MOVIE MATTERS MAKING SENSE OF VR
TIME TO FOLLOW BUSINESS TRENDS
THE VR HERD? Virtual Reality is no longer the stuff of sci-fi and there’s a growing commercial case for compelling productions that use this latest technology
WORDS TERRY HOPE
I f you’re one of those that imagines VR is a passing fad that will ultimately fail to make a commercial breakthrough, then be prepared to think again. There are already many far-sighted companies and individuals proving beyond doubt that VR and its close relative 360° filmmaking are already commercially viable, and with every forward step in technology the entire scene is becoming more attractive to clients looking for an innovative and immersive way to spread their message. One of those companies that has been very much at the forefront of cutting-edge newmethods has been London-based
strand of the operation, marked by a series of landmark productions that have earned worldwide acclaimwhile pushing back the boundaries of what’s considered possible. Production partnerships for non-gaming entertainment for Sony Playstation VR and HTC/Valve Vive system have created VR experiences that advance the medium and demonstrate new ways to entertain. Meanwhile a collaboration with the Sony Playstation Immersive Technology Group led to the acclaimed Joshua Bell experience for PSVR, recently awarded ‘Best VR Music Experience’ at the International Advanced Imaging Society Awards in LA.
Vision3. Initially 3D was the big story that led to the creative director Chris Parks forming the company in 2008, just a year before the film Avatar took this process to new levels, and since that time there has been involvement in such epic 3D productions as Gravity and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them . So respected is Vision3 in this area that it has been an eight-times winner of the International 3D Society’s ‘Lumiere Award,’ including Best Stereography in 2014 for Gravity . However, while 3D remains an integral part of what the company does, in recent years VR has become another mainstream
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PRO MOVIEMAKER AUTUMN 2018
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