner; makeup by Yadim at Art Partner; manicure by Honey for Londontown at Exposure NY. Set design by Stefan Beckman at Exposure NY. Model: Louis Bubko at Fusion. Director of Photography: Mark Luckasavage; Lighting Director: John Torres; 3-d Scanning: Dir Dim; Producers: Jonathan Lia, Stephen Holtzhauser; Video Editors: Artem Nikitin, Alex Hammer; Video Artist: Douglas Abraham; Root Motion: Joshua Steen; Root Producer: Lynn Gaurino; Stills PostProduction: Jim Alexandrou; After-Effects Artist: Alexandre Moors; Illustrator: Michael DeWeese; Digital Technician: Tadaaki Shibuya; Lighting Assistants: John Temones, Kiri Wawatai, Tim Hoffman; Fashion Assistants: Dena Giannini, Devon Head; Production Coordinator: Sverre Wegge Gundhus
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The key to this dynamic content? Your smartphone and the W magazine app, Beyond the Page, which we developed exclusively for this issue.

So, how did we get here?

We are all currently riding the wave of immense mobile-computing ability and cloud connectivity. No one predicted the smartphone revolution; in 10 short years, the iPhone has transformed not just the way we communicate but how we live. Never before has such power—and information—been in the palm of your hand. That piece of glass in your pocket, crammed with the latest technology, has assumed a lofty place in our hierarchy of precious things.

Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott’s defiant take on fall fashion

This rapid rise of the smartphone has opened the door to new ways to reimagine print media, including digital storytelling that blends the physical with the virtual. The mixed-reality world is here. Working alongside the photographer Steven Klein, we made 3-D scans of the issue’s cover star, Katy Perry. These were then used to create a series of virtual portraits, which are brought to life when scanned with your phone using the Beyond the Page app. (Just keep an eye out for the W icon, below, which pops up throughout the issue.)

You can also scan digital images from the September issue, like the cover below, or the photographs in our Katy Perry cover-shoot photo gallery to unlock the AR experience using the Beyond the Page app.]

cover-art-master-image

Photograph by Steven Klein

he blend of physical and digital realities p

romises to open up creative possibilities like never before: Imagine flipping through a fashion magazine and seeing the model come to life, stepping off the page and into your living room. You can see her clothes from all angles and the weight of the fabric as she moves. In the mixed-reality future, a magazine won’t be confined to the pages in your hand. These pages will trigger a series of curated, immersive experiences, an extension of what we have done right here with this issue of W.

The new his and hers, shot by Collier Schorr

While the applications of mixed reality are far too extensive to delve into here, I will say that this is an incredibly exciting time to be at the forefront of emerging technology and digital storytelling. We’re looking forward to further exploring how they can complement and expand print media.

For now, we will leave you with the enriched pages of this W issue. Enjoy.

Watch Katy Perry’s cover story come to life with W magazine’s “Beyond the Page,” our new—and free!—augmented reality app. Download it for here, for iPhone and Android.

Watch: Katy Perry Confesses to Crying to Some of Her Own Songs

Katy Perry Confesses to Crying to Some of Her Own Songs

W Magazine: Beyond the Page was created in partnership with The Mill: Executive Producer, Sallyann Houghton; Creative Director, Pierce Gibson; Producer, Katya Pavlova