360 Virtual Reality (VR) is changing the future of every industry, and at We Make Online Videos (WeMOV), we are launching this technology and making it available to Australian businesses.
From training new employees who will work in high-risk situations in a controlled environment, to creating an engaging experience for home-buyers or tourists via immersive virtual reality tours, there are no limitations to how this new technology can be used.
360 VR Video Production at WeMOV
Recently, we were engaged by one of Australia’s leading retailers to create an immersive video experience at their national conference. The goal was to connect over 2,500 store managers to their avocado growers and supply chain; explaining how food products go from farm to shelf.
The Location
Our video production team traveled to regional South Australia to film an avocado farm in the River Land area. We were able to capture stunning 360 degree footage of the orchards and pickers, as well as aerial 360 footage of the farm and surrounding area.
Challenge #1
The main challenge for the client was deciding the best way to share their suppliers’ stories in an engaging way. Many departments were presenting at the conference, so there needed to be a differentiation in the delivery of the content to cut through the noise.
Solution #1
In order to create an engaging presentation that would be remembered, our client decided they had to be different by incorporating new and exciting video technology. And that is where 360 VR came into play.
According to the Dual Code Theory and recent research, the more senses involved in receiving a message, the more likely for it to have an impact. 360 VR allows you to include multiple senses all at once. Plus, having a spot at the conference where 120 people could wear VR headsets at a time made it for a fun presentation!
Challenge #2
One of the challenges for our team was picking the right location; having to consider lighting and movement in the surrounding area. As this was 360 degrees, all angles were in view, so we had to strategically place the camera in a spot that would capture all relevant farm activities while the presenter spoke in front of the camera. The recorded activity also had to be close enough to the camera so that it could be easily visible in the final video.
Solution #2
To select the correct location, our crew carefully explored the farm before setting up our 360 VR camera technology and organised the avocado farm workers to be working at all angles.
Challenge #3
The most challenging part, however, was not being able to replay captured footage until the end of the day once all images were stitched together. Stitching is required for 360 video and involves lining the edges of the footage, ensuring sharp imagery and alignment.
Solution #3
We had a dedicated team of editors on-location stitching the footage together as it came through in order to make sure everything important was captured.
Results
The video was viewed by over 2,500 attendees over two days in Sydney, making it the largest 360 VR viewing in Australia to date! It was also voted “Best Presentation” by attendees and we received some great testimonials from the client.
Please note: Currently, 360 videos only work in Firefox and Chrome browsers, so please watch the above video in either of the mentioned browsers.
How to create a 360 VR video of your own
While 360 VR technology has been around for the past couple of years, with organisations like the UN using it to create awareness around international crises, now it is being made more readily available to organisations who are looking to be innovative and connect more effectively.
Businesses and video producers tend to struggle to create high quality, engaging narratives within their 360 videos. WeMOV leverages its many years of filmmaking experience with the latest in 360 VR equipment and software to create industry leading VR content for our clients.
If you’d like to create a 360 VR video of your own and learn more, feel free to contact us.
