Immersive Video Production / Project 2

on
22.05.2025 - 12.06.2025 (Week 5 - Week 8)
Ng Kar Yee / 0367743
Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Immersive Video Production / Project 2

LECTURES

Week 5⇒ POI & Sound Que

360 Video Visualization

1. Camera placement
  • The idea position for viewers to observe the unfolded events.
2. Blocking
  • In 360 video, blocking is the new composition.
3. Visual cue
  • Lead the viewer to POI (Point of interest) by visual elements like action, contrast, distant
4. Sound cue
  • Lead the viewer to POI by spatial sound.
5. Point Of Interest (POI) 
  • Viewers are more attentive to distances between 3 - 5 metre.
  • One POI at a time, unless the narrative is at a fast pace.
  • The change of POI with more than 90 degree will lead viewer to browse the surrounding.
  • POI in the consecutive scene needs longer cushion time for viewer to adapt.
  • In 360, POIs are elements within an experience that attract viewer’s attention. There can be action, visual or audio cues. 360 video is “frameless”.
6. Motion sickness
  • Motion sickness happens when your brain receives conflicting signals about movement in the environment around you.

360 Video Cheatsheet

1. Points of Interest (POIs)
  • Visual anchors that attract attention within the 360° sphere.
  • Use: Direct viewer focus without enforcing it.
Techniques:
  • Place POIs in different axes (not just forward).
  • Use layered POIs (foreground, midground, background).
  • Embed narrative or emotional value in peripheral POIs.
  • Change light, motion, or character gaze to highlight POIs.
2. Sound Cues
  • Audio elements that guide attention, mood, and direction.
  • Use: Lead the ear to lead the eye; build emotional presence.
Types:
  • Pre-orienting cues (faint footsteps, subtle audio in the viewer's blind zone).
  • Directional dialogue or environmental layers.
  • Sequential sound reveals (cue → transition → event).
3. Spatial Scene Composition
  • Design in the round: No dead zones or flat walls.
  • Use depth: Foreground activity + midground setup + background context.
  • Movement paths: Guide viewers via character/object arcs.
4. Character Gaze & Reaction
  • Use on-screen reactions to out of POI events.
  • Direct address for intimacy (Breaking the Fourth Wall, Direct Gaze and Dialogue (The "You Are Here" Moment): Have a character look directly into the 360 camera
  • Facial emotion cues in various locations.
5. Anticipation & Expectation
  • Build curiosity before action.
  • Delay reveals to give time for gaze shifts.
  • Foreshadow visually or through sound.
6. Pacing & Viewer Time
  • Gaze shift time: Allow 5–8 seconds per POI.
  • Avoid rapid-fire edits.
  • Let moments breathe after key events.

Week 7⇒ POI & Sound Que

Narrative Design in 360 video

Re-definition of storytelling Framework
  • Theme
  • Decor/ Spectacle
  • Character/ Diction
  • Plot/ Theme
1. Theme
  • How viewers perceive the theme by their experiences?
2. Decor/Spectacle
  • How the set design and sound design are part of the mise en scene that compliments viewers’ experiences.
3. Character/Diction
  • How do viewers connect/build relationships with characters by observing?
  • How do viewers identify/ determine their identity?
  • Viewers are one of the characters.
4. Plot/Theme
  • Plot works as a device to glue all elements cohesively.
Act 1:
  • Viewers adapt to the environment, identify their role.
Act 2:
  • Viewers gradually immerse in the story world.
Act 3:
  • Fully immersion creates psychological impact to the viewer.
Act 4: 
  • Viewers reflect and conclude the experience in story form.

Proposal Writing

Proposal
  • Objective
  • Theme
  • Location
  • Characters
  • Story outline
  • Story breakdown
  • Storyboard & Floor Plan
1. Objective
  • By viewing the 360 video, the viewer will feel/ experience ________
2. Theme
  • The concept/message delivered through the experience.
3. Location
  • Rationale of the chosen location, how it has been used to provide immersion.
4. Characters
  • Describe how to attain viewer’s empathy with the character design.
5. Story outline
  • Describe the events that happened in a paragraph.
6. Story Breakdown: 
  • Decide shots according to plot segment with reasoning, including editing.
7. Storyboard
  • Sketches of full view 360 visualization in provided format, and Floor Plan with Point of Interest.
8. 360 video storyboard
  • Stretching a spherical image into equirectangular format.
9. Floor Plan
  • Vantage point from top to show camera & actors position, and set layout.

INTRODUCTION

PROJECT 2⇒ 360 VIDEO SHORT FILM

For our second project, Mr Martin introduced 360 Video Short Film to us where we need to reflect from Project 1 and produce a 360 video short film on a topic of our choice, emphasizing a strong justification for the use of 360°video medium. We are encouraged to be creative and not limit our imagine within traditional idea mindset.

For this project, the requirement are,

Students will practice shooting with 360° video camera, online/ offline editing with Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects and Adobe Audition.

To have a head start, Mr Martin instructed us to brainstorm and have an ideation of what we wanted to do. After researching and brainstorming I decided to do an emo mental health theme where viewers can explore an immersive glimpse into the mind of a student quietly unraveling under the pressure of expectations in today’s hyper-connected world.

IDEATION



After drafting out my ideation, I consulted Mr Martin. Mr Martin feedbacked that scene 1 and scene 5 can be removed as the idea of starting the video from getting ready to school and going back is too ordinary and unnecessary. Mr Martin also suggested that the ending could let the protagonist seek deeper into darkness and end it with a bad ending as happy endings are too common. 

After consulting, I refine my proposal to 3 scenes and added a challenge in scene 2 where I wanted to have a first person pov of either a whole mirror scene where viewer can see different reflection of the main protagonist or having different angle of the world where the protagonist can't escape like an upside down world where it keep shifting in different angles like a maze as I wanted to emphasize the anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and self-doubt.

I discussed with Mr Martin and he advised that I can do the shifting upside down world idea as the mirror one is too difficult at my current stage and I could straight graduate if I could succeed XD. Anyway, Mr Martin propose that I could use a drone to shoot the scenes for scene 2 and 3. I was in shocked as I didn't expected to have the opportunity to experiences a drone in my whole life. 

REFINE IDEATION



After completing my proposal, I proceed on the shooting. I invited some close friends of mine to assist in acting in the scenes and some of them over act XD resulting Mr Martin feel there's too many thing happening in the video and couldn't focus on the main POI. 

Link To Scenes
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1u8ovN5jEhrYM3VjjYJUP1_6xwFfqtpjQ?usp=drive_link

After completing the shoot, I proceed on editing and combining my scenes. I used back the tactics Mr Martin taught in Project 1 of using VR transitions and VR Sphere Rotation to adjust and edited the scenes. I also added a few lighting effects and glitch effects to scene 2 and 3 to make the scenes more interesting. Besides, I also added audio to the video to tone up the atmosphere.

VERSION 1


Youtube Link
https://youtu.be/6egd24JLQZM

After completing the video editing, I proceed on consulting Mr Martin. Mr Martin felt that the scene 1 is too long and there are too many things happening in one shot where viewers may get confused on where's the main POI. Scene 2 and 3 the main storyline are too short, where viewers don't have the time to explore the story. 

I reveal that the reason I cut the scene short for 2 and 3 is because the shot with the drone was too shaking and I feel it was unusable, unperfect as well as may cause discomfort to viewers. However, Mr Martin encouraged me that to treat this project as an experiment and it doesn't matter if the scenes was shaky or unperfect as the ideation of the project was the most important factor not the outcome. 

Therefore after consulting Mr Martin, I re-edited my video. I increase the length for scene 2 and 3 and decrease the length for scene 1. I also decided to lower the effects as it was too clutter. Besides, I also lower down the audio effects and focus the audio more on scene 2 and 3 to tone up the horrorness. 

FINAL 360 VIDEO SHORT FILM


Youtube Link

Google Link Submission

Takeaways
  • Flying drones are so difficult :)

FEEDBACK

WEEK 8
  • Scene 1 too long
  • There's too many things happening in the scenes, hard for viewer to catch which is the main POI
  • Scene 2 and 3 which is the main focus too short

REFLECTION

Working on 360 Video Short Film 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 shooting a short film 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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