Fiction / Narrative Storytelling in 360 VR. The approach, methodology and process undertaken by the Whistling Woods Jio VR Lab, of creating india's first generation of Cinematic VR filmmakers in India...

1. Introduction to Cinematic VR
Fiction / Narrative Storytelling in 360VR

2. Digital India
• India is the world’s 2nd largest internet using country – 500mn+ users.
• India has 400mn+ mid-to-high-level smartphones, which is ~40% of all phones.
• India is the worlds largest per-capita weekly video-watching country (9 hrs / week).
• 9 out of 10 OTT consumers watch content on their cellphones.
• Mobile data cost crashed from Rs 16/GB in 2016 to Rs 4.5/GB in 2018 to Rs 3/GB in 2019.
• Per capita data consumption doubled from 4GBpm in 2017 to 8GBpm in 2018.

3. Digital Content’s journey from 2012-2020
• Widespread fiction / narrative content has emerged – in all content / business models.
• 3 generations of content creators have emerged
• Awards/Festival inclusion, dedicated digital content film festivals.
• Tech pipeline is sorted:
• High quality, film-grade sensors, cinematic lenses
• Stabilisation of Tech / post-prodn workflow
• Viewing devices to get better – smartphones/tablets
• High quality sound – Dolby Atmos, et al.
• Adequate processing power in devices
• 4G for High Quality Streaming

4. Platforms
Low Volume High Volume
Low
Value
High
Value
Premium OTT
Theatrical
Free(mium) OTT
C&S / DTH
Note:
This is India-specific
There are 4 viewing
platforms & multiple types
of content presently.
On a Viewership / Value
matrix, this is where are
they now & where are they
likely to be 5 yrs from now. Free OTT

5. VR Potential
• India is a large potential VR market with over 300mn VR-ready consumers.
• India needs to create its first generation of Cinematic VR filmmakers.
• Fiction / narrative content / experiences for VR are at a nascent stage. No academic pedagogy
(curriculum) exists.
• Hence, we first need to write the curriculum for Cinematic VR and then educate / train film school
graduates as well as industry professionals.

6. Understanding IMMERSION
& our Senses

7. SENSES
How many senses do humans have?

8. SENSES
How many senses do humans have?
The obvious answer is five: SIGHT, HEARING,
TOUCH, SMELL & TASTE.
But in reality, there are 27.

9. SENSES
How many senses do humans have?
The obvious answer is five: SIGHT, HEARING,
TOUCH, SMELL & TASTE.
But in reality, there are 27.
In addition to these 5 organ-
based senses, there are:
¤ 4 Perception-based
senses
¤ 18 other Organ based
senses

10. SENSES
Perception based senses
¤ Time
¤ Agency (control)
¤ Familiarity
¤ Sensing gravity

11. SENSES
Organ Based Senses
¤ Balance
¤ Temperature
¤ Proprioception (Kinesthetic sense)
¤ Pain
¤ Sexual stimulation
¤ Hunger
¤ Thirst
¤ Breathing
¤ Suffocation
Organ Based Senses
¤ Intoxication
¤ Vasodilation (Blushing)
¤ Digestion
¤ Swallowing / Vomiting
¤ Gagging
¤ Urination
¤ Vasodilation caused Pain
¤ Cardioception
¤ UV Radiation Detection

12. IMMERSION
The impact of immersion on other senses (the ability of one sense to overpower many
other senses) has caused science to treat immersion as a sense, though it has yet to be
classified as a perception-based or organ-based sense.
Two types of Immersion:
¤ Physical / Technical Immersion
¤ Cognitive Immersion:
• Spatial Immersion
• Temporal Immersion
• Spacio-Temporal Immersion
• Emotional Immersion
SENSES

13. Content v/s ‘Experiences’

14. Content ‘Experience’
• Technology-enabled
experiences in content
consumption are what the
consumer is seeking out.
• The consumption experience
is becoming as important is
the content.

15. AR/VR/MR/XR
Don’t get lost in the jargon

16. VR, AR, MR

17. Degrees of Freedom

18. CINEMATIC VR

19. Approaching Cinematic VR
• Technology
• Business
• Content
and finally,
• Problem Solving

20. TECHNOLOGY

21. The Gartner Hype Curve for Emerging Technologies - 2017

22. The Gartner Hype Curve for Emerging Technologies - 2018
Virtual Reality is not an
‘emerging’ technology
anymore, but one that
has ‘emerged’.
Neither is it ‘hype’
anymore.

23. Stabilised Tech Pipeline
Acquisition Production / Post-
production
Distribution Playback / Viewing
• Cameras with 2-16
sensors/lenses for
stereoscopic /
monoscopic
acquisition.
• In-camera
stabilization
• In-camera stitching
• Stitching – both local
& cloud
• Edit + Effects pipeline
• Finishing / exporting
to required format
• Download video &
playback
• Streaming
Head Mounted Displays:
• Headsets for cellphones
• Wireless Connected
HMDs / Standalones
• Oculus Rift
• HTC Vive
• Sony PS VR

24. BUSINESS

25. VR – Users

26. There is consumer interest in VR content
.
Source: 2018 VR/AR Consumer Study
Note: data through April 4, 2018

27. VR Content / Business Models
Low Volume High Volume
Low
Value
High
Value
Tethered
HMD`s
Location-Based VR experiences
Wireless
connected
HMDs
Mobile + Headset
Tethered + seated + multi-
sensory experiences
LBE
Tethered + Seated
Tethered
Wireless-Connected Headsets
/ Standalones
Mobile + Headset

28. Platforms
Low Volume High Volume
Low
Value
High
Value
Premium OTT
Theatrical
Immersive
Content
Free(mium) OTT
C&S / DTH
Note:
This is India-specific
There are 4 viewing
platforms & multiple types
of content presently.
On a Viewership / Value
matrix, this is where are
they now & where are they
likely to be 5 yrs from now. Free OTT

29. CONTENT & EXPERIENCE

30. Content & Platforms
Film / Theatrical TV Digital/OTT VR/AR
Nature of
Viewing
Captive Community viewing Non-captive Family viewing Non-captive Individual viewing Captive Individual viewing
Platform
Viewing
Details
Fixed frame, large screen,
2D & 3D
Fixed frame, small screen,
2D
Fixed frame, mini screen,
2D
FRAMELESS, 2D & 3D,
Duration &
Structure
110-180 mins
60-100 scenes
1-8 shots / scene
22–44 mins
8-10 scenes
1-20 shots / scene
3–60 mins
2-20 scenes
1-4 shots / scene
60secs - 60mins
Fiction
Content
Structure
Primarily stand-alone,
marginally serial
Primarily serial, marginally
stand-alone
Equal amount of stand-alone &
serial content
Equal amount of stand-
alone & serial content
USP
Larger Than Life,
Audio-visual narrative
spectacle
Appointment Viewing,
Story & Character
development
Individuality,
High concept, less formulaic,
writing-focused, pace is critical
???
Immersive & interactive is
all we know currently

31. Hypothesis
VR will, for the first time in history,
create a ‘Value Snacking’ content category
and enable the same to be monetized.

32. VR
The Dunning-Kruger Effect

33. VR Content Experience – to simplify
Image courtesy Nick Bicanic - Founder RVLVR &
member of the WW VR Lab’s advisory board

34. VR Content – Production Complexity

35. PROBLEM SOLVING

36. © Felix & Paul Studios Do not photograph, do not distribute

37. Problems to solve in VR
• Standards
• Security
• Acquisition & Data Management
• File Formats, Workflow & Distribution
• Software pipeline
• Computing Requirements
• Narrative Content Creation
• Building Awareness

38. Problems to solve in VR
• Standards – VRIF
• Security – Standards bodies & Health Departments
• Acquisition & Data Management – Hyper-dynamic, it is a perpetual battle
• File Formats, Workflow & Distribution – OMAF/MPEG-H/HEVC/Tiles/etc.
• Software pipeline – In place, continuing development will occur
• Computing Requirements – Hyper-dynamic, it is a perpetual battle
• Narrative Content Creation
• Building Awareness
Our focus

39. Where are we now?

40. Key learnings along the way
• There is no such person as a VR ‘Expert’
• There are only 5 ‘rules’ as of now in VR:
• Don’t bore people – experience without engagement is pointless
• Don’t confuse people – VR content is not a treasure hunt
• Don’t give people whiplash – Contextually 360deg but Content-wise between 160-210deg.
• Don’t make people vomit
• Backup your Data – Coz there’s LOADS of it

41. • A VR 'film' is in reality an 'experience' of which the Story, Visuals, Sound, Immersion &
Interactivity are all parts. Work on all of them during the ‘writing’.
• Cinematic grammar needs to be re-written for frameless / immersive content.
• A deeper study of Immersion as a sense is needed by all filmmakers.
• Directing Attention is the new craft to be learnt by the filmmaker.
• The viewers eyes are your viewfinder & your frame
• Solving people’s FOMO is the big challenge.
• Intuitive Filmmaking is needed - Think of why & how you would look at something.
• Every VR shot is a VFX shot.
Much much more to come...
Key learnings along the way

42. What Next?

43. Cinematic VR’s expected journey from 2019-2025
VR
• Widespread fiction / narrative content has emerged – in
all content / business models.
• 2 generations of Cinematic VR content creators to
emerge, first by 2021-22
• Increased Festival inclusion, dedicated VR film festivals.
• Tech pipeline to be sorted:
• High quality, film-grade sensors, cinematic lenses, 6 DoF,
VolCap, Point Cloud & Photogrammetry
• Stabilisation of VR workflow
• HMDs to get better – 4k / wireless / nearly-weightless
• Native spatial audio in all headsets & mobiles
• Adequate computing & graphic computing power
• 5G for High Quality Streaming

44. Cinematic VR’s expected journey from 2019-2025
VR
• Widespread fiction / narrative content has emerged – in
all content / business models.
• 2 generations of Cinematic VR content creators to
emerge, first by 2021-22
• Increased Festival inclusion, dedicated VR film festivals.
• Tech pipeline to be sorted:
• High quality, film-grade sensors, cinematic lenses, 6 DoF,
VolCap, Point Cloud & Photogrammetry
• Stabilisation of VR workflow
• HMDs to get better – 4k / wireless / nearly-weightless
• Native spatial audio in all headsets & mobiles
• Adequate computing & graphic computing power
• 5G for High Quality Streaming
Digital/OTT
• Widespread fiction / narrative content has emerged – in
all content / business models.
• 3 generations of content creators have come & gone
• Awards/Festival inclusion, dedicated digital film festivals.
• Tech pipeline is sorted:
• High quality, film-grade sensors, cinematic lenses
• Stabilisation of Tech / post-prodn workflow
• Viewing devices to get better – smartphones/tablets
• High quality sound – Dolby Atmos, et al.
• Adequate processing power in devices
• 4G for High Quality Streaming

45. Thank You
Chaitanya Chinchlikar
Lab Head, Whistling Woods JIO VR Lab
Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Whistling Woods International
chaitanya.c@whistlingwoods.net