Crown 360 Experience Film

360 Video was just gaining popularity, so research was important during this project because I was walking into unchartered territory. We were fortunate enough to have a $400 Insta360 camera that was donated to the school. By testing on this camera, I created a proof-of-concept that the school was willing to bank on for the project.

Similar to the initial testing phase, preproduction was difficult because we knew we could only rent the 11K camera for a few days. Therefore, I had to align key aspects of the college (basketball game, party by the lake, etc.) with the filming days. And unlike a typical script, this required a format that hadn't been standardized yet.

In addition, because the camera and viewer can see all sides, it was vital to arrange all aspects of the scene, not just a single angle.

Filming took 3 days. First, I took some test footage and edited it to ensure that the project was ready to go. Then I spent time running to different events and preplanned scenes to capture college life.

As mentioned above, filming was unique because I couldn't be near the camera but would often need to direct behind a tree or around a corner.

I tested both Premiere Pro and FCP X. I settled for Final Cut becuase of the way the software managed teh 360 footage. However, I had to edit on a shared computer becuase of the computing power needed to edit such large footage.

It usually took multiple hours to export the short film. I could then view it on Youtube to see how the footage turned out.

Unlike normal distribution online, I had to sideload the footage onto the Oculus Go. Then test to make sure it worked for people watching. I tested if people experienced nausea during the viewing. We also had to start the video for others, so we developed and even practiced a system that would allow us to seamlessly start the video, get the headset on a person's head, and help them remove it after the viewing.