BTS on Exodus: The Great Migration
-- --
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Pinterest
The great wildebeest migration at the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya is one of the most popular and largest movements in Africa. This mass migration, which includes zebras, antelopes and over a million wildebeest, has become the highlight of many Safari trips as tourists from around the world flock to the nature reserve to document this spectacular sight.
Unfortunately not everyone is fortunate enough to take a trip to Kenya and witness the migration first hand, and while wildlife programmes may give us a glimpse at it, even the best footage will only present viewers with the filmmaker's point of view. But imagine being part of an immersive migratory movement that lets you get up close and personal with the animals at the Masai Mara National Reserve as they anticipate their crossover.
-- --
With this in mind, Deep VR, a virtual reality production company based in Johannesburg, added a Virtual Reality (VR) wildlife division to its cinematic offerings and recently released their first VR film titled Exodus: The Great Migration.
A screening of the film took place recently at Circa Art Gallery in Rosebank, Johannesburg, with wildlife enthusiasts, tech writers and moviegoers gathered at the site to participate in the film's local premiere. At the event, attendees were treated to a screening of Made in Marra, a behind-the-scenes collaborative film showcasing the Exodus crew's 10-day stay in Kenya to capture the wildebeest migration.
Deep VR CEO Ulrico Grech-Cumbo addressed the audience and spoke on why the company chose to launch a wildlife division. Grech-Cumbo and Deep VR co-founder Telmo dos Reis had never experienced an animal migration before but sought a truly original African experience, even if it meant self-funding their work. We're on a crusade to create truly original African stories. One thing our continent offers the world is plentiful and exotic wildlife. Nobody was doing it in VR, so we saw an opportunity to film something we loved, that we could become the best at globally, said Grech-Cumbo.
Taking VR to Kenya
When the time came to film Exodus, the Deep VR team found that there was nothing available in-store to shoot a project of this nature. So the team had to develop camera systems in-house and ensure that their rigs were trample-proof .
Grech-Cumbo expands: We gutted them in order to install special aluminium heat plates instead of plastic components that would dissipate heat (as GoPro H4s are notorious for overheating). This, allowed us to attach custom optic ribbon cables to the camera bodies and the other end to 250-degree Entaniya fisheye lenses, which allowed us to house the camera bodies and microSDs inside 6mm-thick, steel casings that we created to make sure the rigs were trample-proof'.
However, even with such detailed planning, the crew were disappointed to find out that their camera equipment, although more than efficient for the job at hand, was also attracting the wrong kind of attention. To the crew's dismay, a pack of curious lions began using the protruding devices as something to nibble on, while the camera-shy wildebeest tried to avoid them at all costs. As a result, the team had to disguise their equipment by covering it in grass and other kinds of greenery in order to camouflage the rigs before planting it in the wild once again.
Other challenges faced included the drone camera malfunctioning - twice! As well as issues with the crew's film permit which led to them abandoning their vehicle and walking on foot throughout the National Reserve to set up rigs.
After seven days of filming in the wild, the crew discovered that they still had not acquired the footage they needed for the film. That was terrifying, thinking we had invested so much time and money, and now would have to return and tell people our mission had failed, comments Grech-Cumbo.
The team soldiered on until the last day, when everything finally took a turn for the better. On the tenth and final day, and with all cameras rolling, thousands of wildebeest dashed down the riverbank, crashing into the water for the much-anticipated crossing.
Upon leaving Kenya, the Deep VR crew had shot over 130 hours of footage. Telmo dos Reis was the head of post-production, while Skhumbuzo Dlomo did VFX work including tripod removals, roto painting of tourist vehicles, as well as frame-by-frame painting of missing data. Overall, post-production duties took a year and two months to complete.
The VR Experience
Costing R1.7 million to make, Exodus: The Great Migration is a 9-minute virtual reality documentary.
At the premiere screening, guests utilised Samsung Gear VR headsets together with the Samsung S8: They're untethered and the new S8s have a UHD screen resolution - higher than anything else on the market. The one thing that is lagging in VR is display resolution, so we opted to actually purchase a rental pool of 40 of these kits due to their high resolution and ease of use for activations and pop-up VR cinemas, informs Grech-Combo.
The film takes the viewer through a range of emotions, first showcasing the dry conditions and desperation that leads to the migration. Observing the massive troupe of wildebeest grazing, the viewer is able to wander around the animals and explore their turf. Other wild animals, including lions, can be seen at close range.
The narrator provides a deeper insight into the migration and also directs the viewer to other events within the 360-degree environment.
As the day of the big move finally approaches, the herd gathers near the riverbank in anticipation of their trip. The treacherous trail through dark waters filled with crocodiles creates an atmosphere of distress and a sense of urgency for the viewer.
As the herd gathers the c
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
28/04/2024
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with U...
19/04/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 18: (L-R) John Early and Theda Hammel attend the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Stress Positions premiere at Library Center Theatre on ...
19/04/2024
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
19/04/2024
Pictured: Midnight Family
By Stephanie Ornelas
A great way to get to know a city as culturally unique and rich as Mexico City is to listen to the stories tol...
19/04/2024
St. Louis, MO - April 18, 2024 - Studio Network Solutions (SNS) announced today that MOD won three prestigious industry awards at NAB Show 2024 held this week i...
19/04/2024
Spotify's mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the ...
19/04/2024
It's a beautiful day to be a Swiftie. Today, Taylor Swift dropped her 11th s...
19/04/2024
MELBOURNE, Fla., April 19, 2024 - The Board of Directors of L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.16 per common share, payab...
19/04/2024
PARIS Intel has announced that its plans for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 will include using artificial intelligence technology powered by Intel ...
19/04/2024
LAS VEGAS Technologists working on all aspects of the 8K media production chain offered an optimistic update at the 2024 NAB Show on the state of 8K in video pr...
19/04/2024
OpenDrives New Software-Defined Platform Atlas Wins 2024 NAB Show Product of the...
19/04/2024
Grass Valley Showcases Next-Generation T3 Series 4K/HD Digital Recording and Pla...
19/04/2024
NiTRo's M-CUBE Studio Levels Up Esports Productions with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton April 19, 2024
0 Comments
Esports' rapid rise to popularity can...
19/04/2024
Blackmagic Design Announces DaVinci Resolve 19
Brie Clayton April 19, 2024
0 Comments
Major update adds new DaVinci Neural Engine AI tools, new color ...
19/04/2024
Sony Pictures Entertainment is reportedly in talks with Apollo Global Management to make a bid to acquire Paramount which itself is currently discussing a merge...
19/04/2024
Simon Wilkinson, head of VFX at 1185 films, talks about the technology behind the newly-released horror
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: April 19, 2024
Simo...
19/04/2024
The global electronics company is said to be considering joining forces with investment firm Apollo Management to bid for Paramount Global
By Jenny Priestley
...
19/04/2024
The report broke the economic footprint of EBU member sports broadcasting into three main areas
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: April 19, 2024
The report b...
19/04/2024
CBS Stations has launched CBS News California Investigates , with Julie Watts named regional CBS California correspondent. She will uncover and raise awarenes...
19/04/2024
MediaCo Holding, which owns radio stations WQHT (Hot 97) and WBLS in New York, said it acquired Estrella Media's Spanish-language video, audio and digital c...
19/04/2024
Netflix has ordered season five of fantasy drama The Witcher, which will be the final season. Production has recently begun on season four, and the two remainin...
19/04/2024
DirecTV Stream said it added eight more The CW affiliates to its lineup on Thursday....
19/04/2024
CBS has renewed Elsbeth for the 2024-2025 season. The drama, with Carrie Preston in the lead role, debuted February 29....
19/04/2024
With the Bears picking first, NBCUniversal Local's properties in Chicago plan extensive coverage of the NFL draft next week....
19/04/2024
PHILADELPHIA As government subsidies for broadband services come to an end, Comcast has launched NOW, a new product portfolio of lower-cost Internet, mobile and...
19/04/2024
DirecTV Stream has added more local CW stations for its streaming customers in Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Hartford-New Haven Conn., Phoenix, San ...
19/04/2024
NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES MediaCo Holding Inc. has announced that it has acquired all of Estrella Media's network, content, digital, and commercial operations....
19/04/2024
SAN JOSE, Calif. Adobe has announced that the all-new Adobe Express mobile app is available to all users, bringing features powered by Adobe Firefly generative ...
19/04/2024
LOS GATOS, Calif. Netflix reported another blockbuster quarter by adding 9.33 million new subscribers in Q1, 2024 as global paid memberships hit 269.6 million, ...
19/04/2024
The Current State of the Industry and the Future Impact of AI
Hillary Lewis April 18, 2024
0 Comments
The Entertainment Industry: How did we get here ...
19/04/2024
After Effects Tutorial Text Blur Reveal
Andy Ford April 18, 2024
0 Comments
Here's a way to do a quick blur reveal for your text layer. Start by...
19/04/2024
Hollyland Mars M1 Enhanced Wireless Transmitter / Receiver
Colin Smith April 18, 2024
0 Comments
This tutorial shows the new wireless transmitter rece...
19/04/2024
Resolve Fusion: Writing Expressions with Lua
Simon Ubsdell April 18, 2024
0 Comments
The answer to the very frequently-asked question: what is the pro...
19/04/2024
B+C and Next TV have announced the winners of Best of Show Awards for the 2024 NAB Show. The awards were judged by a panel of industry experts at the convention...
19/04/2024
Cate Blanchett narrates the Netflix series Our Living World, which premieres April 17. The four-part series looks at the extraordinary creatures around the glob...
19/04/2024
Apple TV Plus has a spinoff of For All Mankind in the works. It is called Star City and details the cosmonauts, engineers and intelligence officers working behi...
19/04/2024
Jacquie Walker, longtime anchor at WIVB Buffalo, will step down from the anchor desk. She has spent over 40 years at WIVB and her last day as an anchor is May 2...
19/04/2024
Bob Hearts Abishola will premiere in broadcast syndication this fall on such station groups as Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair, Hearst Television, Tegna, E.W. Scr...
19/04/2024
Live With Kelly and Mark remains TV's top entertainment talk show as Kelly Ripa and her co-host and husband Mark Consuelo celebrate their one-year anniversa...
19/04/2024
Sean McLaughlin has been named VP of news for Graham Media Group. He had been senior VP of local news at E.W. Scripps. He will will be responsible for developi...
19/04/2024
Netflix has shared the first trailer from One Hundred Years of Solitude, a series based on the esteemed novel by Gabriel Garc a M rquez. The streamer is on boar...
19/04/2024
NAB 2024 in Review: West Hall - SportsTech Buzz From AWS, Appear, Ateme, The Swi...
19/04/2024
NAB 2024 Draws 61,000+ Attendees With More Than Half Attending the Show for the ...
19/04/2024
Rohde & Schwarz and VIAVI support European OTIC in Berlin for O-RAN conformance ...
19/04/2024
Wuppertal April 19, 2024
Riedel launches Bolero Connect for seamless integration with PunQtum A pioneer in the field of digital intercom, Riedel has recently ...
19/04/2024
Back to All News
Fryshuset and Netflix Collaborate to Support Tomorrows Talent ...
BTS on Exodus: The Great Migration
