This document discusses the partnership between Frontline and Emblematic Group to develop immersive virtual reality journalism projects. It received $580,000 from the Knight Foundation to experiment with VR over 18 months and create at least 3 projects. Frontline is a long-running investigative journalism TV series, while Emblematic Group produces VR content and was founded by a pioneer in the field. The partnership aims to extend the impact of journalism through immersive VR experiences and help establish best practices for the emerging medium.
2. THE EXPERIENCE: TECHNICAL
• Subtle fade out and in transitions
o His bedroom
o His solitary confinement cell
o Outside of the cell
• Directional audio
o Banging, screaming, paper sliding, etc.
• Great graphics
• We see Kenneth Moore, whose story we’re hearing, as he shares his
experience
• Sympathetic background music
• Floating text
• Bloody writing
3. THE EXPERIENCE: AESTHETIC
• Really feels like you’re trapped in a cell; claustrophobic
• Dirty floors and metal toilet
• Bloody writing on the walls
• Scary prison noises
• Sympathetic feeling
• Moore dressed in casual clothing
• Actual footage of Moore’s brutal cell extraction
4. WHAT WORKS?
• Having Moore there to tell his story makes it feel personal
• Sympathetic music makes us feel sorry for Moore
• Floating writing on the walls adds more context to the story
• Real footage makes his story come to life
• Directional audio helps us look where we need to
• Graphics make it feel as if you’re truly there
• During confinement and life after confinement
5. WHAT DOESN’T WORK?
• Having Moore disappear and then reappear
• Having Moore’s speech in the background but not seeing his lips move
• Random black hole in one scene
• Not being able to interact with the scene
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13. FRONTLINE AND EMBLEMATIC GROUP
• Expanding its exploration of VR in journalism, creating new immersive
experiences and developing lessons for the emerging field
• Received $580,000 from the Knight Foundation
• 18 months of experimentation and development of immersive journalism
• Build at least 3 VR projects examining the technical, ethical and procedural issues
raised by VR
• Journalism using VR to extend and deepen its impact
14. ABOUT FRONTLINE
• Founded by David Fanning in 1983
• U.S. TV’s longest-running investigative documentary series
• Explores issues through powerful storytelling
• Has won every major journalism and broadcasting award
o 82 Emmy Awards
o 20 Peabody Awards
15. ABOUT EMBLEMATIC GROUP
• Founded by Nonny de la Peña
oProduced the first VR documentary
oYale Poynter Media Fellow 2015
o“The Godmother of VR”
• VR content was featured as part of the Samsung GearVR headset launch
• Has collaborated with BBC, Al Jazeera America, TED, Frontline, etc.
• Has created VR segments covering a variety of topics
oPoverty in California (Hunger in L.A.)
oThe Syrian refugee crisis (Project: Syria)
oShooting of Trayvon Martin (One Dark Night)
• Premieres at the Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, the World
Economic Forum in Davos, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, etc.
16. COMPETETIVE ANALYSIS
• CNN
o360 video content on their app
o“Third layer of content”
oPotential live-streaming VR in the future
• The New York Times
o360 video content on their app
oShort documentary content in VR
oWorked with Google to distribute Google Cardboard
• VICE Media
oVR journalism project about protests in NY and a refugee camp in Jordan
• NextVR
oBroadcast live events