22/12/2016 Tech Time – VIRTUAL REALITY
For decades we’ve been teased the possibilities of virtual reality in cinema and television as an immersive experience that gives participants a sense of being physically present, just by donning a headset and be transported anywhere. At times we’ve been treated to technology that has brought us closer to that reality, but nothing had ever been practical for the average consumer. Until now.
“In VR, we instinctively feel a surge of empathy for those whose experiences we are immersed in.”
– Danfung Dennis, “Where Virtual Reality Takes Us,” the New York Times
Since 2012, started by a Kickstarter project, Oculus VR started developing its Oculus Rift, an inexpensive plug-and-play, virtual reality headset. Oculus can be credited with revolutionizing virtual reality by making it an industry that is expected to gross $126 billion dollars by 2020.
Over the years we’ve seen impressive demonstrations of the technology at conferences such as SXSW (HBO’s Game Of Thrones), but it hasn’t been until this year, that virtual reality technology has really begun to enter the mainstream market with devices like Samsung Gear VR, Google Daydream View, Playstation VR, and the Oculus Rift.
Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) and Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth) experience ‘Ascend the Wall’ together at SXSW 2014
On a smaller scale, we are seeing this VR technology being adopted on Facebook with 360-photos and on YouTube with 360 videos, which are accessible to view on any smartphone or desktop device without any additional hardware. This provides content producers with an opportunity to tell extraordinary stories in a new way through immersive 360 experiences.
Disney is a great example of a studio experimenting with the technology on titles such as The Jungle Book, Stars Wars, Doctor Strange (Marvel), etc. The New York Times is also invested heavily into the medium over the past year through the release of it’s NYT VR app and the introduction of its 360-video series on the web.
Show your fans a behind-the-scenes tour of a giant action scene, or down the red carpet with your talent at the film’s premiere. The possibilities are endless and your fans will feel as if they’re right there with you during the entire process.
We strongly suggest capturing 360 content whenever possible and with tools like Samsung Gear 360 it’s easier than ever to capture world class content.