By: Kate Wurzbacher, VR Director of Photography and Head of Camera at Here Be Dragons.
LOOK BUT WITH LOVE, a WITHIN Original series produced by Here Be Dragons and SOC Films, is now available on WITHIN. Learn about its creators’ stories, production process, and inspiration below.
What are the key points of interest about this project?
This project gives you access to people you likely wouldn’t have a chance to meet otherwise — men and women making a positive impact in the Pakistani community.
How did you get into VR?
I worked on a VR music video in the early stages of 360° cameras and was so motivated by what I was told we couldn’t do — couldn’t get close to the camera, couldn’t move the camera, etc. I decided to work with Here Be Dragons, Vrse.works at the time, because they were pushing those boundaries.
What are your ambitions in the VR space as a cinematographer and filmmaker?
My goals in VR as a cinematographer are to show people what they wouldn’t normally see with their own eyes — whether that’s transporting them to another country, or telling stories from a unique visual perspective.
What was it like working with Sharmeen?
Sharmeen’s one of the most driven directors I’ve worked with. Despite this being her first foray into the VR medium, she immediately knew what she wanted, and how to adapt her aesthetic to fit within the technical limitations. Her team hadn’t produced VR before, but their extensive documentary filmmaking experience really shined through. You see that in the close-up shots with the characters looking directly into the camera, in the moving shot in the dance experience, and in some of the more unusual camera placement, like the gun-mounted camera in the Elite Force episode.
Were there any specific production challenges?
Access was a consistent issue — to get great shots, you have to go where other people won’t. In “A Story of Music,” one of our camera operators, Nadir, climbed up two rickety ladders carrying camera equipment to get to the top of a mosque. While he was up there he decided to try a moving shot, and swung the camera out over the courtyard. It ended up being one of my favorite shots in the film. Another shot, the sunrise on the water, was a complete surprise. We were racing light, looking for a good sunset shot, and came across a stretch of land surrounded by water. We ran out with our gear, and happened to come across a group of people with a boat. We were literally sprinting to get out of the frame before we lost the subjects and the light.
Sound for VR is always an issue as well — how do you get good, immersive sound when you can’t be anywhere near the camera? Our sound man, Wasif, had to hide microphones both on and around characters and carefully monitor 360 degrees of sound.
How was the team able to handle moving camera shots with so little equipment?
While we weren’t originally prepared to shoot movement, everyone immediately decided that we should try it, and then we got inventive. We had access to a pulley and a pair of old dolly spreaders — the type you would use shooting broadcast TV. The day we planned to shoot, we found that the floor was less smooth than anticipated — so our camera operator Faizan ran out to a hardware store and brought back lengths of PVC plumbing pipe. We rigged up fishing line to a pulley system and ran it through a hole in the wall, which we were hiding behind. One person pulled and one kept an eye on the speed and location of the camera. In the end it worked perfectly, and lets you move through the dancers.
Can you tell us about some of the people featured in the shoots?
The Women’s Task Force was particularly impactful because I could relate to them as a young woman, but they came from such a different, more conservative background. They covered their faces for protection — because it was such a risk to join an organization like that. One woman told us she hadn’t been able to go for a run by herself before she joined, but here she was belaying down buildings and shooting rocket launchers.
In your experience, how is shooting in VR different than shooting a traditional film?
Shooting in VR gives you a more direct connection between your audience and your characters. There’s no camera operator or director behind the camera — since we see in every direction, we usually have to run and hide, leaving the subject alone with the audience. It means you’re not as able to manipulate the footage, which creates another layer of authenticity in documentary filmmaking.
How was shooting this project different from other VR projects you’ve shot?
This project was the first VR series I ever shot. This meant coming up with shot types that worked for multiple subjects, creating a sort of visual language so the viewer would feel a sense of unity between the pieces. You can see this in the close-ups as well as the circular arrangement of characters around the camera.
What’s the takeaway you hope to leave viewers with?
A connection to the characters. Despite the great geographical and cultural distance between us, we have so much common ground. That’s what has stuck with me since we finished shooting. So more than anything, when people actually watch the series on the WITHIN app, that’s the thing I hope they come away with.
Kate Wurzbacher has pioneered VR live-action capture since the earliest days of Here Be Dragons, FKA Vrse.works. As Head of Camera, she’s been on-set for in dozens of locations spanning from Raja Ampat to Islamabad, and shot for NYT, Annenberg Foundation, and Discovery, among others. Leaning on Kate’s extensive experience and unique toolset, Dragons was among the first companies to utilize custom rigs and incorporate camera movement in 360 films. Whether prototyping 360 stereo rigs or designing unique on-set viewing solutions, Kate’s extensive experience in field shooting and customizing cameras has propelled Dragons to the forefront of creative, experiential storytelling in VR.
