By Robert Goldrich

When one thinks of an immersive virtual reality experience, visceral action-adventure and breathtaking automotive-driven fare readily come to mind, particularly in the ad/marketing sector where such projects are gaining traction.

By contrast, being “immersed” in comedy seems an offbeat proposition at best. But true to his experimental nature and an inclination to zig while others zag, director Brendan Gibbons decided to mine the prospects for humor through 360 VR, an exploration which has yielded the short film Red Velvet.

Known for his wide-ranging brand of ad humor in commercials for assorted clients over the years, Gibbons wanted to see how VR could add a dimension to the art of comedy, giving viewers more of a participatory experience in finding what’s funny. Produced by his spotmaking/branded content production company home Station Film, the darkly comedic Red Velvet–which was both written and directed by Gibbons–tells the tale of a job interview taking a bizarre turn when the employee being replaced takes revenge in the form of a tainted birthday cake. The short features an ensemble cast of improvisational actors who interact much like theater actors.

Brendan Gibbons | Behind The Scenes | "Red Velvet" from Station Film on Vimeo.

SHOOT gained insights from Gibbons regarding his virtual reality filmmaking experience, lessons learned and advice he would impart to other directors looking to diversify into VR.

SHOOT: Provide some backstory on Red Velvet. What prompted you to write and direct the short? Also what choices did you make in terms of technology? Why Oculus? Did you self-fund the project? Did Station fund it?

Gibbons: I wanted to see how comedy could work in the VR space. All of the VR films I’d seen immerse viewers in an experience they might not otherwise have, like being in a race car or on a hang glider. That’s very cool, but it’s not a linear story. The challenge was to build a narrative around specific comedic beats that would hold together as a story and make people laugh no matter where they chose to look. 

We funded the project through Station, using another Station director (Andrew Wonder’s) seven-camera rig. Since, as far as we knew, no one had attempted to shoot a comedic story this way, there were no guidelines to follow. So Andrew and I spent a lot of time working out the logistics and inventing a way to make it work. We didn’t have the luxury of a big budget. So on top of the creative challenge of making the story make sense, we couldn’t lean on expensive technology to cover our butts in post. I guess at the end of the day, a big reason we did it was simply to prove that we could. 

When it comes to which technology people use to view Red Velvet, there are actually a number of options. The Oculus Rift glasses are great. But you can also watch the film on Google Cardboard glasses or on a phone or tablet without any glasses at all. 

SHOOT: What was (were) the biggest challenge(s) that VR posed to you as a director? 

Gibbons: In normal filmmaking, directors and editors manipulate exactly what people see and hear on screen. This is hugely important in comedy, where it’s all about massaging the timings down to a single frame. In VR, the viewer is free to look wherever he or she wants. So the biggest creative challenge was working out the cues to nudge viewers where I want them to look, all the while, making sure it’s funny no matter what a viewer may choose to pay attention to. 

SHOOT: What were the prime lessons you learned from your VR experience on Red Velvet? About doing comedy in VR?

Gibbons: The main lesson I learned was that it was possible! I kind of knew it was, but since I’d never seen it before, I wasn’t sure until I strapped the glasses on and had a look around. The first time I looked behind me and saw Rob (one of the actors) naked on the table, I knew we’d tapped into something interesting.

SHOOT: How does your approach to comedy differ when it entails VR as compared to your experience in traditional (non-VR) commercial making, branded content and shorts? 

Gibbons: The idea of ceding control to the viewer is a strange one. Unless you plan on spending a lot of time and money morphing takes together, you’re probably going to be shooting without any cut points. So it becomes a bit like directing a stage play where you shape the entire performance, then you have to get out of the way and let your actors go. Stage performances, however, tend to be bigger than the intimacy of a photographed performance. So you really need to know what you’re doing with your actors if you want to tell a nuanced story.

SHOOT: What advice/recommendations would you offer to other filmmakers relative to how to best tap into VR’s potential?

Gibbons: I’d tell filmmakers to watch what’s out there and see if it ignites ideas. The medium is literally being invented as we speak. If this kind of storytelling fires you up, you can probably do something no one else has done yet. And that’s pretty damn cool.

SHOOT: When is VR right for a project? What’s your assessment of VR’s potential based on your experience on Red Velvet?

Gibbons: The idea of completely immersing your viewer in an experience is incredibly powerful. But just like there’s no reason to shoot most films in 3D, most stories won’t translate to VR. The idea has to be a “VR idea.” If the viewer’s participation is part of the concept itself, that seems like the right starting point. I don’t see VR ever taking the place of a traditional viewing experience. But I do believe in the next couple of years, most people will be watching VR stories as part of their daily lives. So I’d say the potential is absolutely huge.

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