Why is virtual reality important for filmmakers?

[juliadoyle]

What is Virtual Reality (VR)?

Virtual Reality is most commonly known as a headset that you put on your head and that fully covers your eyes. You can also use headphones with the headset for a better experience. The headset will then generate a simulation of a 360 image. You can use the headset to watch movies and you can even interact with them. You can look up and down, you can turn around and you will feel as if you are part of a completely different world. The experience can be very immersive. This type of movies is slowly becomming popular and websites such as YouTube have become a great space to host these movies.
Of course, VR headsets can also be used for video games which, as well, are very immersive.

Why is virtual reality important for filmmakers?

VR is still a new trend because people need to own or have access to a VR headset in order to access anything which was made for VR. The fact that the technology is still new represents a great opportunity for filmmakers to stand out. You can create a short film or short animation for VR and you can gain more exposure.
Aside from the opportunity to get noticed on a new niche, VR Cinema enables you to create movies like never before.

How many people own a VR device?

It is unknown the exact number of people that own a VR device because there are many companies that sell them. However, research suggests that at least 14.8 VR Oculus Quest 2 units were sold by the company Meta to its customers. This means that there are at least 15 million people that could see your short film.

You can create VR films using your Android or iOS smartphone

You don't need expensive gear to get started. You can purchase a 360 camera that you can connect with your smartphone to get started.

 

[Maura N.]

I remember when I first saw a movie in VR. I was so impressed by the fact that my brain could not tell the difference between reality and the simulation.

 

[Capricious]

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What is Virtual Reality (VR)?

Virtual Reality is most commonly known as a headset that you put on your head and that fully covers your eyes. You can also use headphones with the headset for a better experience. The headset will then generate a simulation of a 360 image. You can use the headset to watch movies and you can even interact with them. You can look up and down, you can turn around and you will feel as if you are part of a completely different world. The experience can be very immersive. This type of movies is slowly becomming popular and websites such as YouTube have become a great space to host these movies.
Of course, VR headsets can also be used for video games which, as well, are very immersive.

Why is virtual reality important for filmmakers?

VR is still a new trend because people need to own or have access to a VR headset in order to access anything which was made for VR. The fact that the technology is still new represents a great opportunity for filmmakers to stand out. You can create a short film or short animation for VR and you can gain more exposure.
Aside from the opportunity to get noticed on a new niche, VR Cinema enables you to create movies like never before.

How many people own a VR device?

It is unknown the exact number of people that own a VR device because there are many companies that sell them. However, research suggests that at least 14.8 VR Oculus Quest 2 units were sold by the company Meta to its customers. This means that there are at least 15 million people that could see your short film.

You can create VR films using your Android or iOS smartphone

You don't need expensive gear to get started. You can purchase a 360 camera that you can connect with your smartphone to get started.

I was telling my friend about this, that now is a great time to get into it because it's not such a huge market, and I think horror would do good in VR really give the viewer a chance to get scared!

 

[Maura N.]

I was telling my friend about this, that now is a great time to get into it because it's not such a huge market, and I think horror would do good in VR really give the viewer a chance to get scared!

I was thinking the same thing to be honest! I would be scared to watch a horror movie in VR

 

[Fightdesigner]

Another thing to consider: Apart from straight-up 360 video, the tools used to create VR experiences are used for things besides VR content. The same 3d CGI models you'd use in a VR video game are what they use in movies and tv shows. The same 3d virtual world you'd move around in for a VR video game could be used as the background on an LED light wall in a volume, or added later if you're shooting chromakey. The same motion tracking they use to animate video game and other vr characters is used not just to animate cg characters in movies, but also to track the virtual camera.

Just shooting with a 360 camera doesn't give the viewer any agency to move around in that world, just look any direction. If you want them to be able to actually shift, and have the perspective shift with them, you need to do a virtual world and characters, even if you're just scanning real-world sets and people and importing them into something like Unreal Engine.

VR can also be used to view 3d content, but that also gives the viewer zero agency to even turn their head.

 

[izidra]

Virtual reality is gaining more popularity. I think it's just about time to pump up skills and learn how to create VR. It's hard for me to imagine creating it with a smartphone and a 360 camera. It's not enough to create a quality product. My skills right now are enough to create the kind of animation similar to early 00's DS Games. I'm learning a lot but I am not able to create anything for VR yet. It's a great niche to make good money and create really cool things. I can't imagine how much time I have to study but damn I really want to create something like that.