Having experimented with a ton of content on VR, I've concluded:
- Being able to "walk inside" theatrical musical performances (musicals, concerts) is incredibly amazing. Like blows-you-away amazing
- Being able to "walk inside" traditional movie/TV doesn't work at all. You can't do framing/cuts/editing so it feels like you're awkwardly sitting next to actors who don't acknowledge you and you never know what to look at and you miss an important facial reaction because you were too busy noticing what a beautiful oriental rug you're standing on
You don't realize how important framing/cuts/editing is to the TV/movie experience until they disappear, so it doesn't work at all -- they turn into weird theater plays in a way, which they're not meant to be.
Whereas theatrical plays/musicals/shows are meant for you to observe action all over the stage, so it translates extremely well to VR -- and because you can be on stage, it's immersive like dinner theater and just amazing.
What about sitting still (like you would in a cinema) but with a VR headset? Framing would be mostly solved as you wouldn't move around outside of slightly turning your head.
If you're still using the full 180/360° then it doesn't work because you're constantly "teleporting" around the room, and close-ups are extremely jarring if you're just inches from someone's face. "Teleporting" is OK if you're watching something on a screen from a distance, it's totally disorienting if it's constantly happening to your entire surroundings.
On the other hand, if you're watching a movie on a virtual IMAX-sized screen that still has edges, then it's totally fine. I'm just saying that full VR immersion does not work for movies/TV.
- Being able to "walk inside" theatrical musical performances (musicals, concerts) is incredibly amazing. Like blows-you-away amazing
- Being able to "walk inside" traditional movie/TV doesn't work at all. You can't do framing/cuts/editing so it feels like you're awkwardly sitting next to actors who don't acknowledge you and you never know what to look at and you miss an important facial reaction because you were too busy noticing what a beautiful oriental rug you're standing on
You don't realize how important framing/cuts/editing is to the TV/movie experience until they disappear, so it doesn't work at all -- they turn into weird theater plays in a way, which they're not meant to be.
Whereas theatrical plays/musicals/shows are meant for you to observe action all over the stage, so it translates extremely well to VR -- and because you can be on stage, it's immersive like dinner theater and just amazing.