Immersive Video Production / Project 1

on
24.04.2025 - 15.05.2025 (Week 1 - Week 4)
Ng Kar Yee / 0367743
Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Immersive Video Production / Project 1

LECTURES

Week 1⇒ What is 360 Video?

On our first day, Mr Martin gave us a brief introduction on the module and told us what to expect for the current semester. He gave us a brief introduction on the module information booklet and discussed about the weekly lesson plan. Besides, assignment, assessment and weightage were also discussed.

What is 360 video?
  • Videos that shoot with an omnidirectional camera.
  • Videos that present full 360 degree views.
  • In 360 video, viewers are free to choose where to look.
  • 360 videos are available in YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo etc.

Week 4⇒ Differences Between 360 Video & VR / Traditional Video


360 Vs VR

  • VR and 360 provide a full immersive experience by viewing with HMD, Head mounted display.
  • Immersion: Viewers are surrounded by images and sound that create a realistic environment.
  • The HMD immersive viewing experience provides a sense of Presence.
  • Presence: The feeling of actually existing within an environment.
1. 360 Video
  • In 360, the frame has been removed, viewers immerse in the virtual world.
  • 360 video is live action video, reality environment shot by 360 video camera.
  • In 360, viewers are grounded by the camera position, unless camera movement applied.
2. VR
  • VR, Virtual Reality, a digital stimulated 3D immersive environment.
  • In VR, viewers can interact, freely move in the 3D digital world.


360 vs. Traditional Video
  • In traditional video, the “view” is composed within a frame. Viewers are content with what is presented to them within the frame.
1. What is the language being used within the “Frame”?
  • 3 act structures storytelling is well adapted in many mediums.
2. Why traditional video method cannot be use in 360?
  • Storytelling that serves the traditional video perfectly doesn’t work for 360 video.
  • Cinematography consists of various shot sizes together to tell a story also doesn’t work for 360 video.
  • Editing principle for traditional video doesn’t work for 360 video.
  • Stereo sound system doesn’t work for 360 video.
  • The system that is used to “direct”, and control viewers doesn't work in 360 video.
  • The 360 video content is not to be told in conventional story form, but to be experienced.
  • In 360 video, idea to be chosen needs a different approach and assessment.


Native thinking in 360 & VR
  • Agency
  • Presence
  • Immersion
1. Agency (Viewer's Choice)
  • In VR, users aren't just watching, they're participating.
  • Native VR design grants users control over where to look, what to interact with, and how the experience unfolds.
  • Unlike traditional film where direction is fixed, in VR the user becomes the camera.
2. Presence (Feeling "There")
  • Presence refers to the psychological sense of being inside the virtual space.
  • A natively built VR scene pays attention to scale, sound, lighting, and movement to trick the brain into believing it's real.
  • Camera placement (e.g., eye-level), spatialized audio, and naturalistic interactions strengthen this.
  • Avoid jarring cuts or forced camera movements that break immersion.
3. Immersion (Staying Engaged Without Distractions)
  • Immersion is the overall effect of being engrossed in the VR experience.
  • Native immersive design minimizes UI clutter, embraces natural interactions, and ensures the world is cohesive and believable.
  • In 360°, this might mean ensuring every direction offers meaningful visual or narrative content.
  • In VR, interactivity must feel smooth and intuitive—grabbing, turning, walking should feel real or close to it.


360 video Idea Development
  • Considering where in 360 video production is as important as who and why.
  • Considering how is the plot that viewer going to experience.
  • Who are the target audiences?
  • References for 360 idea development.
  • Does the cause & effect narration system still valid?
  • Short drama is ideal in 360 especially consisting empathy and fear as it brings out the feeling of pity and fear as well as catharsis.
  • Having a checklist and developing a synopsis is also important in 360.

Ideation Step By Step

1. Genre to consider
  • Thriller
  • Drama
  • Comedy Horror
a) Thriller
  • A thriller is dark and suspenseful plot-driven story.
b)Drama
  • The conflict that arouses viewer’s emotion
c) Comedy Horror
  • Comedy horror is a genre/type in which the usual dark themes and "scare tactics" attributed to horror films are treated with a humorous approach.

Steps Of Ideation

Step 1
  • Select one genre for your first 360 video project.
Step 2
  • Maximum a three minutes video which consists of one or two scenes and maximum two main characters
Step 3
  • Create a world for the viewer to experience.
  • Immersive experience is first and foremost a psychological encounter.

INTRODUCTION

PROJECT 1⇒ 360 VIDEO EXPERIMENTAL PRODUCTION

For our first project, Mr Martin introduced 360 Video Experimental Production to us where we need to produce a 360 video experiment on a topic of our choice, emphasizing on story or technic experimentation. We are encouraged to be creative and not limit our imagine within traditional idea mindset.

For this project, the requirement are,
  • Produce a 3 scenes 360 video.
  • No voice, narration or dialogue.
  • Connect the 3 video with a storyline.

To have a head start, Mr Martin discussed with us how should we shoot and which location we should pick to shoot. I was assigned to shoot the video near my hostel area, which is PJS 7 residential housing area.

After deciding the location, I started to plot my storyline and split them into 3 scenes. After brainstorming, I decided to do an kidnapped incident. I split the scene location into the area outside my hostel, residential area road and a park.

Project Name: "Snatched By The Shadow"

Story Overview

The story follows a seemingly ordinary afternoon shared between two close friends. After leaving her hostel, a young girl meets up with her friend and the two decide to spend time together at a nearby park, laughing and playing on the swings and seesaw. What they don’t realize is that someone has been following them closely watching them from a distance since their meeting.

As they enjoy their time, one friend briefly steps away to put her belongings down on a bench. In that fleeting moment, a man approaches the other girl and swiftly kidnaps her. The park falls eerily silent.

When the friend turns back, she finds only an empty swing gently swaying in the wind — the girl is gone. Shocked and terrified, she searches in vain before panic overtakes her and she runs, unknowingly watched once again by the same figure from afar.

Scene Breakdown

Scene 1 – Quiet Departure
  • A young girl leaves her hostel after class, enjoying the peaceful air of the late afternoon. She seems relaxed and excited to meet up with her friend
Scene 2 – A Casual Reunion
  • She meets her friend near the park. They greet each other warmly and walk off together, chatting. In the background, a shadowy figure subtly appears watching them from a distance.
Scene 3 – Innocence Interrupted
  • The two girls spend time together in a nearby park. They laugh, play on the seesaw, swing on the swings, and enjoy each other’s company. At one point, the friend walks to the other side of the park to place her belongings on a bench.
  • In that brief moment, a man suddenly approaches the girl at the swing. The sound mutes slightly, tension rises. Before anyone can react, he forcefully grabs her and vanishes from the scene with no sound, no struggle caught clearly.
  • When the friend turns back moments later, she finds only the swing swaying gently back and forth. Confused and terrified, the friend calls out, but there is no answer. Realizing something is terribly wrong, she runs away in panic.
After completing the ideation, I started on the shoot. I invited two close friends of mine, Yu Tian and Melvin to assist me in acting in the shoot as the friend and kidnapper while I act as the girl. Shooting that day took a while as it was my first time using a 360 camera and the connection of the camera to the phone was bit unstable however it was quite a new experiences.

Link To Scenes
After completing the shoot, I show Mr Martin my scene clips and we proceed on the editing part. Mr Martin taught me a few tricks in editing the clips and how to combine them together. Surprisingly, it wasn't that bad as it was easy to get a hang of it with a few practise.  
To adjust the angle and which angle we want viewer to first see, we need to select VR Rotate Sphere in the Immersive Video at Video Effect under the effect panel. 

Figure 1.0 VR Rotate Sphere

Then adjust the Tilt, Pan and Roll to the angle we want.

Figure 1.1 VR Rotate Sphere Effect Settings

To make the 3 scenes combine into one, I applied a VR Iris Wipe under Immersive Video in video transition.

Figure 1.3 Transition In Immersive Video

FINAL 360 VIDEO EXPERIMENTAL PRODUCTION

Takeaways after the shoot
  • Character / objects shoot should be nearer to the camera like 1 to 2 m? as the kidnapper in the scene 2 wasn't very visible.
  • The direction guidances or point of interest for viewers need to be more obvious.
  • During the editing part, the second scene need to consider which view viewer last view in scene one as viewer may be in the opposite view of the point of interest.

FEEDBACK

WEEK 4
  • The actors are too far from the camera
  • Scene 1 and 2 didn't feel necessary as the main storyline would be in scene 3

REFLECTION

Working on 360 Video Experimental Production has been a fun ride where I got to enhance my skills and knowledge in ideation and video shooting. Besides, it was new experience as it was my first time using a 360 camera. Moreover, we have the opportunity to analyze and explore different type of shooting method and see how profesional share their knowledge in the specific field. This project was challenging yet interesting for me as I need to combine creativity and video shooting skills however with the guidance I got from Mr Martin and my friends, I managed to finish the tasks.

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