Issue # 24
29th March 2016
PORTFOLIO By Kanika Mathur Published at DIFF 2015: Broadcast Pro Gone are the days where one would be restricted to see films in 2D. As technological developments reach new heights, one cannot just view films, but also live and breathe them. And this is exactly what virtual reality (VR) does – it almost acts like a teleportation key to transport oneself into the world of films. An interactive session titled ‘Virtually Real’ was held at the Dubai Film Market forum, which discussed the impact of emerging technologies on cinematic viewing experiences and how content developed would have to match up with the concept of VR. Where VR was once associated with just gaming world, the same concept is being applied in the world of cinema as well. “The technology is there, and the proof of concept is there, and what’s not there yet is the content. We’re just now getting to a moment in time where we’re starting to create content in VR and distribute it so people can see it,” said Hayley Pappas, Head of Films, RYOT. She also added that we’re finally getting to a point where storytelling is starting to be incorporated in VR. However, traditional storytelling through theatre has not lost its importance with the evolution
of VR. “You have to navigate the traditional with the new. There’s all sorts of things that work traditionally. For example, theatre actors become really valuable, people who can work in one fluid take with 4 Go Pros working at the same time, and not taking a break. Your ears become important.” said Elia Petridis, a filmmaker. Because people are now beginning to get an all-round experience of a film through VR, they are able to connect further with the characters on screen, according to Julie Young, Producer & Financial Officer, Emblematic Group. “We had a piece called Project Syria that we brought to Sundance festival last year. It puts you onscene in the middle of war-torn Syria, so it’s a very intense piece,” said Young. “We had people take off their headsets in tears, saying they’ve watched it on TV, seen it 2D, read articles. But now they get it. Even though you’re passively experiencing something, it’s that part of it – ‘I get it’ – that’s the next generation of storytelling.” The idea of VR is to create an environment that is virtually real and in order to do so, the debate regarding monoscopic and stereoscopic (camera for left
and right eye) cameras continue to rage. The golden standard for VR according to moderator Clyde DeSouza, Writer & Evangelist at Real Vision, was stereoscopic. According to Jon Starck, Head of Research, The Foundry, monoscopic cameras would be good enough. “If you just need to understand the space or be in someone’s situation, then maybe it’s okay for it to be monoscopic.” he said. The future of VR seems to be one with endless possibilities. The question that now arises is how technologies are further improved upon to enhance viewing experiences.