Dipping into VR Journalism, Part 2: More Buzz from ONA and Around the Web

The project which seemed to be getting the most attention at ONA 2016 (which I attended and which gave me the impetus for this series), was the Guardian going 360 on solitary confinement with an extended trailer here. Any VR/360 project which is inside an enclosed space is easier to pull off in a sense, since the viewer experiencing the video can naturally feel as if backed against a wall. Frontline went even further, putting a hologram of someone back in their cell in solitary. Being in the back seat of a car is another logical position to place your viewer.

#1 MEDITATION



An article from April 2016, in the New Yorker, gave lots of attention to the Wevr company, tagline "We make Brave VR". Above is a video tease to a meditation series they are doing with Deepak Chopra. Wevr doesb't seem to give away their work for free, though.

#2 SERIOUS JOURNALISM



The New Yorker also mentioned the above Vice 360 production about the recent Ebola epidemic in Liberia. Here the voicing is key as well as giving a sense of space to each new location. For a serious story, this allows the viewer to control where they are looking as an added incentive to keep a story and their interest going.

#3 RACY SWIMSUITS



No surprise, what is racy is always at the cutting edge of any technology and experimentation, and VR is no exception. Above the Sports Illustrated 2016 Swimsuit edition went VR, giving the viewer the power to scroll away from models to the empty part of the pool or the huts on the beach.

#4 MUSIC



Lots of music videos are increasingly going 360, or at least having a 360 version to go with a flatty version. One notable example has the Canadian singer the Weeknd walking through an apocalyptic night, with explosions, trucks burning and comets falling from the sky, with to boot, some Eminem rapping (you can't go wrong with that). There is a distinct video game feel here, and video games of course are still way ahead of the rest of the industry in terms of immersive experiences and storytelling.

#5 MEDICAL AND EDUCATIONAL



This video isn't 360 itself, but shows the possibility, for both the medical and educational fields, or combined, where VR and 360 are really being stretched and tested.

#6 PROMOTIONAL

The below video transports a viewer into a party to promote the Dos Equis beer.



#7 VR as an immersive storytelling to physically walk through

This article in the New York Times explains the concept. A main player in this field is called "The Void".



If you enjoyed this post, check out part 1 of this series: Dipping into VR/360 Waters at ONA 2016.