Astro Bug

LOS ANGELES & VALENCIA, Calif. - AstroBug -- When Walt and Roy Disney founded CalArts, they set out to find and nurture the next generation of storytellers. On Friday, November 13, 2026, that mission takes a bold new step as CalArts hosts the first-ever D.R.E.A.M.S. Initiative Pitch Competition in the Generator Building (Rooms G201–202), where 19 student-led teams will pitch original ideas for the future of location-based entertainment (LBE).

The future of storytelling has no bounds. It is moving off the screen and into venues, public spaces, and shared realities where audiences don't just watch a story, they step inside it. CalArts' future storytellers are already here, imagining what that looks like.

"Walt and Roy Disney created this school to discover the next generation of storytellers," said Travis Cloyd, Director of D.R.E.A.M.S. (Digital Research Entertainment Arts Media Storytelling) and Producer-in-Residence at CalArts, who will moderate the event. "This competition is about finding the next dreamers and imaginers: the students who will build the worlds people walk into."

An Industry Panel, and an Investment Partner Ready to Show Up

Students will pitch to a judging panel of acclaimed creators and industry leaders, joined by Mirai Digital Studios, an investment group that will be in the room to support the next generation of immersive storytellers. The panel includes:

• Randal Kleiser, director of Grease, The Blue Lagoon, and Flight of the Navigator
• Billy Zane, actor and writer, known for Titanic and The Phantom
• Daniel Ezralow, acclaimed choreographer and director of stage, film, and live spectacle
• Jacob Nguyen, Founder & Co-CEO, Mirai Digital Studios
• Phillip Rosen, Founder & Co-CEO, Mirai Digital Studios
• John Kim, Co-Founder & Chairman, Mirai Digital Studios
• Anthony Garrison-Engbrecht, CalArts Vice President for Student Affairs
• Jieho Lee, Susan Shapiro, and CalArts alumni Jeudi Brealey '95, Paul Hemstreet '92, Ben Schultz '23, and Alex Wang
• Travis Cloyd, Director of D.R.E.A.M.S.

Mirai Digital Studios is an immersive entertainment company pioneering digital humans and virtual concerts. Its leaders bring credits across film and location-based entertainment, including Hacksaw Ridge, The Mask, and Se7en, and projects with Marvel, Apple, Netflix, and Universal Studios Japan.

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How It Works

Each team will have 15 minutes to pitch and take questions, with pitches running 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and 2–5:15 p.m. Judges will score each pitch and confer privately, and the top-scoring teams will be announced as finalists at the close of the day. Awards and investments will be determined afterward.

Projects span visual, performing, literary, digital, and mixed-media practices, and for most students it is their first time pitching to industry leaders. "These students aren't pitching a screen. They're pitching a place," Cloyd added.

Event Details

• Date: Friday, November 13, 2026
• Location: Generator Building, Rooms G201–202, CalArts, 24700 McBean Parkway, Valencia, CA 91355
• Schedule: Breakfast and welcome remarks at 9:30 a.m.; pitches 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and 2–5:15 p.m.
• That evening: CalArts hosts a screening of the first episode of the Tim Burton docuseries Life in the Line, followed by a talkback with the series director, 7–9 p.m. on campus.

About the D.R.E.A.M.S. Initiative

D.R.E.A.M.S. is a CalArts program dedicated to discovering and developing the next generation of immersive and location-based storytellers, supported by the Dolan Family Foundation. Its student-driven work includes the Hallway of D.R.E.A.M.S., a hologram-style interactive experience that extends the CalArts story into a digital space anyone can step into.

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About CalArts

Founded by Walt Disney in 1961, CalArts is globally recognized as a leading institute for the visual, performing, and media arts. Its mission remains grounded in Walt Disney's founding principle: that all the arts belong together, and that technology should extend the reach of human imagination.

Learn more: https://calarts.edu