For consumers, VR generally means
strapping on a head-mounted display (HMD), stepping into a new world and
enjoying the experience. The enveloping nature of VR allows people to explore
environments in 360 degrees, but for most, how these immersive worlds are
created is a mystery. Though VR is still in its infancy, traditional methods of
capturing and transforming footage have emerged. Typically, to shoot 360-degree
VR content, a camera-person employs several cameras rigged in a spherical
formation to capture the scene. Each camera is mounted at a specific angle so
the camera’s field of view will overlap portions of the surrounding cameras’
field of view. With the overlap, editors should be able to get more seamless
footage, without any gaps. Alternatively, professional 360-degree cameras can
be purchased, but more or less look and function the same as hand-rigged
apparatuses. Once filming is completed, editors stitch together the footage,
creating a unified, continuous experience.
In addition to camera formation,
camera placement also plays a major role in the end result of a particular
piece of immersive content. Depending on what the content creator wants the
consumer to experience, camera placement will vary. Though the creative
direction will ultimately determine placement, it is important to note that
even with several rigs placed throughout a set, this method creates a more
static outcome. Volumetric photogrammetry could possibly hold the key to the
future of VR. Unlike the method mentioned above, there are no takes or shots in
volumetric VR that are later edited in post-production. This allows for a much
more fluid experience, as the consumer frames the scene and chooses his or her
own perspective. Using the volumetric capture method, footage of a real person
is recorded from various viewpoints, after which software analyzes, compresses
and recreates all the viewpoints of a fully volumetric 3D human. With
volumetric VR explained, photogrammetry’s defining characteristic is the
principle of triangulation.
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