TIME and Digital Domain undertook an exceedingly ambitious project to produce a 3D recreation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as part of a new VR experience called The March. This first-of-its-kind production allows visitors step back in time to play witness to one of the most important moments in American history: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The project was designed so that participants could walk with other marchers, while hearing the real audio from the crowd, and experience a 3D recreation of the Washington Mall, before standing five feet away from the Martin Luther King himself.

In order to bring the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom to life in virtual reality (VR). The TIME team embarked on a three-year journey to virtualize Martin Luther King Jr. and his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Digital Domain joined the project after a year and the actual production took approximately 10 months.