Shooting with a 360° camera

A short and rather primitive introduction to the 360° video storytelling technique. Enabled by the Cronkite School of Journalism.

How did I end up with a 360° rig in my hands?

• I had never worked with one.
• My colleagues back home have not tried it.
• I could try something I, otherwise, would not have had access to.

I was curious. All I wanted to do was touch this 360 thing. I didn’t think having fun would mean hard work. I ended up learning how to use the rig and take pictures, and assisted during the editing process.

This is what I learnt:

• With so many go pros, you really have no idea what pictures are being taken. Be prepared for surprises!
• If you want someone walking or some movement in your video, make sure the person stands at at a point quite far from you, otherwise body parts can make your editing process quite difficult.
• 360° video is not without limitations. There is a google earth 360° of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Do check it out beforehand to avoid repeating certain perspectives.
• Find good hiding spots before you start shooting.

• Try to hide below the camera before you are in the field. The height of the tripod might need to be adjusted and it’s not easy to do so when you are under there.

Here is a full story of how we did it:

BEHIND THE SCENES

By the time you read this, there’s probably been better technology invented, and better software for editing introduced.

The 360 rig is nice to play with, but the end product better be wow-worthy enough for someone to want to wear their cardboard box. Please, wear yours now for my 360° videos.