How much does VR cost?

[Colton Stevens]

I have read a few posts from the forums about VR and I wish to try it and see how I could use it to make films. I have very little knowledge about this. Can someone please ell me how much does VR cost?

I need to know how much the gear costs to view the movies in virtual reality. I also need to know how much would it cost me to make movies in virtual reality. This seems like a very good opportunity for me but I have no idea what are the costs. Can I use my smartphone? I have an iPhone 13 Pro. I don't have a big budget right now. Thank you all!

 

[juliadoyle]

If you are interested in purchasing a VR for more than just to view movies or if you wish to view them in higher quality, the cheapest VR headset you can get is the Oculus Quest 2 which was developed by Facebook and costs $400.
If you wish to use your phone to view VR movies, you can use cheaper alternatives even though the quality will be poor and I do not recommend it. However, this is more affordable for everyone as you can use the smartphone that you already own. Not all smartphones are compatible with this though. You will need a VR app, depending what you are using, iOS or Android so your phone needs to be able to support it. Also, your phone battery will drop very fast and your phone will overheat while you will use it. The price of such a alternative is about $30.

To make a VR video, you first need to make a 360° video. I have searched for a video online that best explains this:

From what I have read, even thought I did not have the chance to try, you can make a VR movie by using your phone. You will need to purchase a few accessories though. You can use Insta360 or Shot.You will have to attach the device to your iPhone and you will also need t o install an app.

You can also upload your VR videos on YouTube and you can share them with your public.

 

[Oskar Kuusk]

Julia here answered the questions like a pro. You can also try GoPro Fusion for $600

It is a standalone camera, you don't need your phone for it. There are professional cameras that you can use to create VR movies but you said you are on a budget so this is my suggestion for you.

 

[ivan94film]

Hi Colton, I have had the opportunity to film a VR production during 2016 around the time VR started to build hype and the Nokia Ozo was released.

While live-action VR filmmaking is similar to traditional filmmaking there are major differences both creatively and technically.
If you are thinking about filming on location with actors and props (NOT animated) then you will need to film everything twice and splice and digitally remove crew and equipments of the other 180°.
Also to make the immersion work you will need to understand audio editing & mixing in 3D stereo (faux surround).

VR will cost you more money to produce, plan, shoot and edit in post. The way I see it, since 2015, the state of Live-action VR films have not improved by much. There will always be a smaller audience, worse resolution and image quality, and less complex movements and framing compared to traditional independent filmmaking.

This is not to discourage you from making VR movies. VR will have a place in the future and if you are serious and want to work in this format I HIGHLY recommend you watch this video:

From the looks of it VR is headed towards more digital animation & gaming style for big franchises to further explore stories and worlds of different IPs. so I would concentrate on improving animation skills and learning how to use a gaming engine like Unreal or Unity instead of spending time on filming a low budget live action VR short with your smartphone or 360 pocket cam.

Hope this info helped!

 

[Colton Stevens]

Thank you everyone for taking your time to respond to my post! Your insight has been very helpful for me! I still have so much to learn about this new technology but I can already see the opportunities it offers to its users and early adopters!