Filming the Eclipse in VR
From NYC to Dubois, Wyoming to experience totality

I recently traveled to Dubois, Wyoming with two Jump Odysseys (16-camera VR rigs that shoot 360 degrees), a 180-degree camera prototype (which I’m not allowed to show), and a drone, to document the recent solar eclipse. Along with my teammate David, we were there to represent Daydream, Google’s AR/VR team.
Google and UC Berkeley teamed up to make a Megamovie of the eclipse. They had photographers all along the line of totality in the U.S. submit photos of the eclipse, then edited them together into one movie that depicts the entire course of the eclipse across the country.
Google rented out an entire motel in Dubois, a town with, according to its welcome sign, a population of just under 1,000.

Housing about 40 of us, mostly scientists, science enthusiasts, and documentary filmmakers, the hotel was our haven throughout the trip.


In a town, let alone state, with barely any phone service, we didn’t take any chances and had our own wifi installed. Especially since the local Cyber Cafe was closed.



Meanwhile, the town of Dubois was preparing for the influx of people:







Most hotels had been booked months, some even years, in advance:


Although I was there to film the eclipse in 360, I couldn’t help but capture a few of Dubois’ choice treasures, like the World’s Largest Jackalope Exhibit!


The day before the eclipse, we went scouting for locations and landed on this gem, a mountain in Dubois:

The night before the eclipse, we all sat around a fire, some singing songs to the tune of an accordion, some silently staring up at the starry sky.



And then, of course, came the eclipse itself. Although it didn’t begin until 11:30am, most of us were up on the mountain by 7am or earlier.




It’s hard to explain totality. It’s not something that can be perfectly captured on video or VR. It didn’t just turn daylight into nighttime, it also got cool and windy. It made my skin dry. It was like a two-minute winter in the middle of summer.
With its entire duration being only two minutes, totality was a refreshing reminder that magic happens in the blink of an eye, but trails on in immeasurable ways. I suppose the 11-hour, traffic-laden drive to Denver (probably the most traffic Wyoming has ever seen) was an appropriate follow-up for pondering purposes.


Additionally, the 360 stills we took will soon be part of a Google Expedition.