VR Diaries: ‘Project Syria’ Felt Like a Video Game
The most powerful part of the virtual reality story, “Project Syria,” was when the Syrian refugee figures kept multiplying as the narrator said that “the number of refugees has been growing exponentially.” This part also felt a little creepy and eerie, as the figures were faceless and uni-color, but it was effective.
The weakest aspect, having watched some of the other VR pieces, is that it wasn’t in live action and the low resolution through the headsets. I could barely see anything in the first setting, and after the bomb went off, I was taken inside somewhere — this transition could have been much smoother.
What I remember most was the sound of the bomb going off in the beginning, which I was told is audio of the real thing — that makes it all the more cool. My vision was blurred, and it made me imagine what that actually would have been like, without the actual life-threatening fear.
Since this piece was just under four minutes, I didn’t gain as much insight for this particular story. I felt like I was watching a video game or a movie in 3D, instead of being in a VR experience through headset.
The resolution was very low for this piece, making it difficult to distinguish the setting, especially in the beginning scenes. I re-watched it on YouTube, and the visuals were significantly different through my computer screen. I wasn’t a fan of the storytelling techniques — I felt like I was being told statements, instead of a story. This took away from the experience.
The best practices I’d recommend, based on this piece, is to have done a couple interviews to add personal and emotional appeal, which this piece lacked immensely. And although not everyone gets this luxury, I’d suggest live action or at least even cutting to a live-action shot, just to be able to see what it really looks like — at least to have recorded some sound-on-tapes for a more engaging audio. What I’d avoid is making the narrative too documentary style, taking out any room for empathy from the audience.
I didn’t gain anything new from this VR experience, and couldn’t get into it enough to develop any real emotions. It also ended abruptly, leaving me with not much after thought. My view on the subject matter did not change, because I did not learn anything new. Overall, this was my least favorite VR experience.
