Tribeca Film Festival Prep

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Tribeca Film Festival’s Virtual Reality Films

This time there will be almost thirty virtual reality films and “innovative exhibitions.” Last year, the festival boasted “The Virtual Arcade” where users had unique VR experiences that ranged from looking inside of a tiny city in Allumette to the alien forces in Invasion! It certainly had people talking. This year will be even bigger.

Get ready for this year’s stellar assortment. The creators of Allumette have teamed together to create Arden’s Wake, which promises to hold the same power and magic of last year’s film. Further, you won’t be watching alone if you are viewing Life of Us. Multiple watchers will experience the film together from inside a virtual space.

There’s also the world premiere of Remember: Remember from Moth + Flame founder Kevin Cornish, which uses viewer movement to build tension in this “aliens have invaded” type of thriller. Then, take a peek inside the White House with President Obama’s White House tour in the VR film, The People’s House. It’s almost as good as seeing the real thing.

Remember Invasion! from last year? Well, the creators have another big win. Rainbow Cro promises more amazing characters in its new VR film. People can’t get enough of their delightful characters. Additionally, it is animation meets VR in Talking with Ghosts. If you are a Rift user, you don’t need to wait. You can download a beta version through the Oculus Store right this very second. Lastly, have you ever wondered what it would feel like to be homeless? Becoming Homeless: A Human Experience will help viewers walk away with a better understanding, and perhaps more empathy, after experiencing Jeremy Bailenson’s latest work.

What is Google Cardboard?

Google Cardboard is what is says it is: a VR headset made of cardboard. It is functional with a smartphone and several specially-designed apps. To use, you can fold your own viewer or buy a certified viewer, depending on how much you want to pay. The viewer is extremely affordable, and starts at $15 from the most basic version to more complex versions.

Read More: “Google Daydream” Virtual Reality Becoming a Reality

How well has Google Cardboard done so far?

With such an affordable product, it’s no surprise that Google Cardboard has done as well as it has. The company has sent out 10 million of its VR headsets, and users have downloaded 160 million of the apps designed for the Cardboard headset. Additionally, the 30 available Cardboard apps have been downloaded at least a million times each. What is notable about this milestone, too, is that Google had only shipped out five million headsets this past July, meaning that an additional five million headsets were sold in a little over half a year. That’s a lot of reach for something that’s made of a material so disposable. Nonetheless, it’s not surprising considering how accessible the gadget is — it’s affordable, easy to use, and great for people of all ages.

What are Google’s next VR projects?

Google Daydream VR framework is taking up much of Google’s current VR focus. Daydream will be functional with a wider range of devices than Google Cardboard. For example, Daydream mobile handsets can be transformed into VR headsets when used with a head-mounting accessory. Ultimately, Google describes Daydream as being more “immersive” than its Cardboard counterpart. Currently, there are over 100 Daydream-compatible apps. Many of these apps are focused on content from YouTube. They are now available to download.

Google is also expanding its augmented reality platform, which is called Tango. They are offering several augmented reality apps, which are apps that transpose virtual images onto the real world (think Pokemon Go).

Use an app to stream movies.

Apps like BigScreen Beta and Virtual Desktop let you stream movies on your headset. Some of the benefits of using an app include the fact that you can customize the size of your screen, change the background color of the screen, or even change the distance that the screen is from you. Additionally, with an app, you can either watch a movie by yourself or invite friends to watch with you in a virtual theater. To stream movies from apps, you simply put in a DVD or else stream a movie from a service like Netflix or Amazon (like you would on your laptop or computer).

Read More: Should You Buy a Virtual Reality Headset?

Connect your VR headset to your computer.

To watch any movies that you have downloaded to your computer, connect your phone to your computer. Next, drop the video file downloaded onto your computer onto your phone. Finally, connect your VR headset to your phone to watch the film. With this method, you can still adjust the size of the screen on your VR headset. With some headsets like the Samsung Gear, you can set it so your screen won’t change perspective, even if the space around you is moving.

Stream videos from YouTube.

YouTube is full of 3D and 360-degree movies for you to experience. For many VR headsets, you need to download an app so that your device can tell which kind of video you want to watch from YouTube. To find videos on YouTube, first search and choose a 3D video from the YouTube site. Next, tap the video icon on the play bar and select 360. Finally, select the kind of 3D your app tells you to play. If you’ve selected the correct video type, you’ll be able to watch your movie clearly on your headset.

Does this sound like a fantasy? Well, tech companies and the sports industry are already working to make it a reality. You might be able to take part sooner than you think, too. Virtual Reality has been intriguing us with its capabilities for a few years now, and VR technology continues to get cheaper and more accessible. Products like Facebook’s Oculus Rift and Google’s Daydream have entered homes. By simply putting on goggles, you can enter a different world, and marketers want to take advantage of this to engage fans.

Read More: How Do Augment Reality and Virtual Reality Differ?

The cost of attending games continues to rise, and trends show that fans watching from home do not usually watch games in their entirety. So teams and entire leagues are working on ways to engage fans in new, exciting ways that traditional TV simply can’t achieve.

Nowadays, viewers are not solely engaged with a game on a TV screen: They are also checking their Twitter feeds to see what others are saying about the game; texting friends about goals, touchdowns, and baskets; and checking team websites for real-time updates. The sports and tech industries are working on ways to integrate these components into VR. You will be able to do all of these things with your VR goggles without ever having to take your eyes off the game.

VR will also allow fans to personalize their watching experiences. They will be able to switch camera angles, replay moments, get instant stats, make GIFs to share with their Twitter followers, or shop for a new jersey — all while being in the stadium, without actually being in the stadium.

Using VR technology to engage fans isn’t a far-off idea. It’s being developed right now. And in certain cases, it’s already being used by teams and programs. The NBA already broadcasts a game in VR every week. Other leagues broadcast special annual events in VR. One estimate predicts that major sports leagues could be increasing their total revenue by $4 billion by 2025, just through VR technology. Those at the forefront of developing this technology believe that it will become the dominant way of viewing sports. And the possibilities are endless.

The Future is Here — Sort of

The past few years have brought about 3D technology, motion controls, and virtual reality. Decades ago, when games were simply pixels across a static background, we might not have believed that these technologies were possible, especially in our lifetimes. But here we are, in the future and beyond: Motion controls have helped to make us a bigger part of the game; 3D technology has helped pull us “into” games more than we ever were before; and virtual reality seeks to not only bring us into the game, but to completely and utterly submerge us into the world, closing us off from everything around us in the process.

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Video Games, Virtual Reality, and Beyond

The Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Playstation VR are the current contenders for not only our living rooms, but our very minds, as they fight to pull us into the worlds we want to escape to. Sony and Microsoft have also created beefed up versions of their latest consoles in an effort to keep up with everything and bring us smoother gaming in the process. Microsoft’s Project Scorpio seeks to be much more powerful than Playstation’s latest Playstation Pro — to not only outdo Sony, but to also bring gaming to higher heights (and presumably prepare for their own version of virtual reality).

A New Kind of Portable Device

Nintendo’s latest console is releasing this March and is going to bring about yet another innovation — as they’re so well known for at this point — which is the ability to bring your console anywhere. That’s right — they’re already the rulers of the handheld gaming market, but now they’re flipping that on its side. This March, gamers will be able to bring their consoles with them and have that living room experience anywhere they want without sacrificing power, data, or any part of the experience. Sony and other companies may be focused on bringing you into the game, but Nintendo has arguably bigger plans — they want to bring the game everywhere else.

If you can’t attend a much-anticipated concert, or else desire to experience your favorite musicians in a new way, virtual reality can offer a solution through a VR headset. Musical groups and musicians like Coldplay, Jack White, the Weeknd, Björk, and U2 have all recorded in virtual reality. A VR concert experience could offer a cheaper way to “attend” an incredible concert — and without the hassle of leaving your home.

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Next VR’s Virtual Reality Concert Series

Recently, Citi, Live Nation, and Next VR announced that they were teaming up to produce a series of virtual reality concerts. Think of the series as a type of backstage pass — an improved version of the formerly popular Disney 3D concert films. The first VR concert in the series could be released by the end of this year on the NextVR app. However, in order to experience a virtual reality concert through Next VR, you’ll need a VR headset. The NextVR app currently works with a Samsung Gear VR headset and Samsung phones. Eventually, they will expand their compatibility with other devices.

An Enhanced, Immersive Experience

Further, iHeartRadio and Universal Media Group are also working together to create virtual reality concerts. They want to bring virtual reality to the actual concerts, either before the show, during, or after, as a way to enhance the concert goer’s experience. iHeartRadio has already started to incorporate virtual reality technology into its events this year. In addition, iHeartRadio and UMG also hope to produce a VR concert series for VR headsets.

The Price of a VR Experience

While a VR concert experience could offer a cheaper way for fans to experience big-name artists like Lady Gaga or Beyoncé, it still won’t be cheap. You’ll still need access to a pricey VR headset and a compatible device. As for VR-equipped concerts, ticket prices could further increase. Still, as the technology improves and becomes more common, prices should, eventually, decrease. If you regularly attend big-name concerts, however, this may not be an issue for you. In that case, you have no excuse not to take advantage of this technology right now. After all, it was made with you in mind.

Some qualities to take into consideration for an all-encompassing VR experience are: quality graphics, functional accessories, significant memory storage (for an understandable amount of data associated with VR functions), and the ability to connect to headsets, among other features, that make the VR experience possible.

Read More: Should You Buy a Virtual Reality Headset?

Samsung Galaxy S7

Everything from the older Samsung Galaxy 5 and up is able to connect to VR components and associated apps. As the premier pick, the S7 is one of the best Androids for the task. It is compatible with Google Cardboard, which is an affordable VR option that is an ode to a childhood spent playing in boxes and creating imaginary worlds. The S7 also works with more complex, futuristic products and headsets. Do some research to find out the degree at which you hope to experience VR in order to find the equipment and apps that fit your needs.

Other Smartphone Models

There are other Android phones to consider, if only for their individual perks. The Galaxy S6 hooks up to headsets that are easier on the budget, as well as to pricier accessories like the Samsung Gear VR, which is a much-anticipated 360-degree viewer that takes head movement to a 4-inch depth. However, continue to explore older options to find the Android model that fits your VR needs best. Even an S5 or older might be suitable for you.

Your VR and PSafe

Protect more than just your sanity when using virtual reality components. PSafe Total will provide constant security while you delve into the virtual world, with features that work in your phone’s background to keep it protected. With dozens of VR-specific apps to fit your needs, take advantage of an app manager to maintain enough storage for your new virtual reality toys. In addition, PSafe Total will help you to get rid of any unwanted junk, such as excess files stored on your phone. Enjoy your journey!

Remember playing with the View-Master as a kid? You know, those toys that cycled through scenes or a story while you looked on? That 1939 invention was just a reconfiguring of (and major update from) the stereoscope invented 100 years before.

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Things took a leap forward in the 1960s.

The Birth of Live Action Virtual Technology
The first head-mounted display was invented, then the first motion-tracking display, and then the first display connected not to a camera, but to a computer. It was so heavy, it had to be hung from the ceiling — a far cry from today’s cardboard-light displays.

Users of this new technology, nicknamed the “Sword of Damocles” (after the legendary story about being in a position of power), were then strapped into it. Of course, given the technology at the time, users weren’t exactly greeted with the lifelike images afforded by today’s amazing tech.

Other VR devices followed, each one building on the last. It wouldn’t be until the 1980s that virtual reality accessories were marketed to the public. The system alone cost almost $50,000 — no small change even by today’s standards.

Nintendo and Sega Genesis hopped on board the new craze. In the case of Sega, it was never able to release its VR Glasses project due to technical difficulties, even though the company had already completed games for it. Nintendo, on the other hand, did release a 3D gaming console, but with a series of issues (such as its less than comfortable headset), it didn’t take off.

Live Action Technology Today
With Oculus Rift consistently making headlines and great leaps forward, the new release of the Playstation VR, Google Daydream in the works, and the HTC Vive and controllers that started shipping in spring of this year, it keeps getting better.

Where technology will take us is anyone’s guess. Make sure your Android smartphone is ready for it. Clean it up with PSafe TOTAL. Protect your phone from viruses and malware and delete unneeded programs.

At the United Kingdom’s Sheffield Doc/Fest, this is exactly what some producers were aiming to create. Using a combination of documentary footage, smart artificial intelligence, and virtual reality technology, the Doc/Fest curators showcased 12 filmmakers who devised interactive projects that placed festival goers in far off destinations in space and time. These ranged from an incredibly life-like spacewalk simulation to exhibits showing the life of a Syrian refugee amid the ongoing refugee crisis.

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While traditional documentaries have typically been filmed without virtual reality considerations in mind, what makes the demonstrations at Doc/Fest so different from the standard nature or historical program is their interactivity. In one particular exhibit, entitled New Dimensions in Testimony, festival-goers were brought into a dark room with an oblong screen, where they could interact with a Holocaust survivor. The survivor, Pinchas Gutter, was brought to life using natural language technology and a life-like rendering of his body taken from hours of interview footage with the USC Shoah Foundation. The result is an experience that nearly feels like speaking to the real Pinchas Gutter. The simulated Gutter can offer musings from the factual to the philosophical, and can answer questions spontaneously. Though Gutter is still alive today, his contribution to the project will allow future generations to have personal chats with the man, preserving the first-hand experience digitally.

While they are fascinating and full of potential, it isn’t outlandish that some would find these kinds of interactive historical documentaries morally wrong, especially when the events depicted are ongoing in the real world. Two Billion Miles and We Wait are two such projects that put the viewer in the shoes of a Syrian refugee. In the former, you must make decisions to escape the violence in Syria, the outcomes of which are reflected in simulated news coverage segments. The latter, meanwhile, casts spectators as migrants trying to escape Turkey by sea into Greece — every attempt, though, ends with the viewer being detained and returned to Turkey by authorities. Despite the realistic, sometimes disturbing depictions of this humanitarian crisis, a viewer can detach from that reality anytime he or she likes by removing the headset.

Despite the moral ambiguity of some subjects shown in VR documentaries, there is no question that giving viewers a first-person look into history is a poignant and enthralling experience. By educating the viewer and immersing them into these realities, virtual reality is proving that it can be more than just an electronic toy for escapism and whimsical entertainment, but also a tool for enlightening the world, eliciting empathy from audiences, and, as the Doc/Fest filmmakers hope, a call to action for social change and human justice.

Alejandro Iñárritu, a filmmaker perhaps best known for his films Birdman and The Revenant, is also taking on virtual reality film. The film has been in development for four years. It will focus on the experiences of a group of immigrants and refugees arriving to the United States by way of Mexico. Legendary Entertainment and Fondazione Prada (an organization that promotes contemporary art and culture) will produce Iñárritu’s film, while ILMxLAB will help bring the film to life by creating the film’s virtual world and characters. Emmanuel Lubezki, a cinematographer who has worked with Alejandro Iñárritu on Birdman and The Revenant, will also be involved with the film.

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Virtual reality, of course, offers a new form of storytelling. The goal is to get the viewer to participate in the story — to essentially “live” with the story. There is still debate, however, about whether or not the viewer should have a more passive or active role with this experience. As for how this will work in Iñárritu’s new film, it’s still unclear — not much is known yet about the film. Nonetheless, this will be an especially effective medium for Iñárritu’s topic, considering the current discourse on immigration and refugees, and the truly immersive experience of virtual reality.

The popularity of 3D films and augmented reality has helped to pave the way for virtual reality films. Currently, virtual reality is more popular in gaming than in film. But virtual reality film could be especially popular in fandom culture, for those who already pay to further celebrate their favorite TV show or film, for example, by purchasing merchandise, video games, and tickets to comic-cons and certain theme parks. Virtual reality film would offer another way to let fans interact with their favorite fictional universe.

With the release of Iñárritu’s new short film and his prestigious track record, maybe virtual reality film will soon be taking over the Academy Awards (perhaps, eventually, in the form of its own category). It is only a matter of years before the medium could truly catch on in mainstream culture, which means we might have some exciting films to look forward to in the future.