Putting VR, Volumetric Video in Refresh Mode posted: 17/08/2019
by Andy Marken
Evolution not Revolution
Hope you caught the news...Amazon Prime just launched their VR streaming. They had to because Netflix, Hulu and YouTube already have the service. Well no most of the stuff you watch isnt really VR but at least you get to use your HMD. If youre one of the few who havent experienced VR immersion youll probably put the unit on and say big deal. But we just had a chance to see what a number of volumetric and VR filmmakers are creating and once you do, youll know why creatives are working so hard to bring you into their content. Its better - much better - than last year and the content and VR games are being delivered, watched and played. Yes its good...darn good! And the number of titles continues to grow.
When you attend film festivals like Sundance, Toronto, Tribeca and most recently Cannes; all of the attention is on:
The important (and self-important) people
The budget-buster screeners
The budget-scrimping shows - short/long
The important (and self-important) people
Tomorrows opportunities
Its easy to see that everyone will have her/his private entertainment channel to watch content in 8K, then 16K HDR.
Im disappointed, not terribly, but still. It should have gone much further much faster. Its okay, though, I know what the problem is.
The roadmaps are pretty clear, and the mass merchants are ready to push aggressively, even though folks are just slowly beginning to appreciate 4K ... almost everywhere.
But whats around the corner, just over the hill?
What will filmmaking look like in 5-10 years?
At every film festival, theres a corner of the lot roped off for the immersive future, VR (virtual reality).
The mass entertainment market prophets keep telling us every year its going to be huge ... in two years.
Friends like Ted - a gaming industry expert - keep hollering, It isnt hot, sexy; wont be and in fact it was stillborn.
Others, like Jon and Mark - who play endless hours of VR games (theyre testing the stuff), tell us its just getting better and better.
Virtual pros dont have much time to chat at film festivals; but at the IBC Future Zone, the cream of the crop will be able to focus on detailing what they have been doing to push the frontiers of creativity and technology to give us a dose of real reality.
Were gonna listen!
These folks are the creative content people who believe the old saying, The best way to predict the future is to create it.
Naysayers like to point out that todays VR content is usually only 1-10 minutes long because ... you get sick!
They dont realize that in the 1890s when British Photographer Eadward Murbridge developed zoopraxiscope - primitive film devices, the projects were only 1-10 minutes long because the work was tough to do and people probably ... got sick.
It wasnt until the 1920s that films were one hour plus in length and the industry released about eight films a year that were shown in tough-to-find cinemas.
Today, we have thousands of short and long films a year produced and shown everywhere on the planet.
Not long ago, we sat through 3 hours, 2 minutes of the Avengers: Endgame ... twice!
Break Time - As people walk around their real world, they need to periodically take a break and just sit back, relax. The same is true in the virtual world which can be intense and jarring. Relaxing can be rewarding
The goal for creatives has been to help people identify/connect with the main character(s) and make the film/show their own.
VR does that, is doing that, will do that ... one segment, one viewer at a time.
Despite all of the hype, negativism and excitement, its still very new as storytellers leverage technology to help people be a part of and control their content.
At Tribeca, producer/screenwriter Andrew Cochrane and cinematographer Andrew Shulkind captured the Tribeca X Award for the 12-min The 100%, the true story of Maggie Kudirka, a ballet dancer, rising star at the Joffrey Concert Group diagnosed with incurable stage four metastatic breast cancer.
Both are recognized volumetric/VR filmmakers and Shulkind has become widely known for his painterly use of lighting.
Focused - When Andrew Shulkind isnt on a project shoot, he spends his free time trying to determine how volumetric/VR can be improved.
Like many in the field, he began in the real/unreal world of visual-effects heavy workflows and a solid tech foundation.
To deliver what isnt there, Shulkind designed his own 360-degree camera array system -- uncompressed 23K-resolution, 12-bit Headcase Cinema Camera.
Seemingly never satisfied, Shulkind finds the present VR lighting constraints to be the hardest part of the art form.
Since the viewer can see in all directions, hes currently experimenting with new ways to naturalize the medium rather than rely on the top-lit experience common in present VR films.
In Cannes, Diego Prilusky, Intel Studios general manager, said his group has been intent on not just having viewers connect with the character but actually create and intensify the experience for them whether its with a brand, sporting event or film.
With the worlds largest volumetric studio at his teams disposal and in cooperation with Paramount Pictures, they produced Grease 40th Anniversary - Immersive Cinema Experience, one of several immersive projects they unveiled at Cannes.
Planning - Intels Diego Prilusky (standing) believes that while the viewer ultimately controls what she/he sees/experiences, VR and volumetric projects also have to be scripted, planned and focused.
Joining Intel with the acquisition of capture specialist Replay Technologies, the visual effects talent has focused on developing and refining what he calls Data Powered Entertainment.
Todays digital films are still frontal, said Prilusky who has done visual effects work on proj
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
10/06/2026
Get Hands-On with Interfaces & Mic Preamp Brands
If youre after a new interface or preamp, then GearExpo UK is the place to be! Well have a whole host of au...
10/06/2026
November 13-14 2026, The Midway, San Francisco
Following their recent rebranding, MONO Music Conference (formerly Music Expo) have officially announced thei...
10/06/2026
Debut instrument free for limited time
deFORM is the debut release from newly founded developer ebbandflow, and it's being offered as a free download fo...
10/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and TRUMPF advance laser-based drone defense with THORIS LCS Rohde & Schwarz is showcasing THORIS at ILA 2026: A sovereign, end to end counter...
10/06/2026
MAHLE and Rohde & Schwarz develop application for sensor testing of modern drive...
10/06/2026
10 Jun 2026
VEON's Banglalink Brings Every World Cup 2026 Match to Football...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
How to watch every ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 match live on Sky Sports
Where is the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 availabl...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
P RLA brings first-ever Beautifully Clean Oral Care'...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
Sky reveals pulse-pounding first teaser trailer for upco...
10/06/2026
Wuppertal June 10, 2026
Riedel Artist at the Heart of the 14th World Live Neurovascular ConferenceAt the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Li...
09/06/2026
Last month, Spotify hosted PURE FLOWERS LIVE, a special event celebrating the re...
09/06/2026
Last month, RADAR U.K. artist Skye Newman took the stage in East London for a sp...
09/06/2026
Company to cease operating on 30 June 2026
Australian loudspeaker and amplifier manufacturer Wayne Jones Audio have announced that after much consideration,...
09/06/2026
Increases low-end weight and character
The latest plug-in release from Sheffield-based fedDSP aims to offer an all-in-one solution for users in search of mo...
09/06/2026
Introduces AI Studio Assistant, Moises Studio integration & more
Fender Studio have just announced the launch a significant update that brings an array of n...
09/06/2026
The BBC has found its Hercule Poirot.
After Deadline revealed last month that t...
09/06/2026
Filming to take place in Holmfirth
9th June 2026, London: U&GOLD is heading bac...
09/06/2026
X-Rite Pantone Launches Offset360 to Modernize Color Control Across Existing Pre...
09/06/2026
09 Jun 2026
VEON Appoints Serkan Ozturk as Chief of Staff & Strategy Officer Dubai and New York, June 9, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital oper...
09/06/2026
Tuesday 9 June 2026
Katie Price: Nothing to Hide, a candid and unfiltered accou...
09/06/2026
Enni Continues to Rely on Arvato Systems - And Will Be Using AEP.EnerS4 Billing Solution
Arvato Systems to implement transformation project for SAP S/4HANA Ut...
09/06/2026
These special programmes will highlight RT 's connection with the Irish diaspora
This year, RT is marking 100 years of public broadcasting in Ireland with...
08/06/2026
At Spotify, our commitment to the LGBTQIA community is year-round. Through GLOW, our global music program, we celebrate and amplify the contributions of queer ...
08/06/2026
Get Hands-on With Keyboard & Synth Brands
GearExpo UK wouldn't be complete without some synth action, and we've got some of the industry's most ...
08/06/2026
50 popular in-ear monitoring system profiles added
The latest update for IK Multimedia's headphone-correction system has just arrived, and introduces ca...
08/06/2026
Manny Marroquin signature cans upgraded with SLAM Technology
The flagship model in Audeze's Manny Marroquin Signature Series has just been treated to an...
08/06/2026
Air domain supremacy redefined - New counter UAS, space solutions and directiona...
08/06/2026
he BBC and BritBox have announced that Edward Bluemel (We Might Regret This, My ...
08/06/2026
Plus, 20% off TVs ahead of kick-offMonday 8 June 2026
Sky introduces Real Time...
08/06/2026
FOX Secures Live NFL Game Package in Mexico Starting in Fall 2026 Agreement Features Thursday Night Football, Sunday Games Package, Thanksgiving Day Games, al...
08/06/2026
FOX One, FOX Sports and Indeed Name Austin Franklin and Kevin Akoto as FOX One C...
08/06/2026
Meet us on the show floor
Stand #286310 Discover Nara, the media management tool used by major facilities including Harbor and Molinare.
Nara v2 introduces re...
08/06/2026
L'art de l'Image dans Reflet dans un diamant mort' Une conversation avec le directeur de la photographie Manuel Dacosse, SBC et l' talonneur Pe...
08/06/2026
Embracing today's modern media workflows: FilmLight presents Nara 2.0, with FilmLight API Designed to support the growing demands of today's production ...
08/06/2026
Moderated by Andy Minuth, FilmLight's Colour Workflow Specialist
Wednesday 18 February
6:00pm / Doors open
7:00pm / Presentation in German
8:00pm / Drin...
08/06/2026
Join us on April 14 at 10:00am for a technical roundtable with the Filmlight dev...
08/06/2026
You're invited to FLAPI Classroom The fundamentals of coding and machine-assisted development
These sessions will help you build the skills needed to cre...
08/06/2026
With Sylvain Canaux (St Louis, Paris) and J r me Cloutier (MELS, Montreal)
Wednesday 6 May
Pick your time: 1:00PM / 5:00PM
Note: The presentation will be hel...
08/06/2026
FilmLight, 1107 N El Centro Ave, Los Angeles
Doors open at 3:30pm
Join the FilmLight team on June 9th at 4pm to learn how FilmLight products and APIs can stre...
08/06/2026
The Creators List launched to Help Brands Connect With Top Creators In CannesThe curated directory launched by Tubefilter, Comscore, Whalar Group and Gospel Sta...
08/06/2026
Irish YouTube star DavidMC joins Aisling O'Reilly to tackle all things socce...
07/06/2026
Company introduce 21 new protective covers
Decksaver have just announced their Sping 2026 Drop, which sees a total of 21 new models added to their ever-grow...
07/06/2026
Sunday 7 June 2026
Dynamo Vs Houdini comes to Sky later this year
The last time the world saw Dynamo, he buried himself alive. This weekend, he returned.
Mom...
06/06/2026
Check Out Leading Monitor Brands
We'll have monitors of all shapes and sizes at GearExpo UK, so whether you're looking to upgrade or expand your set...
Putting VR, Volumetric Video in Refresh Mode posted: 17/08/2019 
