Getting ‘Entangled’ in VR

Simon Weaving’s ground breaking VR360 film Entangled is due to premier in December 2019, drawing on cutting edge 360-degree cinematography to invite the audience to test the limits of the world as they know it.

The film’s themes are based on quantum entanglement, where particles are connected even when far apart that Einstein called “spooky action at a distance”. Sound and vision are coupled to promote full immersion in an adventure that maps what you see to what you hear: known as ambisonic sound.

Weaving said “the element of spatially correct sound pushes the viewer to their emotional limits, provoking their understanding of what is real: that was my vision for Entangled.”

The writing process for Entangled took Weaving down the rabbit hole, and led to an innovative combination of traditional and radical approaches, drawing on the format of a theatre script, comprehensible for actors, and direction that ensures everyone is on the same page across a scene that takes in all four cardinal points.

Weaving explained a key challenge he faced during filming–where does the director go? There is no angle that doesn’t capture what is behind the camera. He said, “I literally had to take a step back and use a theatrical approach. I helped the actors rehearse the entire movie, but during filming I relinquished control and let them take the lead.”

On the back of the film’s early critical success, Weaving has been invited to edit a book on screenwriting for virtual reality, a field still in its infancy.

More info: https://www.entangledvr.com/

Author: Tamara Blickisdorf