The wait is over and the time has come. The VR industry has been around for decades but in the last few years there has been a major leap forward. Not only can you view a 360 virtual world but also be part of the action in the movie. We are entering a golden age of virtual reality that can be viewed from the comforts of your home. Animation Xpress team spoke to Clyde Desouza to get his views on virtual reality in films.
There are two films in pre-production right now. AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) is a Sci-fi film on the theme of life during UBI (universal basic income) and the effects of job losses on society. The film will be shot in Mumbai exclusively. The second is ErotoPhrenia a term coined by Clyde Desouza which combines Erotomania and Schizophrenia that is a related mental illness. It is a single location, psychological thriller. Both the productions are micro-budget and being VR the length will be between 15 to 20 minutes.
The good thing with VR is that there is no need for a physical platform such as cinema. People carry their own personal Imax a VR HMD. In a matter of few months, these VR cinemas will be in every office and boardroom. They can be viewed on Microsoft Windows with mixed reality headsets from HP, Dell, Acer or Samsung. VR films will be produced in India aimed at the worldwide market.
Desouza said that “VR is certainly picking ground. Last year at Mumbai’s film fest, MAMI had a well done section. This year the Government of India’s IFFI will too. I was invited to conduct a master class on VR filmmaking at IFFI 2016 and saw an auditorium filled with enthusiastic filmmakers and film students. I find this encouraging. Let’s hope IFFI continues the trend this year.”
The medium has grown exponentially and it’s up to the Indian film bodies to keep the momentum going. VR has evened the playing field for India with regards to Hollywood also making mistakes as I learnt in the case studies at the master class. There is no reason India cannot excel. VR has started in the PVR cinema chain in Noida, and their plans are to go nationwide. There are also VR arcades springing up in metro cities in India.
Desouza said “There are many challenges but to be fair, the first VR film (or VR graphic novel film) I did was in 2014. That was before any hardware or software dedicated to the medium was available. I found myself talking to cartographers and investigating software they used for their field of work, when delving into ‘Equirectangular’ format of projection needed for composting and video formatting. Today, the challenges faced are more primitive in comparison that is how to secure investments and funding for a VR film!”
(This article has been written by Rohan Rodrigues)
