Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1544083
Here, we wanted to test how the compression handles fine detail like trees and tall grass. The image is quite sharp, even without any of the post processing I would normally do," he continued. Celia underlined that throughout the process, the overall immer- sive workflow has been greatly simplified with URSA Cine Immersive. "Working in lens space means we can get to editorial quicker and remove the previous step of having to 'develop' our immersive films," he said. The one tricky part? Using previous workflows and tools, except when it comes to DaVinci Resolve Studio. "Working in lens space is very new, so our traditional plugins and tools for titles, VFX, stabilization, and denoising pipelines need a bit of updating. Having a studio that's deeply versed in DaVinci Resolve Studio has made it so much easier, however," he noted. Immersive Post "We switched over to DaVinci Resolve Studio many years ago be- cause we needed something with a rock solid foundation playing back high resolution, high frame rate media. We needed support for 3D. We needed the best color science, so our work could have that cinematic feel we knew audiences were craving. It was astonishing to me that we found all that in a single tool: DaVinci Resolve Studio," explained Celia. "For the last few years, we've used the powerful in- tegration with Fusion to roll out a lot of our own immersive tools, but now with native support for URSA Cine Immersive, those tools are getting native integrations, and that's very good for the industry. It will be easier than ever to create extremely high quality work." As the main glue for Light Sail VR's post production workflow, Da- Vinci Resolve Studio has long been used for editorial, VFX and color grading. "The collaboration features have been huge time savers for our pipelines, which are oen really complicated and time consum- ing due to the high resolution and high frame rate content. Having multiple artists working together on the same project feels very modern," commented Celia. "We also now have a live preview in headset when capturing," he added. "We can review footage in headset while we're editing, not having to wait a few hours for an export. We post cuts and use our tool Screening Room to give feedback right inside the headset. Addi- tionally, platforms can now stream 90fps content at 4K per eye with almost no lag time. These are incredible technological and workflow improvements that help keep us focused on the creative flow, rather than the engineering." The Best Is Yet to Come When it comes to creating immersive content, Celia shared his top considerations: "Make sure your concept works for immersive storytelling. I oen see creative people bring ideas that would be better executed as a 2D cinematic project. The best immersive projects are the ones that deliver on the promise of making you feel like you are present in the story. They are fueled by authentic characters and environments. They deliver an intimacy that only this medium can." "Plan, plan and plan some more. Preproduction is critical." "Don't bite off more than you can chew. This medium is a sensory overload, so you will be more successful with well executed, simple concepts that won't overwhelm audiences. The technology is so powerful that if you have a great story, you don't need a lot of fancy camera moves to immerse your audience." "Understand that everyone on your team is likely working with a knowledge deficit, and there are many unknowns with this newer medium. Don't assume anything and ask a lot of questions." "Hire people who know what they are doing and listen to them. Those who have been at it for a while likely have run into your prob- lem before, and everyone wants to help each other create better content. Stand on the experts' shoulders instead of trying to reinvent the wheel every single time." According to Celia, we are on the edge of the next huge chapter of immersive storytelling, and the best is yet to come. "While immersion is a physical thing, it's the emotional connection that's really powerful in this medium. That small agency of being able to take in a scene without the prescription of another person's set frame delivers a strong connection to the material," concluded Ce- lia. "If we've done our job right as storytellers and delivered on that promise of presence and intimacy, then that emotional connection will be solid and memorable."