2016F 360 VR Video Main Page
Miguel Estrata

360 Driving

Miguel Estrata
In this test, I wanted to see how adding some motion would affect the video or viewer. In my last test, the camera was always still so this time I took the camera out on the road. There are some shots on a tripod but I wanted to focus on the shots that you can see out of the window or even from the top of the truck.

For this test, I used a Joby Gorillapod tripod which has legs that can be wrapped around almost anything. I put the camera in a few different locations in the truck and which lets you view inside and outside the truck. I thought that I seemed just like I would see the world from my own eyes so I didn’t find it to make me dizzy.

The shot from the top of the truck is the more interesting shot. I strapped it down as best as I could because shaking video is never really easy to watch. I thought that this shot did take me out of my comfort. I think that is is because I and moving fast and I am seeing things from a perspective that I never see. While I think that I can make people uncomfortable, I think that there is an audience for it like people who like to watch action camera video who are comfortable with extreme sports. If you don’t like roller coasters, a 360 video with movement may not be for you.

Something I do want to look into are ways to mount the camera differently. In this test and the last, If the viewer decides to look down, they can see the tripod which I thinks breaks the illusion.

Cut Back and Forth
Miguel Estrata

This was a test to see how it would look if I cut back and forth between two “actors” sitting across from each other. The camera was placed about two feet from the actors which seemed to be a good distance because I was able to get the close up that I wanted without getting bad distortion. Since the camera is 360, I only had to use one take since I was getting an angle of both actors at once. Then in After Effects, I copied the videos and positioned them to get me the angle that I wanted in certain parts of the timeline. In terms of the video, I don’t think cutting back in forth was necessary all of the time. It wasn’t always important to see the guy explaining the rules but sometimes you want to see him while he talks because that might help you understand better. I think it did work to make viewer look back at the pieces that were being explained and the viewer could also choose what exactly to look at. Overall, I’m not sure cutting back and forth totally worked in this case but it would be good to try this again with more things to look at. The setting for the next one could be something like a city street or an art piece that takes up more of the screen.

Low to High Angle Test
Miguel Estrata

This test was to see how it would look to cut from an angle where the talent is lower to an angle where the talent is higher up. In this test, we get a really good close up of the guy on the computer so we focus on him. When the other guy walks in, the viewer is naturally inclined to look at him. From the low angle, the second seems farther away because we see more of him. He also seems like a secondary character. We still think the focus is on the guy on the computer. Then, the second guys walks away and the camera changes to get a closer shot of him. Now the guy on the laptop seems a lot farther away and we see the guy getting the package becomes the focus. At first, I was thinking that the camera cut was unnecessary since the viewer could just follow the guy as he walked away. Then I realised that my focus on the characters dramatically changed all from putting the camera on a taller tripod. I also think the cut wasn’t too dramatic if you looked up at the guy that tan sweater so I think it is a viable option especially in a longer scene.     

Over the Shoulder Test
Miguel Estrata

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVZF0mxuaJg

We wanted test how an over the shoulder shot would look. After looking at the footage on my computer screen, I was not too pleased with the results. First, the camera was too wide that I had to crop in the picture which already is not the greatest on the Theta camera. When we shot this, we stood as close to the camera as we could but I guess that wasn’t enough. My idea for a future test would be to put it on a much thinner pole so we could get closer to the camera. I thought that this test was a total failure but then I looked at it on my phone and I thought it was a little more forgiving. It didn’t look as bad as it did on my computer monitor. It might even work better for cutting back and forth between two actors in a scripted project. I didn’t get to test this with the footage that I had but this would be a good test to revisit.

YuGiOh VR Project
Miguel Estrata

This project incorporates point of view shots with graphics to show how a YuGiOh duel between two people might play out. A point of view shot lets us see what the player is seeing and we could play along with him. We could see his hand, his field and even see the animations of what is going on during the duel. This was also an instructional video and I think the VR video space allows for many things be on screen and you can turn to them when you need to. I could see this format working with other tabletop games as long as the game doesn’t move too fast.