This Wednesday is not the first time that I tried VR. Since Prof. Pacheco’s presentation on virtual reality last semester on Industry Forces class, I’ve been fascinated by this amazing technology. Entering a brand new world of storytelling is mind-blowing to me. Watching how others react to VR stories is also interesting, because you get to witness how this technology astonishes the audience!

On my first VR class, we get more detailed information of all the headsets and other equipments. I tried the Samsung GearVR headsets to skydive, the Ocalus Rift to see Henry ( second time in my life, I just love the story so much), and Hololens to travel to Peru. The experience was marvelous.

What storytelling techniques worked well? What didn’t work well?

I think telling an emotional/engaging story is always going to work well. For instance, watching Henry is like participating in a Pixar movie. You feel that you’re around the character and the story unfolds beside you. This is much more immersive than traditional 2D film experience, though the storytelling of traditional movie can still be used for reference. Also, the 360°video simply showing a natural scene works well for me as well. I felt Peru journey was real when I tried the Hololens. However, I find the skydiving experience didn’t work so well. Because it was not shot from a wide angle so you feel like you are in the scene. It was filmed close to the character, but did not use POV shots. It is kind of a distracted and awkward angle in my opinion.

How did you and others feel in each scene?

I felt everything was so brand new to me because I’ve almost never tried that before, so it’s hard to say it felt real. I still felt like I was in a dream. It’s quite interesting to witness others acting in VR headsets though, they were constantly praising how great it was, and they lost their paces a little it when trying to walk in headsets. It was fun to watch, because you get to know how audience are impacted by the new technology.

Did you feel physically present in any of them? Which ones, and what do you think contributes to that feeling?

Yes. I felt physically present in Henry. I think it is probably because the story actually happened around me. The characters would move behind me, kind of pushing me to turn my head around and see what happening there. The story and characters’ movements were completely around the viewer. I think that contributes my feeling.

Did anyone experience nausea? If so, what might have triggered it?

I experienced nausea when watching the skydiving video. When the character was landing on the ground, I felt nausea, probably because he was moving too fast. It’s similar to the experience of watching Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk. When the characters move fast, you encounter the nausea problem due to the high fps rate.

Did you ever get a sense of uncannyness in a scene, as if you were in a comic strip?

No I did not get the sense of uncanniness.

How does the following affect the experience?

I think the screen resolution is crucial. The image of Samsung GearVR seemed a bit blurry indeed. I did not know if it’s because of the screen resolution or uncleanness of the screen, but it affected the experience for sure. However, I have to admit the sound effects of that video is great. In terms of smoothness of head tracking, I feel it’s also important. When I was wearing Hololens, I did not feel very comfortable and had to hold the equipment with my hand because I couldn’t get it steady. This fact cast a chill over my Hololens experience. I feel it is better to have a wireless equipment, for you can move more freely. The quality of 3D graphics is great in Henry. Again, it’s like a Pixar movie. This was definitely a plus.

Overall, I loved the experiences of my first VR class. The story entertained me, also taught me a lot. Hopefully I can shoot a great VR film like the story I watched!