Blogpost #6: Lights, Camera, Link Start!

The entertainment industry may be considered the home of virtual reality. For one, it will be easier for VR to spread and be commercialized. Second, the popularization of VR would mean TV stations or even movie production studios would start to develop VR TV series or VR movies as they need to address the increasing market of VR. Lastly, VR's "wow factor" is just too good to ignore.

Fortunately for us, it is already starting. Though most are still experimenting or in early development, some studios are releasing a preview of their work and the public loves them.

Remember Pacific Rim? This article entitled "Guillermo Del Toro Redesigns ‘Pacific Rim’ For Virtual Reality" at TheWrap.com talks about the demo of Legendary Picture's Pacific Rim re-made for VR at Comic-Con 2014. The movie demo was made using Unreal Engine 4 and the very same assets used by Industrial Light & Magic to create the film. While Legendary Pictures is boldly exploring the different ways of using VR in their movies, Guillermo Del Toro isn't exactly jumping in the bandwagon.

Del Toro said "it’s great for a single user," he said. He later added "movies that are designed specifically as a ride."

What Del Toro probably meant (or maybe he didn't realize) is that traditional film making techniques may not work with the VR. Movies usually jumps from one scene to another. But in VR, storytelling would be different. Also, scenes are best appreciated in VR when it's in first person view. So most of the movie scenes should be in first person.

Another way of using VR in the entertainment industry is through concerts. Imagine wanting to go on a concert of your favorite band, but the tickets are sold out because the venue is full. VR could take you to the event as long as the venue has a 3D 360-degree technology.

This article at PSFK.com entitled "3 Ways Virtual Reality Will Soon Impact Live Entertainment" provides us an insight at how it may work. In the article, it said:

"Virtual reality doesn’t physically take you to an event, but it mentally brings you there. Across today’s popular entertainment venues, there are only so many front row seats at a sporting event or concert, and these tickets are continuously increasing in price. With
virtual reality technology, more fans can have that front row experience."

Like I said earlier, even if you won't be physically at the venue, you will be there through VR. Although the only downside to this is that you are in a fixed position and can't move around the venue at all. They may have multiple points to enter in VR just like switching from one camera to the next to somehow solve this problem. But it's still a pretty cool idea.

Virtual Reality's home is the entertainment industry. And the entertainment industry benefits hugely from this. They are meant for each other so to say and they will probably be until a new game changer pops out of nowhere.