VR notes

VR is expensive.

Rule 1 : Your first kit will probably not give you the results you want.

View it as cost effective learning.

Why? Because physics.

VR images are stretched right around in a half circle for 180 VR and a full circle for 360VR.

Imagine looking at an HD image on a screen. Now, work out how many screens are needed to completely surround you. In VR, the image on one screen, is stretched to fill all of them. And right now, as we are not making ultra ultra ultra HD video, yes, it won’t look as great. Also, modern displays, are not yet good enough, even if the image is.

You deal with this by being close to the action. No vistas. This is fine for us, everything is close anyway.

180 or 360? Personal choice. I’m all about 360.

2d or 3d? I want 3d, I’ll settle for 2d.

Camera position : For BJ, about 1-1.5m away and 30cm above bed level works well. 2m for a more expansive view where people might move around on the bed. In practice this means that it might be in the way of the cameraperson, but further away soon makes the action too small.

Rule 2 : If it’s in the room, it’s in the scene.

Right now most VR is either just two people in the room, or BTS. But if it’s BTS your cameraperson is in frame. You should probably get their ID, Model Release etc.

I have toyed with getting a big monks hooded cloak and mask for camerapeople, but, not done it yet as so far all camerapeople have been fellow performers!

Rule 3 : DO NOT MOVE THE CAMERA

To be fair, more of a guideline, and will reduce with better cameras and headsets, but for now, when people wear headsets moving the camera can induce motion sickness. And handheld steady, is in fact a moving camera when inside the headset.

So, don’t move the camera, or assume that moving camera footage is test/experimental/junk until you find what works for you.

FWIW, tolerance is better when the people wearing the headset sees logic in their POV changing – so the camera is on a bike etc, but while useful for mainstream, not sure this helps us in porn…

Rule 3a : Screens LIE

Watching VR on a screen can be great, but it’s not immersive, so your brain doesn’t get confused about motion.

Rule 4 : Have lots of cameras

If you want different angles and views, you need to shoot with multiple cameras OR go back to the days of film, with everything planned out and a scene takes all day to shoot.

Rule 5 : You can’t afford lots of cameras 🙁

Rule 6 : So, you’re filming static view or BTS 🙂

This is why almost all the 3d 360VR is static or BTS, except the biggest budget and showpeices.

Rule 7 : Editing software is still playing catch up.

If you blur the camera guys face, it might look like a sheet of blur hanging between him and the viewer. Which is actually fine – why are you watching the cameraman? But yuou really wanted it to like his face was blurred….

Rule 8 : The audience is smart

They will basically watch the action, as if at the theatre. While it’s NICE to have a lovely room with nothing out of place and lit from outside with spotlights through the window, they know we’re not Hollywood. So, make an effort, but don’t let minor issues upset you.

Camera

Entry level tend to be twin fish eyes back to back. Fun to play with. Cannot do 3d.

3d entry level is Vuze 360 . (Whatever the most up to date is)

If you want to shooting moving the camera, most people will need a gimbal, but as noted, more for mainstream. If your idea is a gimble for hand held POV, unless you have arms of steel,, you’ll probably be disappointed.

Once you’ve done some shoots you can start lusting after things like the Insta360 Pro 2 – glorious 8K filming, and I own one, and yes, can bring to shoots 🙂 , the KanDao Obsidian, and of course, the Insta360 Titan (which produces images of the quality we really need, but there are, right now, literally NO devices that can play them! So, you be releasing down graded to 4K ones… But also, you can’t afford the Titan)

Me?

I want to shoot more VR. I can bring a Vuze 360 and Insta360 Pro 2 and if you have one two, we have two angles, we can work with that, at least for content share.

Gimbal for sale….