So, I was really interested in a story on News Shooter about the BBC recording a video in 360 degrees: News Shooter | Will VR hit mainstream news? BBC thinks in 360 degrees to tell the story of Calais migrants (http://www.newsshooter.com/2015/07/08/will-vr-hit-mainstream-news-bbc-thinks-in-360-degrees-to-tell-the-story-of-calais-migrants/)

Equipment used, with estimated costs in US dollars:

-- Freedom 360 mount ($500)
-- 6 Hero 4 Black cameras ($2,400). (Which seems a cheaper option, by the way, to something like the Jump rig, which uses 16 cameras.)
-- Some sort of software to stitch it together, maybe Autopano or Videostitch ($1,000)
-- Miscellaneous stuff, like micro SD cards, Google Cardboard, extra batteries for the GoPros -- maybe another $1,000

So, about $5,000 to get going with this stuff. Maybe one could do it more cheaply. I don't know!

I could definitely see a market for this. Don't know if it's "cinematic", but it means that if you plant the camera in front of the kiss at the ceremony, the couple could look around at anything they like afterwards -- parents' reaction, bridesmaids, groomsmen. Or stick it in front of people speaking at the reception, or in the middle of the dance floor. Maybe you could even persuade the bride to carry it on the bouquet.

What do you think?

Edit: I'm definitely not the first to have the idea, but I'm not sure it's been done yet. Here's a blog on the topic: http://blog.wppionline.com/2015/04/the-virtual-reality-wedding/

Edit 2: Probably worth adding that you could rent the GoPro cameras rather than purchase.

We are currently looking to go down this route as a novelty add on item. Personally I think the market is still for story telling type videos, but this is definitely a cool add-on.

One of my second shooters is big into 3D and VR and he's getting a rig to do this (he may have already ordered it because we discussed it last week) and we are planning to try and use it at a few of my weddings this year.

Another second shooter of mine just got some investment funds to purchase one as well.

When I was showed the videos on YT on the phone... yeah.. there is a novelty market for that. The question is, how quickly you can recover investment and still be unique with it.

This much looks like "3D" which only gets people excited for a while because it's new and different but it's just a gimmick to me, not sure if it's worth the investment.

A few years back, finding a non 3D version of a film at the cinema if 3D was available was almost impossible. Now I see 2D more available than 3D for many films. The Hobbits 50fps wasn't a qualified success. 4k appears to be taking off, but then its less gimmicky I suppose. I feel VR has more in common with 3D; like 360 degree photos, its a novelty not a game changer.

You can experiment with it far cheaper with this camera:
Life in V.360° - YouTube
$449

While its image is highly compressed, it's pretty simple to use and the image looks good outdoors.
It breaks down rapidly in low light and the current model has no manual controls.
I, honestly, haven't found any good roles for it other than novelty shots. Positioning is difficult and the horizon jello effect is severe.

Sounds interesting for all types of events. What about audio? If you had 6 audio tracks and cardioids or some other surround sound arrangement would you be able to play the audio appropriate for the direction you're looking?

Hey Jim, I know nothing about audio, but the first thought is for a wedding VR video you could either use non-natural but good sound (like lavs on priest and groom) or you could use sound that gives you the psychological feeling of physically being where the camera is. In the latter case, audio wouldn't change depending on which direction you look, but objects would sound closer or further away depending on where they actually are.

There may be people experimenting with varying the sound depending on where the viewer looks. There seem to be people, at any rate, experimenting with developing visual conventions to overcome one of the problems of VR -- that the viewer doesn't always have cues on where they should be looking. For instance, having playback speed slow down when you look away from the "active" area.

As to how to record "being there" sound... I'm told that soundies can do this with two directional microphones or a Neumann head. Personally, I'd use the 3D Mitra mic, which soundies scoff at, or plant any omnidirectional mic, or, worse yet, just see how good the audio from one of the GoPro tracks is.

Ick. It makes me dizzy,

There are several techniques for recording surround sound. Lots of good info on the subject on DPA's site DPA Microphones :: Surround techniques (http://www.dpamicrophones.com/en/Mic-University/Surround-Techniques.aspx) - so assuming you use something like a DPA 5100 and you can render aural dimensionality as it were, the interesting thing about the VR implementation is making the directionality shift as you rotate the view, like you say providing an indication where to turn your attention based on audio directional cues.



Hey Jim, I know nothing about audio, but the first thought is for a wedding VR video you could either use non-natural but good sound (like lavs on priest and groom) or you could use sound that gives you the psychological feeling of physically being where the camera is. In the latter case, audio wouldn't change depending on which direction you look, but objects would sound closer or further away depending on where they actually are.

There may be people experimenting with varying the sound depending on where the viewer looks. There seem to be people, at any rate, experimenting with developing visual conventions to overcome one of the problems of VR -- that the viewer doesn't always have cues on where they should be looking. For instance, having playback speed slow down when you look away from the "active" area.

As to how to record "being there" sound... I'm told that soundies can do this with two directional microphones or a Neumann head. Personally, I'd use the 3D Mitra mic, which soundies scoff at, or plant any omnidirectional mic, or, worse yet, just see how good the audio from one of the GoPro tracks is.

Just another gimmick. My brother in law is a VR fanatic and has the Oculus. Unless the resolution is 4K and pristine it gives me an absolute headache.

We are currently looking to go down this route as a novelty add on item. Personally I think the market is still for story telling type videos, but this is definitely a cool add-on.

One of my second shooters is big into 3D and VR and he's getting a rig to do this (he may have already ordered it because we discussed it last week) and we are planning to try and use it at a few of my weddings this year.

Another second shooter of mine just got some investment funds to purchase one as well.

When I was showed the videos on YT on the phone... yeah.. there is a novelty market for that. The question is, how quickly you can recover investment and still be unique with it.

Any updates you can share?

We've used his rig a few times, once at a wedding and once at a marching band competition.

The main issue we're having is placement.

For a wedding, you want it to be kind of near the front center (which is next to impossible because that means it would be in the main aisle.)

The other issue we're having is, when you post a link to say FB to a YT video, it plays within the FB context and not the dedicated YT app, so the 360 doesn't work. It looks like one crazy panorama. FB has updated their site to now allow 360 video, but haven't tried that yet.

We may try it again at this wedding I have Sunday.

Would love to see the YouTube video if you're open to sharing.

From what I think I understand, you could take the video and view it in an Oculus headset?

Currently, I'm not sure of the gain for a wedding video. The resolution of the viewers I've seen isn't good, you see the pixel screen patterning on the viewers I've looked through. I can see it working in video games or if the rig is set up in the centre of the action. One example I saw was shot from the rear of a road racing motor bike (they race on normal twisting roads e,g Isle of Man TT), it works for that.

Here's the YT link to the wedding we did.

Jeff and Amanda's Wedding in 360°, Beach Panoramic Wedding Video - YouTube