Virtual Reality : Next up at the 2016 Oscars

[jayanji]

Imagine a cinematic world that goes beyond 2D or even 3D—one that’s so immersive that you’d swear you could reach out and touch the characters and surroundings. Not only that, but you decide how the movie ends by exploring different paths within the storylines. While previously just a fantasy for filmmakers eager to draw audience members in, this has quickly become feasible, thanks to advancements in virtual reality technology.

Suddenly, we’re on the brink of an entirely new movie medium. Looking down the road a bit, could future Oscars nominees actually be virtual reality movies?

How the VR medium proved itself worthy

Naturally, Oculus is at the forefront of this trend. In late January, the Facebook-owned company announced a new experimental virtual reality cinema project: the Oculus Story Studio. The project’s team consists of a number of game developers and filmmakers, who are focused on exploring real-time VR experiences that allow the viewer to become part of the action. And at the recent Sundance Film Festival, Oculus’ Story Studio debuted its first short, “Lost,” which guides the viewer on an adventure to a moonlit forest inhabited by an unusual creature. The project, which uses a mix of animation methods and custom gaze controls, was directed by Pixar vet Saschka Unseld, whose film credits include work on “Toy Story 3.” What’s unique about the piece is that although it’s barely five minutes long, the actual length depends on the audience member’s storytelling choices while wearing the headset.

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Olympic committee also focusing on trialling virtual reality technologies for the Olympic Games.

"The technology is maturing quickly. There is real interest in virtual experiences to mobile phones," Exarchos continued. "One VR application we are exploring is around viewing aspects of the Games after the event."

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[sagar.patnaik]

VR is really an interesting stuff but creating stuff for VR will be expensive and requires high amount of creativity.

 

[jayanji]

Imagine 10 years ago trying to envision the way we use cellphones today. It’s impossible. That’s the promise VR has today. VR at its best shouldn’t replace real life, just modify it, giving us access to so much just out of reach physically, economically. If you can dream it, VR can make it. It’s a medium for progress, not the progress itself. In celebration of the rise of VR still to come, The Verge investigated its past, present, and future to offer a glimpse of what we feel is enormous possibility.