Post Magazine

November 2018

Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1055354

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hile 360-degree content contin- ues to emerge as an intriguing medium for viewers, garnering millions of views on streaming platforms, many brands and content creators are looking to go beyond typical 2D imagery and offer a unique immersive experience. However, it's not as simple as picking up a 360 camera and capturing and editing content. You need to take a completely different approach. 'LOCATION IS EVERYTHING' APPROACH Try to approach a 360 project by thinking hard about your physical space and location. In 360, the location is equally as important as the characters — otherwise, why would you choose to film in 360 de- grees? 360 feels like an immersive theater. It's about creating a sense of presence and transporting the audience to a new setting for a while. The space is really important. When thinking through to post production, it helps to know how it will all fit together. Because of this spatial aware- ness, how jarring it is to cut quickly and how you can't frame stuff out, it becomes really important to nail takes during the shoot. There isn't really any re-framing. You have to also think about what goes on in the whole scene, all 360-degrees of it. Many times clients are like, "I love this shot," and then I tell them to turn around and their hearts sink when they realize the opposite side isn't going to work. WHETHER YOU'RE EDITING OR SHOOTING, AVOID THESE COMMON PITFALLS I often see an inability to understand how pieces will fuse together through the stitching and post process. For example, inexperienced shooters love to put the 360 camera right next to a table and then forget to take a plate shot of the ground. First, the stitching will be tough with objects that close to the camera. Second, removing the tripod in post without having a plate shot is a lot tougher since it requires painting in pixels that aren't there. Take the few minutes on set to snap a photo. It also helps to carry a GoPro around on set for this very purpose. Editing immersive content requires solid technical knowledge and good hard- ware. As an editor, you should know how to utilize VR tools to make sure your graphics look the best they can. Editors should also understand how ste- reo video works in 3D. There should be a clear understanding of output sizes, codecs and metadata. I most common- ly see people fail to nail the technical, which is a shame because content then becomes unwatchable and looks unprofessional. EDITORS AND DIRECTORS: WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER It's important for editors and directors to work together and discuss how they plan for the story to unfold and to guide at- tention in the space. Too often with 360 content, not enough attention is paid to guiding the audience through the narra- tive. Directors and editors can collabo- rate to make sure the audience doesn't lose any important narrative beats. Typically, this is done via spatial sound or lighting. You can also block the actors so their action takes viewers to the next spot. This method tends to work best, and when it's combined with the editor's ability to rotate the sphere between cuts, it makes for a seamless and comfortable viewing experience. Test all your gear before you shoot. VR cameras are notoriously fickle and a lot of this tech hasn't had the same battletesting as traditional film and video cameras. You should also be familiar with the camera. Shooting VR is a lot like shooting film, as it requires a technical knowledge so complete that you should be able to shoot blind- ly and know what you get when you stitch it together. THERE IS NO GOLDEN RULE The medium is still in its early stag- es and we are all still paving the way. However, there are some techniques that work and some that don't. Generally, since the whole point of im- mersive content is to create a sense of presence, cutting too often can give the viewer whiplash. I find that whenever I cut, I can plan on the audience spend- ing two to three seconds just settling into the new environment. This process happens quicker if they are following the same person. When cutting, you should cut the focused action in the same part of the sphere. For example, if a character moves toward the left and is now 90 degrees to the left of where you started, you should rotate the next scene so that the most important element starts right in front of where you are most likely to be looking (90 degrees to the left). The most important thing is to put your audience first and think about their perspective and how you want them to feel in the space and about the story you are telling. LESSONS FROM THE FIELD: CREATING AR/VR CONTENT W BY MATTHEW CELIA CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND MANAGING PARTNER LIGHT SAIL VR LOS ANGELES WWW.LIGHTSAILVR.COM A FILMMAKER'S GUIDE TO SHOOTING AND EDITING 360 VIDEO Celia on-location AR/VR

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