Learn the ins and outs of immersive video production with our new VR180 tutorial series!
If you’re looking to add an extra sense of presence or immersion to your next video without going a full 360-degrees, VR180 is definitely a format worth checking out. Similar to 360-degree video, VR180 uses specialized stereoscopic wide-angle cameras to record immersive 3D footage; except instead of capturing the entirety of the environment, you’re viewing only 180-degrees of the scene.
A best of both worlds, VR180’s immersive stereoscopic 3D enhances the immersion of standard 2D content while still keeping the viewer’s attention fixated on certain actions and events that happen during the video. By working directly with YouTube for the last three years on the VR Creator Lab initiative—a project designed to educate YouTube influencers on the finer points of VR180 production—we’ve traveled all across the world, including London, Japan, Seattle, and Amsterdam, to help produce a massive catalogue of AAA VR180 content alongside some of the biggest names on YouTube; from BET and Cirque Du Soleil, to Ochikeron and Los Polinesios.
Over the course of these multiple seminars, we’ve amassed a sizable collection of VR180 educational resources and in the process developed a comprehensive outline for the production of professional-grade VR180 content. So, we figured why not share our knowledge of everything VR180 via a two-part video series that gives you the low-down on everything you need to know in order to shoot proper immersive content!
Available now on our official YouTube channel, How To Shoot VR180 – Tutorial & Camera Series is a 10-minute breakdown of the equipment and techniques necessary to capture high-quality VR180 footage that won’t make you want to vomit all over your VR headset. Lead by our in-house production virtuoso, Devin, this introductory video is a much-watch for both VR180 newcomers as well as experienced professionals. At the end, we showcase a few of the AAA pieces of content produced by some of our Creator Lab attendees.
Then there’s How To Edit VR180 – Post Production Video Guide, a step-by-step instructional video designed to walk you through the semi-complex operation of processing, editing, and exporting your finished product. You see, in order to shoot stereoscopic 3D videos, you need a special camera which can capture two separate images directly next to one another; this creates a sense of depth similar to old-school red-and-blue 3D glasses. However, because you are now capturing two images as opposed to just one— as you would with a conventional monoscopic camera—you now have to account for two separate images, resulting in more complex post-production. Worry not, however, as this roughly 20-minute video will breakdown how to tackle this process in the most stress-free manner possible.
As immersive hardware continues to infiltrate the mainstream, so too will immersive video formats, such as VR180 and 360. We hope these videos serve as a continued resource for those looking to develop and expand upon the VR180 format.
