🗣 XR Interview: Mary Matheson

Welcome to the #VirtualLibrary. Here’s our latest ‘XR Interview’ — a collection of the best & brightest in virtual reality, uncovering their stories & documenting their insights into all things immersive.

Mary Matheson is a pioneering VR & 360 film Director & Executive Producer. A champion of VR for good, Mary’s work has a valiant social conscience, often advocating for women’s rights. Some of her most famous projects include: The Female Planet (an award-winning 360 series from Google Daydream & YouTube VR) as well as VR films for Save the Children, The British Heart Foundation & Plan International.

Her creativity is boundless and we’re always looking forward to seeing what she does next.

What was your first ever encounter with immersive technology? What was it like?

I fell in love with VR the moment I watched the UN’s ‘Clouds Over Sidra’ in 2015. I immediately saw the transformative nature of immersive storytelling and realized it would change my film making forever. I had been making films from far flung countries for many years, constantly trying to bring my audiences to poverty-stricken or war-torn lands. Suddenly, with 360 film making, I could take viewers to another country and put them face to face with a person who could tell their story directly to us.

I was also totally transformed by watching “Catatonic”. That’s when I realized the extraordinary range of techniques I now I had in my director’s toolkit. I learned how to use immersive sound from Catatonic, and still look to it as a basic lesson in how to director your viewer’s gaze.

What’s the coolest thing about your job?

It’s pretty cool to be constantly experimenting and testing new techniques/shots. I learn something new in every experience I make, and absolutely love pushing the boundaries of the technology to the purpose of the film/experience.

After 20 years, I still also get a kick out of interviewing and making films about real people. It still feels like a privilege to be welcomed into someone’s home, and to be allowed to enter their lives, even for a brief moment.

What about your work in the XR industry might surprise people?

One of the biggest myths about 360 film making and VR in general is that you can’t direct your viewers. This is crazy! Of course, you can just stick a bunch of shots together and the audience can look wherever they want. But there are so many techniques to make sure they’re looking in the right place even within a 360 space. I use movement, lighting and sound to make sure my viewer is looking where I want them to look!

What do you wish you could change about your industry?

I wish there was more investment in straight 360 film making. I think we have only dipped our toes in the water of possibilities with 360 cinematography, but the desire for interactivity means more investment goes towards AR/game engine development.

When I directed The Female Planet 360 series, I felt I was really developing new techniques and experimenting with the form. But since then investment has meant I have worked more with bringing 360 together with photogrammetry, volumetric capture and 3D animation. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve also loved exploring these forms but would love to explore 360 further.

What’s been your proudest moment as a VR/360 director?

I think it’s always powerful to see someone emotional after they have watched your work, particularly if they know the country or issue related to your film. But actually, my proudest moment has been mentoring a community group in Brixton to make a 360 film about the history of black people in Brixton. I always get a bit of kick seeing others working out how marvellous 360 can be for telling their own stories.

What makes a great VR/360 film?

For me a great VR suspends your belief, even for a moment, and takes you to another world/place. The best VR I have seen or made gives us time to arrive in this new world, and once there, we have time to really have a good look around, to believe we’re actually there, living that experience. For me, the narrative is always Queen. You can have slightly limited camera work and quality of image but if the story is good, you still think you’re there. But if an experience is all whizz-bang but with no story, it’s boring for me.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given as a director?

Sometimes less is more. Cutting down the narrative, or not including every shot, can sometimes give a more powerful experience.

What’s the worst?

It’s not a piece of advice, but I have seen several factual VR pieces where the narrative is clearly written by the director, rather than being the real words of the character. For me, the magic lies in hearing someone’s real words because they are rarely what you expect to hear.

Any parting words of advice?

This is an exciting place to be, but it’s also tough. Stick at it. The slog is worth it for the magical moments of discovery.

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