Inition are no stanger to creating and filming various 360 film content. I met with the creators after hosting a panel on social impact at the Raindance Film Festival UK. ‘Being Me: Revealing and Healing Childhood Trauma’ was shortlisted for best VR film for social impact and was a partnership between Inition and The Cornerstone Partnership. The Cornerstone Partnership wanted to create an immersive therapeutic training tool using virtual reality (VR) to help foster empathy. When the VR Diversity Initiative (VRDI) needed 360 film workshop leaders Peter Collis and Imogen Hammond stepped forward with enthusiasm.
When Inition came on board to teach the 360 film workshop leaders, they first wanted to get an idea of who the participants would be. Before the 19th of October, the participants who chose to participate in the 360 Film workshop were sent several questions before attending.
- What previous film-making experience do you have?
- What drew you to the workshop and how might VR relate to your current practice / interests?
- What are your expectations of the workshop & what would you like to get out of the day?
Depending on the answers from participants, Peter and Imogen tailored their workshop to meet the needs of participants. They also showcased individual case studies of VR films they had made. They allowed participants to view, On the Road to Makin Polio History and I Dream of an Empty Ward on VR headsets they had brought with. They then did a step-by-step process of mistakes they made, what they realised when shooting and how they tried to solve them. This allowed the participants to come to grips with the theory of VR filmmaking and the new cinematic language that comes with it.
The first half of the day was focused on theory, understanding the cameras and the limitations of the current technology. A lot of focus was put on why one would use 360 filmmaking, and what was the right moment to choose this way of filmmaking compared to conventional filmmaking methods.
The second half of the day was more practical. The participants went to shoot with various 360 cameras, putting the camera in various locations and trying out various different actions around it. This hands-on method is integral to the VR Diversity Initiative, as we want all participants to go home with a rough VR prototype after attending. The participants came back at the end of the day and did a few rough cuts of the footage they had shot during the day. Participants from other workshops were also able to see what they had shot in a VR headset at the end of the day.
Some of the participants wanted to get hands-on with the camera and had no knowledge of price range of 360 cameras nor their pros or cons. Others wanted to understand the workflow and language of 360 filming, how it differed to conventional 2D filmmaking. Others wanted to see how professional 360 filmmakers approached their content. To find out more about what took place during the workshop check out the video below: