Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/869840
Q&A with Chris Bobotis, Director of Immersive at Adobe WHAT DO YOU SEE FOR THE FU- TURE OF VIRTUAL REALITY IN THE POST-PRODUCTION INDUSTRY? What began as experimentation with basic, 360 virtual reality (VR) content has grown into the highly cinematic experiences we have today. As this industry continues to evolve, a broader umbrella moniker would be "immer- sive experiences," encompassing VR, extended reality (XR), mixed reality (MR) and augmented reality (AR) – for example, Pokémon Go. Mov- ing forward, we will likely see a convergence of 360 VR and AR, known as MR, which is a mix of video and injected geometry into real-world environments. We see the power and potential of immersive media in enabling new forms of creative expression, transforming customer experiences and igniting new business models that we only have a glimpse of today. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING VR CREATORS RIGHT NOW? Everyone in the industry is still learning how to best utilize VR and, therefore, things are always changing with new cameras, new formats and new production logistics, making it difficult for the creator to navigate. While there have been great advances in software and hardware that have eased some of these growing pains, there's still no "standard" for creating these immersive experiences. Traditional video story- tellers are now having to think differently about how they want to tell stories using VR. As a concept, this challenge is not new; the medi- um is new. Storytellers need to get acquainted with and create explicitly for this new medium. When the screen in front of us becomes the space around us, new worlds are opened – not just for entertainment, but for virtually any type of immersive content. DESCRIBE THE BENEFIT OF USING ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD FOR 360/VR EDITING. Our greatest asset is our customer base, which is comprised largely of creative sto- rytellers. Partnering with our customers to explore VR with intuitive and powerful tool- sets has been one of the key reasons for our success in this space. It's our job to make sure these creators have the necessary tools so they can focus on telling great stories. Our customers are already well-versed in cinematic content creation. By working with them, we have been able to facilitate the evolution of our tools to transpose similar skillsets into this new medium. Adobe offers an industry-leading creative toolset with After Effects and Premiere Pro, and continues to evolve with the needs of our customers. The recent acquisition of Mettle's VR editing tools is a perfect example of this. The integration of this technology into the ex- isting Adobe workflow will enhance the editing experience for our customers who are creating VR experiences. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ADOBE VR EXPERIENCES YOU'VE BEEN MOST IMPRESSED BY RECENTLY? One of the pivotal moments for 360 VR was the Michelle Obama interview. It was an icon- ic, cultural moment and a great example of well-executed storytelling in 360 VR through motion graphics and clever editing baked into the storytelling. The content was created specifically for the medium and Adobe/Met- tle tools were used extensively to facilitate that process, which resulted in a high-quality viewer experience. We continue to see phe- nomenal examples of 360 VR content from our customers every day and look forward to seeing the possibilities of this medium grow. WHAT DOES ADOBE HAVE COMING UP FOR VR VIDEO CREATORS AT IBC? At IBC this year, we are announcing in- creased power to our existing tools and new ways to create immersive content for both audio and video and users should expect a noticeable performance improvement with the products for 360 VR editing. Whether viewing sequences and clips; shuttling and adding markers in a head-mount display; working with audio based on orientation; adding effects, transitions and titles – editing VR content in Premiere Pro is becoming as immersive as viewing it with our latest IBC release. We look forward to continuing to innovate with immersive technology and seeing the experiences our customers will create. Sponsored Content VIRTUAL REALITY: How Adobe is Imagining the Future of Immersive Technology