360 Filmmaking !== Virtual Reality Filmmaking
For the past 4 months, I have been doing nothing but 360 filmmaking at Lochnest Studios. I worked for well known clients and did everything myself from pre production to post so those are my credentials. I am no expert by any mean.
I’m not much of a writer, but I need to write this post to express my thought on the current state and some misconception about 360 filmmaking.
I’ll try my best not to get technical and avoid abbreviations.
> Is 360 Filmmaking the same as VR filmmaking?
Nope. I would say 90% of the content you see online are just plain 360 videos.
The main difference between the two is that VR filmmaking has depth while normal 360 video doesn’t. If you search VR filmmaking in Google, you will see terms like “Stereoscopic” and “3d 360”. Basically, they are the same thing. Objects that appear closer to the camera will actually feel closer when you watch it on a head set.
Without getting into much detail, VR filmmaking works like human eye. Your left eye sees a different picture than your right, creating depth as a result. If you want to experience VR film, buy Samsung VR headset and watch Circus De Soleil video.
> Why do all 360 videos on Youtube look so low quality even though it is in 4k.
Here is a reddit post explaining the answer in more detail version.
In summary. The video output is actually in 4k but to playback as 360 video, the player has to zoom in to to create the 360 effect and thus creating pixelated image.
It is possible to do 8k export but there are technical limitation (bandwidth, editing etc.)
> Will Virtual Reality kill traditional filmmaking?
Haha, Nope. I honestly don’t think it will. Not now, not in the future.
Most of my clients still prefer non-360 over 360 because the quality difference. I try to steer them away from the 360 route unless they know what they are getting into.
All in all, 360 video is just another medium to tell a story. If it makes sense to tell your story in 360, then by all mean please do. It can be a very powerful tool. Don’t do it just because it looks cool. It’s very easy to make a shitty 360 content.
> Should I invest in six go pro and a stitching software to start making 360 video?
Here is the current process to make 360 video :
Shoot -> Stitch six videos into one video file -> Export stitch -> Edit
Here is the future :
Shoot -> Edit
The camera will do the stitching for you.
I say wait for a month or two and see the quality of Samsung and Nikon 360 cameras.
> Conclusion
Virtual Reality is going to revolutionize a lot of industries, media being one of them. It is here to stay. The technology will improve and the workflow will be easier. I am very optimistic about the future of VR filmmaking but right now it is just not there yet.
If you are interested, here are some good 360 content.