Meet Jon Macleod of Immerse Studio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Macleod

Hi Jon, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
The journey of Immerse Studio began as a serendipitous meeting of minds at a visual artists competition during the Together Festival in Boston back in 2014. I was organizing the event, aiming to connect with other creatives and provide them with the tools they needed to excel. That’s when I first encountered Tommy, who was competing. I was immediately struck by his technical prowess—something that complemented my business acumen perfectly. We decided to collaborate on a few projects, and it quickly became clear that our skills meshed well.

With Tommy’s background as a highly competent engineer at Google and my experience in organizing and planning large events, we co-founded our first venture, Optexture, alongside a group of other creatives. However, it was Tommy and I who drove the core vision. In 2016, both of us relocated to Los Angeles, where we rebranded and co-founded Immerse Studio, bringing in our new co-founder, Tim.

The pandemic posed challenges, but it also provided an opportunity to focus on R&D. During this time, we developed RayTK, a custom render engine that has since gained a strong community following among digital creators. We also ventured into creating a custom Volumetric LED rental service, a rare and highly regarded innovation in the art world, with appearances at prestigious events like Milan Design Week and New York’s Mercer Labs.

Our journey has been one of passion and perseverance. We bootstrapped our company from the ground up, relying on our network and industry contacts rather than traditional marketing. Now, with proven capabilities and a growing portfolio of innovative products, we’re ready to scale and meet the demands of a larger market. The interactive activation market is burgeoning, and we’re excited to be at the forefront, driving the future of experiential marketing.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The journey has certainly had its challenges. In our first venture, we quickly realized that the team dynamics weren’t as cohesive as we had hoped, which meant we ended up shouldering more of the work than anticipated. This taught us the importance of having a well-structured team, leading us to restructure the company to set ourselves up for success.

The pandemic added another layer of difficulty, bringing much of our industry to a halt and directly impacting our growth strategy. Many of our planned events and projects were put on hold, and like many others, we had to navigate the uncertainty that came with it. However, we chose to view this period as an opportunity rather than a setback.

We redirected our focus to research and development, becoming experts in new technologies and approaches. This pivot ultimately led to the creation of our custom rendering engine, RayTK. While it wasn’t the growth trajectory we had originally planned, this period of intense R&D has equipped us with innovative tools and opened up new, exciting paths that we might not have discovered otherwise.

We’ve been impressed with Immerse Studio, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Immerse Studio is a Los Angeles-based media studio that specializes in creating immersive and interactive experiences using cutting-edge technology. We’re known for our ability to merge art, technology, and storytelling to create memorable and engaging activations for some of the world’s largest brands.
Our expertise lies in the development of custom software solutions and innovative visual experiences. One of our standout offerings is our in-house rendering engine, RayTK, which has become a powerful tool in the digital creator community. This engine allows us to push the boundaries of what’s possible in real-time rendering and interactive design, setting us apart from others in the industry.

In addition to our software innovations, we also provide a unique Volumetric LED, as well as large scale projection mapping services. These are a rare and highly sought-after tools in the art world. We have used these skills for recognizable brands activations, as well as music videos, and even world class musicians and performers. Our ability to blend artistic vision with technical execution has earned us high regard in both the commercial and artistic communities.
What we’re most proud of as a brand is our commitment to innovation and our passion for pushing the envelope. We’re not just a service provider; we’re a partner in creative exploration. We thrive on collaborating with our clients to bring their most ambitious ideas to life, and we’re constantly looking for new ways to use technology to enhance the world around us.

We want your readers to know that Immerse Studio is more than just a media studio—we’re pioneers in the experiential space, dedicated to creating impactful and unforgettable experiences. Whether it’s through our custom software, immersive installations, or unique visual designs, we’re here to help brands tell their stories in the most compelling way possible.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I mentioned the pandemic in some recent questions, but here is a summary:

The Covid-19 crisis was a significant learning experience for us at Immerse Studio. One of the most important lessons we learned was the value of adaptability. When the pandemic hit, much of our industry came to a halt, and many of our planned projects were postponed or canceled. This forced us to reevaluate our strategies and pivot our focus. We also had been planning to do some capital purchases, and were lucky to put those on hold!

With fewer events and activations taking place, we redirected our energy towards developing new technologies and refining our skills. This period of intense R&D led to the creation of RayTK, our custom rendering engine, which has since become a cornerstone of our offerings and a valuable tool for the digital creator community. We even open sourced the non commercial version, which has built a dedicated following, we now have over 15,000 creator using the system. This community of creators has been a huge win for us, showing that our product is highly sought after.

Another crucial lesson was the importance of maintaining strong relationships with our clients and partners. Despite the challenges, we continued to support our clients and collaborate on creative solutions that could work within the constraints of the pandemic. This helped us build deeper trust and loyalty, which has been invaluable as the industry began to recover.

Overall, the Covid-19 crisis taught us to be more flexible, to invest in innovation, and to value our relationships more than ever. These lessons have not only helped us navigate the pandemic but have also positioned us for future growth and success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.immerse.studio
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/immerse.studio/
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/ImmerseStudioLA
• Twitter: ImmerseStudioLA

Image Credits
Team photo by Don Hannah