Cinematography in virtual reality

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR), initially employed in the world of gaming, has been garnering significant interest among filmmakers. As an alternate method in filmmaking, VR has led to the emergence of the VR cinematographer who plays a major role in the new medium. Notably, VR cinematography remains a work in progress at this point, with challenges and opportunities related to this role, abounding. VR narrative filmmaking faces many challenges; from scripting, to lack of framing, to synchronizing the audience’s angle of viewing to the field of action, to film language and editing. VR films need to be considered as a non-traditional narrative medium because the goal here is to tell a story albeit with a more in-depth, spatial experience. Through VR cinematography technology and techniques, the viewer suspends belief and feels that he or she is actually in the setting the narrative entails. It is unto the director to choreograph different viewing experiences to a common goal. There is more choreography involved in scriptwriting and the film language. This study aims not just to highlight the creative and technical challenges faced by a Director of Photography working in a VR medium but also questions of how the role of a DoP is affected in VR fiction filmmaking with comparison to classical narrative filmmaking. Can we re-apply the established rules of filmmaking and if not, how does that affect the techniques incorporated by a cinematographer?