Ficci Frames 2016: Will Virtual Reality change storytelling?

Virtual Reality is here to stay and give a personal experience, not a mass experience. Storytelling will now see a 360 degree angle

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Mumbai | March 31, 2016

The art of storytelling is going through a revolutionary change with the advent of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. In a session on 'From reel to Virtually Real,' panellists threw light on how virtual reality will change the way stories are told.Alistair Thompson, Executive VP, The Mill,summed it up by saying, “It is ever evolving.”

The panellists included besides Thompson, Ninan Eapen Chundamannil, Industry Business Manager, Media, Broadcast and Entertainment, NVIDIA, Ketan Mehta, Indian film director, Vamsi Ayyangari, General Manager, MPC Films, and Rishi Ahuja, MD, Sunovatech Group.

Mehta on the other hand shared his experience as a filmmaker. He said, “It is about creating amazing experiences. While technology is driving how we experience content, we are still in the early stages. Today, technology has liberated the way creative minds think. If one thinks that this can happen, there is technology which connects the dots of the creative mind.”

As a creator of technology for virtual reality, Chundamannil said that it can be used extensively by medical professionals. He cites an example of a doctor who wants to do a brain surgery where the doctor knows which path he should take so as to not take the life of the patient. Similarly, Chundamannil said virtual reality is being used a lot in the automobile industry, where cars are not available for advertising. It is virtual reality where a prototype image can be used to show a brand and its performance.

While Chundamannil held forth on the graphical complexity related to virtual reality, Ayyangari took over by saying that Augmented Reality goes with Virtual Reality. He said, “While Augmented Reality (AR) will focus on information and communications, Virtual Reality (VR) will focus on entertainment and motion.”

Ahuja on the other hand shared his experience on what he does on the defence front for the government. He questions if VR can be a lifestyle to train your brain. He said, “Virtual Reality is behaviour related. It determines how you're going to live your life in the future.”

On a concluding note, Ahuja said VR is restricted to a personal experience and not a mass experience. While Ayyangari tells us that there is a huge amount of investment in VR in various markets, and it will only lead to growth of the medium. Mehta wants AR and VR theme parks to create an experience for the consumers.

Lastly, Thompson pointed out that one must first identify the audience. At the same time, storytellers need to be more creative when using VR.

The session was moderated by Biren Ghose, Country Head, Technicolor India.

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com