The short video “Eggs” takes one on the journey of finding lost keys. The 360 Virtual Reality video allows the viewer to feel as if they are truly there.

My project is about a teenager losing her keys. It starts as the girl rushes to get her luggage into the car. She is about to miss her flight and then realizes she is missing her keys. A teenager’s life is very hectic and dramatic. This video captures that moment of craziness and then immediate calmness/excitement when the keys are found. Her dad ends up finding the car keys with the eggs in the fridge. The 360 view allows the viewer to live in the shoes of a teenage girl. No longer do you see one view, you can see everything from the enviroment to the tension. At one moment, the camera is shoved inside of a backpack allowing the viewer to experience an unusual perspective. The “Eggs” represent the teenager growing out of her shell and able to move on with her life. This video was filmed with a Theta Camera and was edited on Adobe Premiere. 

Virtual Reality is the new up and coming technology, being able to see a video in 360 degrees has changed the way people view videos. My video "The Pursuit" is a fun and interesting way for people from everywhere to view Boston the way I do while also following along with a creative story line. 

The average persons attention span is between 9-12 seconds. There are so many things going on around you and going through your head that it is hard to focus on just one thing. While watching TV, Netflix, or Youtube, most people click off the video once they get bored but, when you find a TV show or video that you really enjoy there is nothing else grabbing your attention. Our goal in the 360 Virtual Reality Storytelling Studio was to grasp peoples attention with intresting Virtual Reality videos that has an entertaining stroyline. My project "The Pursuit" allows the viewers to accompany me on a journey through Boston while using clues to solve a crime. The video takes a plot twist in the end when the view finds out it was all a dream. Viewers can experince this video in a more engaging way in 360 which is completely different in 2D. 

360 Virtual Reality Storytelling

Audience

This studio is for students who want to learn how to tell stories using virtual + augmented reality.

Description

This studio aims to teach students how to tell stories interactively using 360-degree video and computer-generated scenes from conception to final edit,  that viewers experience through virtual reality (VR) headsets. The target platforms for this studio is the phone-based viewer Google Cardboard.

The studio's primary focus is on experiential storytelling and the techniques, apps, and software used to enhance the immersive VR story experience. Students will create unique perspectives and narratives; putting viewers behind the eyes of another person.

Students will form small filming teams that will contribute to the final video submission to be shown/experienced at the end of the studio. Based on what you learned in class and the examples you've seen, partners will come up with a concept for an immersive VR experience + put together a brief pitch, that the groups will then produce with the remainder of the studio.  All filming will be done with a 360 video camera and edited with Adobe Premier.

FINAL Project:

Students will create a virtual reality experience for Google Cardboard that tells a story or conveys information with a partner you will be assigned.

Studio Objectives

• Explore how VR headsets work/trick the brain into believing it’s somewhere
• Discover a new type of media distinct from all previous media forms
• Watch + critique VR experiences currently available
• Identifying stories + experiences that can be “shown” better through an experience, then building them.
• Gain experience creating stories for various types of communications
• Learn to use 360 cameras! 

Learning Outcomes

You will learn basic skills in the following areas:

• Conceptualizing + building your own 360 story.
• Creating interactive elements that pull a user through a story.
• Producing 360 video
• Incorporating 360-degree video into a story.
• 360 Image + Video manipulation.
• Learn how to share your creation across various media platforms.
• Ability to quickly edit + access footage via various phone apps.

Required Supplies

• 360 Camera
• MicroSD Card + adapter
• Micro USB cables
• Selfie Sticks
• VR Headsets
• Smartphone (with storage available)
• Portable USB chargers

Software We’ll Be Using

• Premier
• Photoshop
• After Effects
• Ricoh Theta
• Theta UVC Register
• Gear 360 Action Director (windows)

Apps We’ll Be Using

• Theta S
• Theta+ Video
• Rollworld
• Google Street View
• Samsung Gear 360 Manager (Samsung Galaxy Required)
• YouTube

Share your own finds

When you find something interesting that will make for a good class discussion or exploration, post a link on the Gallery (page?). You are required to share at least 4 finds (an average of two a week).

Online Readings + TED Talks

• How Virtual Reality Can Create the Ultimate Empathy Machine https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_milk_how_virtual_reality_can_create_the_ultimate_empathy_machine?utm_source=tedcomshare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=tedspread
• Road to VR: http://www.roadtovr.com/
• VR Focus: http://vrfocus.com/
• Chris Milk: http://milk.co/
• Articles by Re/code's Eric Johnson: http://recode.net/author/eric-johnson/
• The New York Times Business and Technology sections, and Bits blog: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/  (Note: you can register for a complimentary New York Times subscription by logging on to http://nytimes.com/passes, and using your school email address to set up a user name and password. See this tutorial for help.)
• The VR Geeks list: http://www.vrgeeks.org/vr-geeks/global
• Engadget: http://engadget.com