Virtual Reality In Film

Reality is something humans define through sensory perception –what and how we see and hear all help create our experiences. Throughout the ages, storytelling been an art practiced by many and has taken several forms in order to appeal to these senses through such media as books, paintings, music, and film. When filmmaking first became an artistic medium capable of producing compelling stories, it took over one hundred years to reach the point technological advances the industry has reached today. It has expanded vastly to quickly become the world’s most preferred medium of storytelling. However, the newest technology in visual narrative is virtual reality. While the technology is something that has been around for a few decades, its potential …show more content…
Other researchers argue the same point, saying viewers’ experience of a VR film effects the viewer’s comprehension of the story and how the viewer’s takeaways are “determined by the storytelling techniques …show more content…
In this experiment, 16 actors and 16 observers either acted in or observed a virtual environment, recording and rating their experiences afterward. The results of the study concluded that “actors experienced higher presence and realism, and enjoyed the VR experience more than observers did.” The researchers contribute to the argument that the more the viewer can participate within the story, the more effective the narrative will be. I have found this to be true as well when analyzing that same short virtual reality film from earlier, “Ewa: Out of Body”. The makers behind this film were motivated by the fact that the language of virtual reality is currently undefined, giving filmmakers the freedom to explore creative ways to ensure the audience has an active role in the story Audience members are no longer recipients of a finished product, and instead are participating in the story, choosing where to look, and interacting with the environment and surrounding