Spielberg is "incredibly excited" for VR movies, joins VR studio

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Speaking with sources close to Spielberg, UploadVR learned that he is incredibly excited about the future that VR holds for film.

"The potential of virtual reality is truly limitless," says Robert Stromberg, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of VRC, who won Academy Awards for the production design on Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, and directed Disney’s Maleficent. "The technology keeps shocking me. We launched The VR Company to bring together the world's greatest storytellers and artists to create amazing experiences for VR."

https://hacked.com/steven-spielberg-joins-hollywood-virtual-reality-company/

=/

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Directors including Stephen Spielberg, Jerry Zucker and Ridley Scott are reportedly involved in creating VR content.

Analysts told the Wall Street Journal this week to expect new apps later this year with improved VR.

They are not the first directors to move into the VR space. Late last year, Interstellar ’director Christopher Nolan let fans in four US cities – New York City, Houston, Los Angeles and Chantilly, VA – watch sequences from the film through Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets.

http://www.netimperative.com/2015/04/virtual-reality-goes-to-hollywood-spielberg-and-ridley-scott-to-make-vr-content-this-year/

I honestly don't know what to feel about this? VR isn't something I'm use to, and I don't see myself using one until years later.

Mecha wrote:

I honestly don't know what to feel about this? VR isn't something I'm use to, and I don't see myself using one until years later.

I don't see myself using VR until a couple of years later, either. Still, though, this could be a completely new era for movies and the way they're made, which is always an exciting thing (if it even takes off).

I wonder if this is an actual thing that can bring something new to cinemas or if it's just going to become another gimmick to increase ticket prices like 3D, and most of the time, IMAX.

yonny616 wrote:

I wonder if this is an actual thing that can bring something new to cinemas or if it's just going to become another gimmick to increase ticket prices like 3D, and most of the time, IMAX.

Facebook (which bought Oculus Rift) has been enticing Hollywood studios with the notion that they can release their Hollywood movies directly to the Rift, so users can just plug it on and watch the film instead of going to the theaters. Even 20th Century Fox are currently doing reserach and tests with the Rift to figure out how to do an entire feature film with it (considering you have a 360-degree view that means you need a new way of making movies)

Whether it takes off, I don't know. If it does, then it's probably going to kill movie theaters more than save them, as they're meant for people to use them and not to pay money to go to the theaters to try them on.

those 360 videos on youtube are pretty cool, especially the dancing korean girls

http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/26/7919177/oculus-lost-virtual-reality-film-sundance

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I just saw the first movie from Oculus [Rift], and it is the future.

Despite how much we’ve all wanted to it to happen, nothing has stood up, raised its hands, and shouted "I’m the project that proves this crazy thing could actually work."

I just watched Lost, the first short from Story Studio. That stand up and shout moment? It’s arrived.






 With the entire point of the presentation at Sundance to entice new filmmakers to take what Oculus has done and create their own experiences, it looks like there could be quite a few VR cinema experiences for the Rift’s consumer version… whenever it arrives.

http://www.empireonline.com/features/virtual-reality

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[On what'd happen to movie theaters]: Why can't the theatre be the place you go to have the most premium experience with this technology?" He outlines an intriguing possible future where your $20 ticket will get you access to an 8K goggle and a super-high resolution, genuinely immersive experience." - Scott Broock, Jaunt VP of content.

See, this why I'm not sure about VR. I don't want VR to replace big ass movie screens and then raise the price of a movie ticket even higher than what it already is. That's bullshit! I know it's probably going to be optional, but still.

Mecha wrote:

See, this why I'm not sure about VR. I don't want VR to replace big ass movie screens and then raise the price of a movie ticket even higher than what it already is. That's bullshit! I know it's probably going to be optional, but still.

I think the price for a movie ticket in a big screen will be the same, while VR-based screens in theaters will have a higher price.

I do feel, though, that if they get something beyond just higher resolution (8k or whatever it's going to be) in movie theaters, then it could work, but it would have to be something that you can't ever get anywhere else.

Actually now that I think about it, I'm kinda glad they are at least trying to add something new to the theater experience. Because with digital now replacing film, we're actually pretty damn close to literally having theater like experience right at our homes. The only reason to even go to the movies now is because it's fun to see it with a crowd. Which is why I mostly go see big blockbusters at the movies. Because I got no one to go with to the movies to see the more smaller films. I hate going to the movies by myself, unless the crowd is big enough of course.

Mecha wrote:

Actually now that I think about it, I'm kinda glad they are at least trying to add something new to the theater experience. Because with digital now replacing film, we're actually pretty damn close to literally having theater like experience right at our homes. The only reason to even go to the movies now is because it's fun to see it with a crowd. Which is why I mostly go see big blockbusters at the movies. Because I got no one to go with to the movies to see the more smaller films. I hate going to the movies by myself, unless the crowd is big enough of course.

I barely go to the theater myself. I just don't find the experience much different, at this point.

This would make me go so much more, as long as it would not be too much higher of a price. Who knows, though, as it's all a guessing game right now.

@RamboOnRedBull I guess it depends on the movie theater. Like I probably go to the second most crowed movie theater in the New Orleans area. But they play a lot more smaller films on the other side of the city. Which is not too far to get there, but at the same time, it's not worth it.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/18868/career-opportunities-in-organised-crime-begins-shooting-in-baltimore/

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A virtual reality (VR) feature film which will be shot simultaneously with 360 degree VR camera and conventional RED Epic cinema cameras, beings principle photography this week. Career Opportunities in Organised Crime will be the one of the first feature films to be created especially for VR head-mounted displays (HMD).

Career Opportunities in Organised Crime is a comedic, documentary style film following the recruitment process of Nicholas Stevenson into the Russian Mafia, their first American recruit.

Once again, I don't know how to feel about this?

I'm very excited by it, on a personal note.

Oh, and also:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/30/watching-the-first-oculus-rift-virtual-reality-movie-henry.html

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Oculus, meet Pixar.

Henry, the pixelated star of Oculus VR’s first animated virtual reality short, is an amiable hedgehog who loves, loves, loves to hug. Being a prickly fellow this creates an obvious pickle that leaves Henry sad and friendless, and as the 10-minute Virtual Reality short film Henry opens—with narration by Elijah Wood—Henry is celebrating his birthday solo.

Strapping on an Oculus Rift headset transports you into the colorful CG-animated treehouse that Henry calls home. A ladybug flits by, drawing your eyes down and across to take in a fully immersive environment with 360-degree views. When Henry makes his birthday wish hoping for friends to share his big day with, it comes true, bringing six balloon animals to life.

And, shortly, to death: Henry’s cruel fate means at least one of his new friends bursts its magical mortal coil, lending a bittersweet dramatic crux to the short, which I won’t spoil here.

Could be just another gimmick for we know though.

It could be, but with even elitists like Nolan calling it "impressive" and practically every person who's tried it with a good "movie" saying that it's the most immersive experience so far, I don't see it being a mere gimmick, really.

You never know, though.

@RamboOnRedBull I guess you're right. And Nolan is pretty old school too, so I guess I'll have to take his word for now.