The Future of Content Creation: Delivering a Fully Immersive Volumetric Experience

The future is almost now

Image by the Author using DALL-E and Canva

Say goodbye to boring articles — welcome to the age of volumetric experiences.

As a full-time blogger, I’ve seen firsthand how content creation has evolved over the years. From text-based articles to multimedia videos and interactive quizzes, the possibilities for engaging with audiences have grown exponentially.

However, I believe we’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible with the advent of AI technologies, augmented reality, and virtual reality.

In the future, content creators will no longer be constrained to a single medium. Instead, they’ll be able to deliver a fully immersive volumetric experience that engages all of the senses.

This will revolutionize the way we learn, explore, and connect with one another.

As a content creator, it will be your job to deliver a tailored digital experience that takes advantage of these new technologies. You’ll need to think beyond just text-based articles or pre-recorded videos, and instead create dynamic and interactive content that can be experienced in a variety of ways.

But what does this “holistic experience” actually look like?

How will it differ from the content we’re used to consuming today? And what are some of the challenges that content creators will face as they adapt to this new landscape?

In this article, I’ll explore these questions and more, drawing on real-world examples to illustrate the potential of volumetric content creation. By the end, you’ll have a clearer understanding of what the future holds for content creators, and how you can start preparing for it today.

Strap on your VR headset and settle into the time machine — we are going to the future.

What the Heck Is Volumetric Content?

Before we dive into the specifics of volumetric content, let’s first define what we mean by the term.

Essentially, volumetric content refers to any content that exists in three dimensions, rather than just two. This can include text, audio recordings, video, virtual reality experiences, augmented reality overlays, and interactive 3D models.

Imagine being able to practice a new song on a digital instrument, guided by an AI instructor who can provide real-time feedback.

Or learning how to change a tire on the side of the road through a virtual reality simulation that lets you practice in a safe and controlled environment.

The possibilities are endless.

This Is Why You Should Care About Volumetric Content

There are a few key reasons why this approach to content creation is so important:

1. Engagement. By creating content that engages all of the senses, you’re able to create a more immersive experience for your audience. This can help capture their attention and keep them engaged for longer periods of time. Engagement equals attention which equals profit.
2. Differentiation. As more and more businesses and entrepreneurs begin to embrace volumetric content, it will become increasingly important to stand out from the crowd. By adopting this approach early, you’ll be able to differentiate yourself from competitors and establish yourself as an early leader in your industry.
3. Innovation. Finally, embracing volumetric content is simply a smart business move. As technology continues to evolve, it’s essential to stay ahead of the curve and be willing to experiment with new approaches to content creation.

Some of your competitors — many of your competitors — will adopt a “wait and see approach” to these new changes.

Don’t be a waiter.

Be a mover, a shaker, a paradigm breaker.

Sidenote: If you just thought of Tom Petty, we are best friends now.

Examples of Volumetric Content in Action

Now that we’ve established why volumetric content is important, let’s take a look at some more examples of how it’s being used in the real world.

Takes these for instance:

1. Virtual Reality Experiences. One of the most well-known examples of volumetric content is virtual reality experiences. These can range from fully immersive games to virtual tours of real-world locations.
2. Augmented Reality Overlays. Another popular use case for volumetric content is augmented reality overlays. These can be used to add interactive elements to physical spaces, such as product demos or instructional guides.
3. Interactive 3D Models. Finally, interactive 3D models are another form of volumetric content that is becoming increasingly popular. These can be used to create immersive product demos or training materials.

Imagine consuming a review for a new grill, listening to testimonials, watching a video of someone testing the product, and then being able to “touch” and “feel” the grill through a digital hologram.

A pretty good current example of volumetric content is the website FantasticFungi.com.

The website gives you the option to read, do further research, take a quiz, browse through pictures, embark on a virtual tour, watch a movie, and even play a video game related to the topic.

Another example is filmmaking, and this TED Talk gives some great examples:

YouTube video by TED — Credit

How to Start Creating Volumetric Content

You can start playing around with volumetric content now. Like, today, if you want.

Here are a few key tips:

1. Choose the Right Tools. To create high-quality volumetric content, you’ll need the right tools. This may include software for creating 3D models or virtual reality experiences, as well as hardware like VR headsets or cameras. To go cheaper, start with AI writers like ChatGPT and Jasper, or AI image generators like DALL-E. Even AI text-to-video generators.
2. Plan Your Content in 3D. As with any type of content creation, it’s essential to plan your volumetric content carefully. Think about what kind of experience you want to create, and how you can use volumetric elements to enhance that experience. Consider all the possible mediums.
3. Collaborate with Experts. Volumetric content creation is a complex and technical process, so it’s a good idea to collaborate with experts in the field. This may include developers, designers, or other content creators who have experience with this type of content. With the advent of AI, you can do a lot of it yourself.
4. Experiment and Iterate. Finally, it’s important to approach volumetric content creation with an experimental mindset. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and be willing to iterate on your content based on feedback from your audience.

A few practical steps you can take, starting right now:

• Sign up for an AI writer (for example, get a free account with ChatGPT)
• Sign up for an AI text-to-image generator (I like DALL-E and Jasper Art)
• Create graphics and images to go along with your content (I like the AI image generators I just mentioned, along with Canva. Microsoft Designer is also a good option)
• If you are a writer, make a video of your content and embed it in the article or blog post (Use Loom, OBS, and ClipChamp to do it for free)
• If you are a video creator, take the transcript from your last video and format it into a text-based article (Hint: You can get a free transcript/captions from ClipChamp and then feed it into ChatGPT to do most of the formatting for you)
• Whatever content you are working on right now, ask, “How can I make this more interactive and immersive?”

The Future of Volumetric Content

So what does the future hold for volumetric content creation?

Here are a few key trends to keep an eye on:

1. Greater Accessibility. As the technology behind volumetric content creation becomes more advanced, it’s likely that it will become more accessible to a wider range of content creators. This could lead to a surge in innovation and experimentation.
2. Deeper Integration with AI. As we’ve already seen, AI technologies are already playing a significant role in volumetric content creation. In the future, we can expect even greater integration between these two fields, leading to even more dynamic and engaging content.
3. Expansion to New Platforms. Finally, we can expect to see volumetric content expanding to new platforms and mediums in the years to come. This may include new forms of social media, or even entirely new digital environments.

Final Frontier Thoughts

As a beginner blogger or solopreneur, it can be tough to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to content creation. We may not be living in the holodeck room on Star Trek, but we may not be too far from such a reality.

By embracing (and preparing for) the power of volumetric content, you can create experiences that are truly immersive and powerful for your audience.

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