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Who knows. IMO, VR needs a huge technological advance (or multiple of) and low price in order to start making advances. Content potential is great, technology s

Who knows. IMO, VR needs a huge technological advance (or multiple of) and low price in order to start making advances. Content potential is great, technology still isn't and is expensive. It won't replace all media, it has it's own content scheme. People talking about watching movies in VR doesn't make sense. Some will, yeah. Some new types of movies will be there, but VR has it's own thing content-wise. There's this other thing though. Augmented reality. Technology is kind of here and inexpensive. If you have a relatively modern phone you have AR access, maybe not the latest and greatest, but it's there. Yet, I think that one is a complete failure so far. So many false starts! Content is gimmicky at best and it seems people don't care at all about the technology or potential about it. It's commodity now. When AR happens, it's great (see Pokemon Go, Eyetoy, etc.), but it doesn't live for long (see Pokemon Go, Eyetoy, etc.). Where's AR headed?

bfuller 10y ago
While I agree VR isn't the be all end all for cinema, I kind of hope you are down playing the medium of VR film. Being present in a scene rather than being forced a perspective has some very cool possibilities. It may turn out to be a novelty, but it may be an important one. I do agree that AR is a huge gimmick that probably won't be solved until VR is firmly established
- Keyframe 10y ago
  I'm not downplaying VR film at all. I just think it is (will be) its own thing. In fact, it will be a new type of theatrical expression in its own right. Somewhat more akin to theatre, street theatre and probably interactive. It will not supplant film at all, it's a different thing. Camera placement and lens choice is one of THE tools director has at his disposal. For example, well at least to the one school of film (to which I belong to), when you direct a scene, one of the first question you ask is whose scene is it and depending on that you decide on the placement of the camera, height, lens, movement. You can then, due to conflict/drama, in the same scene change the fulcrum point to tip the scene to be someone else's and change the camera angle and lens... all in the same scene. This is one of the examples where, due to directing, camera placement with lens plays a significant and key role in storytelling. With VR, in described manner, you lose that. However, you have other things at your disposal. So, you see, it's not really a film, it's something else. Which is exciting! We're still a long way from there though.

bfuller 10y ago

While I agree VR isn't the be all end all for cinema, I kind of hope you are down playing the medium of VR film. Being present in a scene rather than being forced a perspective has some very cool possibilities. It may turn out to be a novelty, but it may be an important one. I do agree that AR is a huge gimmick that probably won't be solved until VR is firmly established

Keyframe 10y ago
I'm not downplaying VR film at all. I just think it is (will be) its own thing. In fact, it will be a new type of theatrical expression in its own right. Somewhat more akin to theatre, street theatre and probably interactive. It will not supplant film at all, it's a different thing. Camera placement and lens choice is one of THE tools director has at his disposal. For example, well at least to the one school of film (to which I belong to), when you direct a scene, one of the first question you ask is whose scene is it and depending on that you decide on the placement of the camera, height, lens, movement. You can then, due to conflict/drama, in the same scene change the fulcrum point to tip the scene to be someone else's and change the camera angle and lens... all in the same scene. This is one of the examples where, due to directing, camera placement with lens plays a significant and key role in storytelling. With VR, in described manner, you lose that. However, you have other things at your disposal. So, you see, it's not really a film, it's something else. Which is exciting! We're still a long way from there though.