Virtual reality (VR) is quickly becoming the must have technology with VR headsets becoming more accessible and affordable in recent years, their prices dropping and the technology improving by leaps and bounds in every new generation. Interest in VR has spread like wildfire, with a wide range of people creating immersive content in VR for everyone to enjoy.
360 Degree VR films are some of the most immersive pieces of Virtual Reality content out there. They take you on an adventure which feels like you’ve left the physical realm and actually travelled to a different location. There’s really no better way to experience a story than to be in it, and VR films let you do just that.
What is Virtual Reality?
Virtual reality is a simulated environment that can replicate the real world in three-dimensional space. It can be used to simulate sights, sounds, and often even physical sensations. VR can be displayed in a number of ways, including via computer screens, head-mounted displays, and specially designed projection rooms.
What is Virtual Reality Film?
A VR film is a piece of VR content. VR films can be short or long, set in the real world or in a fictional world. They can be brand films, tourist guides, documentaries, story-driven pieces of fiction, or experimental pieces of art. VR film productions can be for the headsets themselves, like the HTC Vive or Oculus Meta Quest/Quest 2, or for the Metaverse.
VR films can follow the plot of a specific story or be more open and interactive & game like for example in a virtual tour where the user can navigate from scene to scene and experience the views and interactions that may be provided.
Like traditional films VR films can be produced in many different ways - from simply filming locations and adding narration, to engaging a cast and filming narrative driven fiction. Or it could be an entirely digital production with 3d modelled virtual sets and virtual actors or even using the latest volumetric video capture techniques for live action video based 3d characters.
Benefits of Virtual Reality Films
VR films offer a wide range of benefits. From being able to experience different locations real or imagined, to bring history to life all around you or to place you in the middle of a performers stage performance, VR films can do it all - VR Access All Areas! VR films are also great for storytelling, with the viewer feeling more like they are in the film than watching it. VR films simply offer a more immersive experience than other types of media.
VR films put you in the middle of the action, letting you experience things like you’re really there. VR films are also easy to transport yourself to another place, which is great for escapism.
How to Create a Virtual Reality Film
Virtual reality films can be more immersive than other forms of film, so you have to think about the story more. The story can be set in the real world, or it can be completely fictional. The world can be a realistic place or it can be completely fantastical. Virtual reality films can let you be in the story, and can make you feel more connected to it. The world has to make sense, and characters have to have depth. Storylines need to be well thought out, and the scenes need to be interesting and engaging.
The characters have to feel like people you could meet and interact with. The scenes have to be interesting, both in visuals and dialogue. The story needs to be clear, with every detail leading to something important. The film needs to be realistic, and it needs to show the effects of what you’re seeing. VR films can be an educational and inspirational way to tell stories.
Conclusion
Virtual reality films are an incredible way to immerse yourself in a story. These films can put you in the middle of the action, letting you experience things like you’re really there. VR films are also easy to transport yourself to another place - near or far and across time.
This post has been an experiment in using AI technology to write content. I'll discuss this further in a later post.
Andrew Murchie is a creative technology consultant based in Edinburgh, Scotland specialising in stereoscopic 3d virtual reality films. He has produced Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality films & experiences for clients including NHS, Kimberly-Clark, Kraft-Heinz, Loch Lomond Distillers, Highland Spring and Tennent Caledonian Breweries.
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